Director-Colleague & Labor Relations Employee Relations

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

How will you make an impact in this role?

• Proactively develop, implement, and deliver a comprehensive and effective colleague relations strategy that ensures a consistent approach to colleague relations practice through minimum standards in India.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of Managers and Specialists, across locations, creating an inclusive team, ensuring collaboration, and best practice sharing.
• Build and leverage relationships with key partners, bring others with you and ensure a collaborative working style.
• Maintain robust operational oversight and case governance for Colleague & Labor Relations India and personally support with complex and sensitive cases, raise workplace complaints, grievance, and employment related issues to ensure effective resolution.
• Manage relationships with the Investigation Groups, Legal Teams, CEG (HR) Business Partners, Key Business partners, Colleague Representatives to enable policy adoption and create a positive workplace culture.
• Collaborate with Colleague Experience Group (CEG-HR) partners to develop solutions for business transformation initiatives ensuring compliance with all consultation requirements.
• Drive colleague relations priorities for the market, ensuring that global strategies are incorporated effectively into local plans.
• Drive efficiencies, streamline processes and support the continued evolution of the colleague relations engagement and operating model, including driving leaders to colleague relations Portal / self-service.
• Collaborate with Colleague relations Strategy & Enablement team to share data and insights for the markets to the business, HR, and key partners.
• Understand business priorities by collaborating with CSP – HR Business Partners and support business to manage organizational change and transformations.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve colleague relations competence for people leaders and Colleague Strategic Partners (HR-Business Partners).
• Provide proactive, targeted training to people leaders on colleague-affecting issues, ensuring training meets the ongoing needs of leaders.
• Stay abreast of evolving regulatory landscape specifically pertaining to employment law and support CLR / CEG policy amendments and readiness
• Proactively analyze market case trends and partner with Strategy and Enablement team to design and implement relevant people leader or colleague trainings
• Operate with a strong risk approach and maintain a robust control environment, ensuring that every action we take upholds our reputation for trust, security, and service. Demonstrate this in CLR India processes and practices in operations.

What skills will you require?

• Extensive working knowledge of CEG within American Express/ ITeS & Financial Services industry, with proven colleague relations (ER) experience
• Strong people leadership and demonstrated ability to set a strategic vision, lead and motivate a team across multiple locations
• Adept at partnering with and influencing multiple partners in a matrixed organization
• Proven diagnostic capability to untangle complex employee relations issues with a solution-oriented approach balancing business needs with fairness and compliance
• Skilled in conflict resolution, mediation, and negotiation.
• Ability to handle ambiguity and develop frameworks for emerging workplace challenges.
• Proven experience in leading complex change initiatives (including regulatory changes or business transformation initiatives)
• Established expertise in designing, implementing, and monitoring CLR (ER) policies and processes that ensure fairness, consistency, and transparency
• Skilled at implementing governance frameworks for handling critical issues, investigations, and disciplinary actions.
• Adept at investigation report writing, robust documentation, audit readiness, and record keeping in CLR case tracking systems.
• Risk assessment and mitigation strategies for reputational, legal, and employee engagement risks.
• Must have impactful communication skills and effective storytelling ability to drive influence on partners based on data, insights, facts and evidence
• Deep knowledge of Indian labor laws, employment regulations, global company policies and industry's best processes.
• Ability to interpret and apply complex legal requirements to practical business situations.
• Proven ability of seamless partnering with Legal/Compliance teams to ensure adherence to statutory requirements across jurisdictions.
• Staying updated on evolving employment legislation and proactively preparing the organization.
• Courageous and demonstrated experience in having difficult conversations with empathy and impact
• Experience of leading teams through change, defining and delivering change management strategies
• Demonstrated eye for business with deep knowledge of Financial Services & ITeS industry
• Sound understanding, demonstrated track record of role modelling AMEX Blue Box Values and Leadership Behaviors
• Experience of using data insights understand key trends, and to drive continual improvement

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries 
• Bonus incentives 
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location) 
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location) 
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
• Career development and training opportunities

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law.  

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.