Employee Relations Lead – Legal

Metro Global Solution Center (MGSC) is internal solution partner for METRO, a €31 Billion international wholesaler with operations in more than 30 countries. The store network comprises a total of 623 stores in 21 countries, of which 522 offer out-of-store delivery (OOS), and 94 dedicated depots. In 12 countries, METRO runs only the delivery business by its delivery companies (Food Service Distribution, FSD). 

HoReCa and Traders are core customer groups of METRO. The HoReCa section includes hotels, restaurants, catering companies as well as bars, cafés and canteen operators. The Traders section includes small grocery stores and kiosks. The majority of all customer groups are small and medium-sized enterprises as well as sole traders. METRO helps them manage their business challenges more effectively. 

MGSC, location wise is present in Pune (India), Düsseldorf (Germany) and Szczecin (Poland). We provide HR, Finance, IT & Business operations support to 31 countries, speak 24+ languages and process over 18,000 transactions a day. We are setting tomorrow's standards for customer focus, digital solutions, and sustainable business models. For over 10 years, we have been providing services and solutions from our two locations in Pune and Szczecin. This has allowed us to gain extensive experience in how we can best serve our internal customers with high quality and passion. We believe that we can add value, drive efficiency, and satisfy our customers.

Role Overview:

The Employee Relations Professional will be responsible for driving fair, consistent, and legally compliant employee relations practices across Metro GSC India. This role combines expertise in Indian employment law with a business-focused approach to employee experience, workplace culture, and compliance risk management.

Key Responsibilities:

Employee Relations:

• Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and employees on People policies, disciplinary matters, and workplace conduct.
• Manage end-to-end employee relations cases — from investigation through resolution — ensuring fairness, consistency, and documentation integrity.
• Support implementation of the Code of Conduct and ethics standards across all levels.

Legal Compliance & Governance:

• Ensure organizational compliance with applicable Indian labor laws, including Shops & Establishments Act, Industrial Employment laws, and POSH regulations.
• Partner with internal legal and external advisors for audits, inspections, and policy alignment.
• Maintain and update HR policies, SOPs, and employee handbooks in accordance with legal and global governance frameworks.
• Lead and manage the Compliance activities that are integral to the development, implementation and execution of Metro's compliance program in line with Global Compliance Strategy.
• Designing and delivering online and in-person compliance training on compliance risk, Code of Conduct and key policies and procedures.
• Lead compliance audits, risk assessments, and reporting for the GSC.

POSH & Ethics Oversight:

• Serve as a head of the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) for POSH matters.
• Manage confidential investigations in line with legal and corporate protocols.

Engagement & Culture Enablement:

• Partner with the People & Culture team to reinforce Metro's values and inclusive culture.
• Analyze trends in grievances, attrition, or misconduct to proactively address workplace issues.
• Build capability in compliance and employee relations through workshops and training.

Required Educational Qualification and Experience

• LL.B / LL.M or MBA (HR)
• 8 – 10 years of Post -Qualification Experience with at least 2-3 years compliance experience preferably with a GSC or ITES Company.
• In-depth knowledge of Indian labour laws, HR compliance frameworks, and case handling, employee relations investigations and dispute resolution.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively in a matrix, multinational environment.
• Strong analytical, documentation, and problem-solving abilities.