Cluster Head of Employee Relations at Standard Chartered Bank

Job ID: 2100011159
Location: Africa & Middle East - Nigeria - Lagos
Job: Business Support and Management
Employee Status: Permanent
Employment Type: Full Time

Summary of Role Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Shaping regional behaviours and culture across West Africa, through protecting the Bank against employee-related risk by ensuring relationship between the Bank and its employees are managed appropriately within established framework; providing leadership in ER, Fair Accountability; management of external stakeholders and to provide guidance and consultancy services to all internal stakeholders.

Execution of regional ER agenda in line with Group strategy:

• Defining and leading the strategy in alignment with the global and Africa team strategy, regional business needs and the HR scorecard
• Drives Focus Group sessions for People Leaders to embed employee-centricity through socialising ER-related learnings
• Accountable for ensuring that all ER products are delivered effectively across the businesses and functions in line with Group policies and local laws
• Provide strategic support across the cluster in all business reorganisation initiatives i.e.-redundancy etc
• Effective Management of employee representatives - Unions, work councils etc) in Wage and CBA negotiations (where applicable).
• Actively reduce the cost and reliance on external legal counsel by providing in-house subject matter expertise in West Africa cluster.
• Provide suitable insights into employee engagements levels and ER case management trends to Head of HR in Countries / Regional Management Groups
• Support the AME execution of a performance-driven culture

Global ER product lead:

•  Provide thought leadership in Disciplinary Management, Grievance Management or performance improvement
• Define and maintain overall global product execution standards of Group Policy
• Ensure product drives the Bank’s Conduct agenda

Translation of country legislation and regulation into pragmatic actions for country teams across the cluster:

• Build external networks and remain up to date with legislative change and be viewed both internally and externally as an expert in the ER field
• Collaborate with HR, Legal and Compliance and / or external legal counsel for advice and decision
• Leverage ER and Legal circles for new trends and practices and update internal stakeholders in good time accordingly

Defining and managing employee-related risk across the WA countries:

• Lead, assess and monitor country ER process risks in line with overall operational risk management framework
• Lead implementation of suitable actions to mitigate identified risks.
• Undertake current local employment and discrimination law in local and international jurisdictions, together with employee trends to anticipate and minimise employee related risks.
• Oversight and management of any relevant Group Policy and process dispensations in-country across the cluster
• Lead the resolution of highly sensitive/complex disciplinary and grievance cases in the cluster and or the country that creates significant risk to the Bank

Education and Training of Country HoHRs / HRBP’s and People Leaders

• Proactively update Country HoHRs/HRBP’s and People Leaders on employment legislative changes and developments
• Work closely with Country HoHRs/HRBP’s and Group HR legal to develop products, policies and processes to up-skill People Leaders and other stakeholders in effectively dealing with ER matters.

Processes:

• Optimal Approval-ER

Risk Management:

• Accountable for managing ER related risks reports

Governance:

• Ensuring compliance with ER policies and processes in respect of Disciplinary Management; Grievance Management; and Performance Improvement Plans.

Regulatory & Business Conduct:

• Display exemplary conduct and live by the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct.
• Take personal responsibility for embedding the highest standards of ethics, including regulatory and business conduct, across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and ensuring compliance with, in letter and spirit, all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and the Group Code of Conduct.
• Lead the ER team to achieve the outcomes set out in the Bank’s Conduct Principles: [Fair Outcomes for Clients; Effective Operation of Financial Markets; Financial Crime Prevention; The Right Environment.]*
• Effectively and collaboratively identify, escalate, mitigate and resolve risk, conduct and compliance matters.

Key Stakeholders:

• Managing and maintaining constructive relationship with external stakeholders.
• Respond to queries raised by the Courts and other fora regarding writs and petitions filed against the Bank.
• Give strategic guidance to Country Heads of HR in delivery of human resource activities with ER flavour.

Other Responsibilities:

• Embed Here for Good and Group’s brand and values in the ER team and across key stakeholder areas
• Perform other responsibilities assigned under Group, Country, Business or Functional policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Essential:

• Qualified employment Lawyer or ER professional with a minimum of 15 years work experience
• Experience in managing employee representative bodies e.g. Unions, works councils
• An appreciation of the local legislation and regulatory landscape
• Strong networker and organisational influencer
• Commercially astute
• Role model and champion the Bank’s values and behaviours
• Strong collaborative skills

Desirable:

• Professional legal background
• Good mixture of both ER specialist and HR Business Partner experience
• Experience of designing and delivering OD interventions.