Labor Relations Director

Overview

Microsoft in on a mission to empower every organisation and individual on the planet, to achieve more. As employees, we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

We are seeking a Director, Labour Relations – UK & Nordics to lead Microsoft's labour relations strategy and employee representative engagement across the United Kingdom and Nordic region. This role partners closely with business leaders, HR, Legal, Employee Relations and employee representative bodies to support organisational change, foster positive employee relations and ensure compliance with local labour frameworks while enabling business transformation.

As the UK and Nordic Labor Relations Director, you will help shape the future of labour relations across the region, partnering with Microsoft's Commercial, Engineering and Data Centre organisations to enable business success through proactive, trusted and data-driven labour relations practices. Working closely with colleagues across Gaming, LinkedIn and the wider Microsoft ecosystem, you will lead engagement with employee representative groups, influence organisational change initiatives, and drive a globally consistent, regionally agile approach to labour relations that strengthens both business outcomes and employee trust.

Responsibilities

Strategy Development

• Shape and drive the Labour Relations strategy for the UK and Nordic region, partnering with Geo HR leaders, business leaders and Labour Relations colleagues to deliver an approach that supports Microsoft's business priorities, culture of innovation, future of work ambitions, and commitment to a highly skilled and diverse workforce.

• Anticipate and prepare for evolving labour and employment legislation across the UK and Nordics, shaping proactive labour relations strategies that support business growth, strengthen employee voice, and foster constructive partnerships with employee representatives, trade unions, Works Councils, business leaders, HR and Legal stakeholders.

• Develop actionable insights on labour market trends, employee representation developments and external factors, using data and market intelligence to inform proactive labour relations strategies and strengthen organisational capability.

• Shape and continuously evolve Microsoft's Labour Relations operating model, driving scalable, effective and commercially minded approaches that strengthen employee relations outcomes and support organisational transformation priorities.

Lead Labour relations Strategy & Negotiations

• Shape and lead Labour Relations strategy across the UK and Nordic region, providing strategic counsel to business, HR and Legal leaders on workforce transformation, employee representation, collective bargaining, organisational change and evolving labour relations risks and opportunities.

• Lead complex Labour Relations engagements and negotiations with Works Councils, Trade unions and employee representatives developing proactive engagement and negotiation strategies that support business priorities, organisational change, policy evolution, mergers and acquisitions, and other high-impact initiatives

• Drive labour relations governance, compliance and operational excellence, leveraging workforce, regulatory and market insights to influence regional and global Labour Relations priorities

Collaboration & Capability Building

• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior business leaders, shaping Labour Relations strategies that support growth, workforce transformation and operational excellence across the UK and Nordic region. Strengthen leadership capability, anticipate emerging workforce challenges, and enable businesses to thrive in a dynamic regulatory, technological and employee relations environment.

• Collaborate closely with the International Labour Relations community to share insights, scale best practices, build organisational capability, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of Microsoft's Labour Relations strategy and operating model. Foster a culture of knowledge sharing and continuous improvement across the global Labour Relations network.

• Cultivate robust partnerships across the broader HR organisation, including Geo HR, HR Consulting, Employee Relations, Talent, Compensation, Legal and Centres of Excellence, to deliver aligned, commercially focused and effective people solutions that support Microsoft's business priorities and employee experience.

HR Project and Programs

• Partner with peer disciplines (Centers of Excellence, Global Scalable Solutions team, HR planners and regional HR leadership etc.) on connecting scalable Human Resources programs and processes with the sentiment from labor relations groups to ensure productive ongoing relationships and partnership.

• Prepare Microsoft for emerging labour relations trends, including evolving legislation, changing models of employee representation, workforce transformation and the impact of AI and digital innovation on work.

Other

• Embody our culture and values

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in leading challenging labor relations negotiations and setting labor relations strategy.
• Formal qualifications/demostrable experience in associated skills (e.g. mediation and/or conflict resolution).
• Significant previous experience of Labor Relations and knowledge of the legal frameworks in a relevant market based in the region.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex organisational change, transformation initiatives stakeholder engagement programmes in highly matrixed environments
• Experience advising senior leaders on complex employee and labour relations matters, organisational change & business – such as critical workforce issues

Preferred:

• Demonstrable ability to build this knowledge out to other markets.

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.