Labor Relations Manager - MEP📣 Job Ad

About the Role

Citi is seeking a skilled Labor Relations Manager - MEP to join its MEA Labor Relations team, reporting to the MEA HR team. This role is integral to applying in-depth disciplinary knowledge to provide advisory services and contribute to the development of new techniques within the area of expertise. The position requires excellent communication and diplomacy, a strong understanding of local labor laws and the regulatory environment, and the ability to manage multiple tasks independently, prioritize workloads, and effectively engage stakeholders at all levels. This role carries responsibility for the volume, quality, and timeliness of end results across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Pakistan.

Key Responsibilities

• Implement the organization's employee relations strategy to mitigate the impact of employee grievances and labor disputes.
• Coordinate employee and labor relations programs to ensure adherence to policies and practices.
• Represent the organization in contract negotiations with labor unions, managing cost budgeting for negotiation support.
• Liaise with managers, employees, and representatives to investigate and resolve grievances, developing preventative strategies for a productive workplace.
• Ensure employer-employee relationships comply with collective agreements, employment contracts, regulations, laws, and organizational policies.
• Analyze bargaining trends, standards, regulations, and laws, including market benchmarking and incentive analysis.
• Represent management in negotiations and dispute resolution with employees, unions, employer bodies, and government agencies.
• Provide support to Employment Legal and CHROs for employment litigation processes.
• Partner with CHROs, Employment Legal, ICRM, and Country Legal teams to respond to labor authorities and regulators.
• Translate legal advice on labor law into actionable workplace changes and advise management on regulatory shifts.
• Support CHROs with Labor Department audits and inquiries.
• Manage handbook amendments and policy dissemination.
• Advise on all HR matters under local law, including hiring, working hours, overtime, exemptions, occupational health and safety, terminations, performance, mobility, cross-border transfers, and work visas.
• Engage in negotiations for dismissal processes, including redundancy calculations and case preparation, in consultation with Employment Legal.
• Partner with relevant teams on involuntary terminations requiring special support.
• Provide information for Senior Escalation meetings and governance forums.
• Confirm policy and regulation applicability under labor law and coordinate implementation with relevant departments.
• Advise the Policy Lead on Employees Handbook changes and updates according to Labor Law amendments.
• Support the implementation of new policies.
• Identify controls to manage risks, conduct root cause analysis, and perform assessments to prevent recurrence.
• Partner with HR Controls, ICRM, and Risk teams to support CHROs on issue management and escalation.
• Assess risk when making business decisions, considering the firm's reputation, compliance with laws, and ethical judgment.
• Participate in Bank Associations/Regulators monthly committees.
• Provide consultation on data privacy matters.
• Support the implementation of the "How we Work" strategy in each country.
• Provide ad hoc support to CHROs on in-country HR generalist tasks.
• Engage with other Labor Relations Managers on pan-MEA projects and initiatives.

Qualifications and Requirements

• 6-8 years of relevant experience.
• Proficiency in Arabic language is mandatory.
• Experience in HR within a Business Partner, Labor Relations, or Employee Relations position is preferred.
• Bachelors/University degree is required; a Master’s degree is preferred.

Required Skills

• Communication
• Diplomacy
• Labor Law expertise
• Understanding of the Regulatory Environment
• Multi-tasking
• Independent Work
• Prioritization
• Stakeholder Management
• Employee Relations
• Collective Negotiations
• Employment Litigation support
• HR Advisory
• Local Labor Law Advisory
• Dismissals management
• Policy Implementation
• Risk Management
• Data Privacy consultation

Work Environment

This is a full-time position. The role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with responsibilities extending across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Pakistan. The position is within Citi, a global financial services firm.