Industrial Relations & Employee Relations (IR/ER) Senior Manager

Who We Are

The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers worldwide for over 135 years. Our unrivaled portfolio includes more than 500 sparkling and still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices, with iconic brands such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Minute Maid, Schweppes, FuzeTea, Monster, and Fanta.

With over 1,500 employees, Coca-Cola Beverages Singapore, Malaysia & Brunei is a complex and well-developed organization that produces, sells, and distributes the Coca-Cola Company products across the country. Our world-class manufacturing plant in Halal Park, Bandar Enstek in Negeri Sembilan serves as our Halal production hub for Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.

Department: People

Reports to: Head of People

Location: Menara Lien Ho, Tropicana, Petaling Jaya

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced and strategic Industrial Relations & Employee Relations (IR/ER) Senior Manager to lead our IR/ER agenda across Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.

In this role, you will play a critical part in fostering industrial harmony, strengthening employee relations and safeguarding business continuity. You will lead union engagement and collective bargaining, provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, and ensure fair, consistent and legally compliant people practices.

Working closely with senior business leaders, you will shape our IR/ER strategy, manage industrial relations risks and build organisational capability to support a fair, productive and high-performing workplace.

What You'll Do

1. Drive IR/ER Strategy & Governance

• Develop and execute the regional IR/ER strategy aligned with business priorities and our People strategy.
• Lead the development and review of IR/ER policies, including the Code of Conduct, Employee Handbook, disciplinary and grievance procedures.
• Ensure fair, consistent and legally compliant employee relations practices across the business.

2. Lead Union Relations & Collective Bargaining

• Build and maintain constructive, trust-based relationships with union leaders while balancing employee and business interests.
• Lead Collective Agreement (CA) negotiations end to end, including negotiation strategy, costing, stakeholder alignment and implementation.
• Facilitate union-management engagement, resolve industrial disputes and maintain a collaborative industrial relations environment.

3. Oversee Disciplinary & Employee Relations Matters

• Provide expert guidance on complex disciplinary cases, workplace investigations, grievances and employee disputes.
• Oversee disciplinary processes, including show-cause letters, domestic inquiries and disciplinary panels, ensuring due process and procedural fairness.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance to manage sensitive employee relations matters and mitigate legal and reputational risks.

4. Ensure Labour Law Compliance & Manage IR Risks

• Ensure compliance with applicable labour and industrial relations legislation across Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
• Manage employment disputes, unfair dismissal claims and Industrial Court matters in collaboration with legal counsel.
• Lead IR/ER advisory for organisational changes, including restructuring, transfers, retrenchment and separation exercises.
• Identify, assess and proactively manage industrial relations risks to safeguard business continuity.

5. Partner with Leaders & Strengthen ER Capability

• Serve as a trusted IR/ER advisor to senior leadership, HR Business Partners and line managers.
• Build managerial capability in disciplinary management, grievance handling, CA interpretation and labour law compliance.
• Provide practical, commercially sound recommendations that balance employee fairness, legal compliance and business needs.

6. Lead the IR/ER Team & Drive Continuous Improvement

• Lead, coach and develop the IR/ER team to deliver consistent, high-quality advisory and case management.
• Strengthen ER governance, case tracking, reporting and risk monitoring.
• Analyse employee relations trends and insights to identify opportunities for preventive action and continuous improvement.

What You Bring

• Proven experience in Industrial Relations and Employee Relations, including experience in managerial capacity, preferably within a unionised manufacturing or FMCG environment.
• Proven experience leading or co-leading at least one complete Collective Agreement negotiation cycle with an established union.
• Professional qualifications in industrial relations or employment law are an advantage.
• Strong hands-on experience managing disciplinary cases end to end, including workplace investigations, show-cause processes and domestic inquiries.
• Experience managing industrial disputes, supporting Industrial Court proceedings and advising on restructuring or retrenchment exercises.
• Strong knowledge of labour legislation, industrial relations frameworks, Collective Agreements and relevant employment case law.
• Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to engage effectively with both senior leadership and union representatives.
• Sound business acumen, balanced judgement and the ability to navigate sensitive and complex employee relations matters with integrity and discretion.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills, with the ability to remain composed under pressure.
• Proven ability to lead, coach and develop a team

Our Purpose & Growth Behaviour

We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We focus on five key behaviours – curious, empowered, inclusive, agile, and corporate entrepreneurship – and value how we work as much as what we achieve.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.