Labour Affairs & HR Governance Manager (BSISA Switzerland)

Labour Affairs & HR Governance Manager (BSISA Switzerland)

Country: Switzerland

The Labour Affairs & HR Governance Manager is responsible for leading all labor relations, regulatory compliance, and HR governance activities across BSISA (Switzerland and Middle East). Acting as a strategic advisor to Senior Management and the HR function, the role ensures full alignment with Swiss labor law, applicable regional regulations, and Santander Group policies. The position also plays a key role in mitigating legal and reputational risks while supporting business transformation and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

Labor law & Employee Relations:

• Ensure that the company complies with the Swiss legal framework regarding labor relations: labor law, as well as agreements and conventions.

•  Manage employment contracts and their modifications in accordance with the law and internal policies.
Lead complex negotiations, mediate disputes, and coordinate disciplinary actions, grievances and arbitration in line with company policies and legal frameworks.

• Supervise the correct compliance with occupational health and safety measures in the company.

• Provide expert legal guidance to HR and business leaders.

• Act as the company’s representative in front of labor authorities and courts.

• Lead workforce restructuring processes.

• Monitor regulatory changes and proactively adapt internal policies.

• Contribute to insurances and pension founds processes.

Governance & Audit:

•  Ensure the proper implementation of the Santander Group's HR regulatory framework in the BSISA regions and the up-to-date maintenance of policies and procedures.

• Ensure the correct implementation and monitoring of audit and compliance issues involving the HR area.

• Lead HR-related regulatory reporting.

• Manage internal and external HR audit and act as HR risk owner.

• Identify, assess, and mitigate labor-related legal and compliance risks.

Internal Conflict Management & Investigations :

•  Lead the management of internal workplace conflicts, ensuring fair, timely, and impartial resolution in alignment with company values and legal requirements.

• Act as the designated HR lead for investigations related to complaints raised through the internal whistleblowing and grievance platform.

• Conduct or oversee sensitive investigations involving allegations of misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or ethical breaches.

• Ensure investigations are handled with strict confidentiality, procedural fairness, and proper documentation.

•  Partner with Compliance, Legal, and Risk functions when required to assess exposure and define appropriate mitigation actions.

• Provide recommendations to senior management on disciplinary measures or corrective actions following investigation outcomes.

• Monitor trends arising from internal complaints and propose preventive measures to mitigate organizational and reputational risks.

• Ensure alignment with Santander Group’s Code of Conduct and whistleblowing framework.

• Deliver guidance to managers on conflict prevention, early intervention, and proper escalation channels.

HR Projects & Process Excellence:

• Take ownership of critical HR projects, supervising their execution across multiple branches and ensuring successful delivery within defined timelines and budgets.

• Contribute to the quality of employee data records and continuous process improvement.

• Participate in digital transformation initiatives, including the implementation of absence management in Workday and the rollout of collective health insurance schemes.

 Qualifications:

•  More than 8 years of progressive experience in HR roles, with significant exposure to labor relations across multiple geographies.

• Law degree (Swiss law preferred) or master’s degree in human resources.

• Deep expertise in Swiss labor laws and familiarity with international HR compliance frameworks will be an asset.

• Experience designing or improving internal policies.

• Proven experience leading complex workplace investigations, including whistleblowing cases, misconduct allegations, and senior-level employee matters.

• Solid experience managing sensitive employee relations issues in highly regulated environments (banking or financial services preferred).

• Proven experience in a bank or in multinational companies with matrix models.

• Advanced knowledge of HRIS systems, particularly Workday.

• Exceptional, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels.

• Fluency in Spanish, English and French.

• Resident in Switzerland or willing to relocate.