Employee Relations Partner

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy. As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in. We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.

About the role

The Global Employee Relations Team supports WD to ensure consistency in adherence to company policies and reducing compliance risks in our employment practices and policies worldwide. The ER Team partners closely with the regional HR Centers of Excellence, Ethics and Compliance and Employment Law teams to review, advise, and investigate workplace concerns and address complex employee matters to help build a high-performing and respectful workplace culture within WD.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for all employee relations matters across US and EMEA, providing strategic and pragmatic guidance to employees and people managers at the site.
• Lead and manage complex ER cases including misconduct, grievances, performance management, workplace conflict, labor disputes and policy violations.
• Conduct and support workplace investigations, ensuring thorough fact-finding and providing clear, balanced, and actionable recommendations to support business decisions and employee outcomes.
• Act as the lead HR representative for regional union and labor relations matters, partnering cross-functionally to develop labor relations strategies, support negotiations, consultations on activities related to collective agreements, workplace changes and employee impact discussions.
• Promote constructive, collaborative relationships with union partners.
• Provide coaching and build capability of business leaders on managing performance, disciplinary actions, documentation standards and employee communications.
• Develop scalable manager education and preventative ER programs to strengthen leadership capability and foster a respectful workplace culture.
• Lead or participate in ER-related projects, initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts to enhance employee experience and organizational effectiveness.
• Maintain weekly ER/IR reports, track disciplinary cases and related data, and provide insights to support decision-making and trend analysis.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in US and EMEA employment laws, employee relations practices, labor laws and workplace culture, with the ability to navigate complex cross-border employment matters.
• Minimum 8+ years of progressive Employee Relations experience supporting both US and EMEA employee populations in a multinational organization, working with Works Councils, employee representative bodies, or collective consultation processes.
• Strong knowledge of US employment law and familiarity with employment legislation and employee relations practices across key EMEA countries.
• Experience partnering with regional HR and Legal teams to navigate cross-border employment matters.
• Demonstrates strong judgment and decision-making skills when assessing a wide range of employee matters, ensuring fair, consistent, and business-aligned outcomes.
• Experience supporting a broad range of employee relations issues, including performance management, workplace investigations, misconduct, accommodations, reductions-in-force, restructurings, and organizational change.
• Exceptional coaching and consulting capabilities, with the ability to elevate manager effectiveness in performance management, equitable practices, and respectful workplace behaviors.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and provide insights that guide informed decision-making.
• Proven experience influencing senior leaders in a matrixed multinational environment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced global environment while maintaining high standards of responsiveness, confidentiality, and professionalism.
• Familiarity with Workday and HR case management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage data, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve Employee Relations processes and decision-making.
• Proficiency in one or more additional EMEA languages (e.g., French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, or Polish) is preferred.

Pay

Salary Range: $124,700.00 - $166,200.00

An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, ability, knowledge of the job, performance, contribution, results, geographic location, shift, internal and external equity, and business and organizational needs.

You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”) which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD's Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.

If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.

Benefits

• Paid vacation time
• Paid sick leave
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life, accident, and disability insurance
• Tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts
• Employee assistance program
• Other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity
• Tuition reimbursement
• Transit benefits
• Applause Program
• Employee stock purchase plan
• WD Savings 401(k) Plan