Employee Relations Manager

At EY, we’re all in to shape your future with confidence. 

We’ll help you succeed in a globally connected powerhouse of diverse teams and take your career wherever you want it to go. 

Join EY and help to build a better working world.

Employee Relations Manager – Assistant Director

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi

With your contribution and my contribution, together we will thrive.

Hei Oranga Iwi | The opportunity

As our Employee Relations Manager, you’ll support a high-performance culture by acting as an experienced subject-matter expert for the business. This role is focused on managing complex and high-risk employee relations matters, rather than people leadership.

You will work closely with leaders, HR Business Partners and other centres of excellence to manage escalated matters such as workplace investigations, conduct issues, ill-health, redundancies and restructures, senior or sensitive performance matters, and other complex employee relations issues.

This role does not have direct reports. Instead, you will provide expert advice, guidance and coaching to stakeholders and Employee Relations Advisors on complex cases. You will also contribute to priority projects aligned to the Talent agenda, including legislative change, policy development and continuous improvement initiatives.

We are currently recruiting for two hybrid opportunities, one permanent position and one 12-month parental leave contract. Both roles can be based in any of our EY offices across Australia or in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), New Zealand.

Ko Tō Rourou | Your key responsibilities 

• Act as the escalation point for complex and high-risk employee relations matters, providing practical and commercially sound advice to leaders and stakeholders.
• Partner with HR Business Partners, General Counsel and other Talent Centres of Excellence on matters including investigations, restructures, acquisitions and sensitive employee issues.
• Provide expert guidance and informal coaching to Employee Relations Advisors, while contributing to ER-related projects, legislative updates and process improvement initiatives.

Ngā Pūkenga | Skills and attributes for success

• Demonstrated experience managing complex and escalated employee relations cases.
• Strong knowledge of employment legislation, statutory requirements, case law, legislative changes, awards and emerging employee relations issues.
• Proven ability to influence, advise and partner with senior leaders across the organisation.

Experience applying employment legislation and ER practices across both New Zealand and Australia would be highly regarded

Ideally, you’ll also have the skills and attributes below but don’t worry if you don’t tick all the boxes. We’re interested in your aptitude, attitude and willingness to learn.

• A practical, solutions-focused approach to complex and ambiguous problems.
• The ability to work autonomously while collaborating effectively within a specialist team.
• Proven capability managing diverse stakeholders and navigating sensitive situations

Ko Taku Rourou | What we offer you

At EY, we’ll fuel you and your extraordinary talents in a diverse and inclusive culture of globally connected teams.

• Career development: At EY, your career is yours to shape! We’ll develop you with future-focused skills and equip you with world-class experiences ey.com/nz/careerdevelopment
• Flexible work arrangements: Our flexible work policies empower you to balance your professional and personal life, fostering a culture of trust and autonomy.

• A comprehensive benefits package: From a yearly wellness incentive, to access to additional 8 weeks of flex leave per year, and family-friendly policies, including up to 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave, we cater to your diverse needs to help you thrive both personally and professionally www.ey.com/nz/benefits    

Inclusiveness is core to who we are and how we work together, driving value for our people and for our business. We encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, cultures, sexual orientations, and gender identities and are committed to providing an equitable and barrier free recruitment experience for all. We encourage you to share any support and adjustments you need to be your best and participate equitably in our recruitment process. We understand sharing your needs with us can be daunting, so if you have questions before or during your application, we welcome you to get in touch at contactrecruitment@au.ey.com or +64 9 300 7044 (option 2). Anything you tell us will be kept completely confidential.

He rourou kai kei ō ringa hei tākoha? Tēnā haria mai!  

Are you ready to shape your future with confidence? Apply today

#LI-Hybrid

EY | Building a better working world 

Our preferred applicant will be required to undertake employment screening by EY or our external third-party provider. 

© 2026 Ernst & Young New Zealand. A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited. All Rights Reserved.