Manager, Employee Relations [T500-19367]

About McDonald’s:

One of the world’s largest employers with locations in more than 100 countries, McDonald’s Corporation has corporate opportunities in Hyderabad. Our global offices serve as dynamic innovation and operations hubs, designed to expand McDonald's global talent base and in-house expertise. Our new office in Hyderabad will bring together knowledge across business, technology, analytics, and AI, accelerating our ability to deliver impactful solutions for the business and our customers across the globe.

Position Summary:

Manager, Employee Relations & HR Business Partner - India

About the Role:

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced HR professional to lead Employee Relations (ER) for our India office, while also supporting key business units as an HR Business Partner (HRBP). This is a dual role requiring deep expertise in Indian employment law, a track record in managing ER matters, and the ability to influence and partner with business leaders on broader people strategy. This is a critical and high-impact role that sits at the intersection of people strategy and employee advocacy. The role is ideal for a professional who is energized by solving complex people's challenges and thrives in fast-paced environments, and is passionate about building a high trust, high performance culture. The balance of this role requires someone who can confidently handle sensitive ER issues while remaining agile and forward-looking in supporting business growth through strategic HR practices. The candidate is expected to reside within Hyderabad, India.

Key Responsibilities:

In addition to following McDonald’s policies and procedures, principal accountabilities include, but are not limited to:

Employee Relations & Advisory:

• Lead the ER function across the organization, ensuring consistent, fair, and compliant handling of employee issues
• Serve as the subject matter expert on Indian Labor laws, regulations, and compliance requirements
• Advise managers and employees on HR policies, employee relations, and conflict resolution
• Conduct and oversee complex internal investigations, support disciplinary procedures, in collaboration with legal / ER experts when necessary
• Handle day-to-day employee concerns with fairness and empathy
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with employees at all levels
• Re actively and proactively support and advise managers and HR teams on employee relations issues
• Provide training on ER matters for managers, HR teams
• Partner with legal counsel (internal / external) as needed on employment-related matters
• Drive POSH compliance, policy interpretation, and audit preparedness
• Educate managers and employees on workplace policies and labor law updates
• Conduct reviews of employment policies to ensure they are aligned to McDonald’s objective and compliant with Indian laws

Business Partnering:

• Act as the primary HR point of contact for assigned business teams
• Understand business goals and translate them into aligned HR priorities
• Support leaders and managers in managing people-related topics with confidence and consistency

Talent Management:

• Support talent review discussions and help build development plans for key roles
• Work with managers to identify skill gaps and training needs
• Partner with L&D to facilitate workshops, training programs, and career development initiatives
• Assist in customizing and executing talent planning activities, such as goal setting, development planning, succession planning, and the annual year-end compensation and performance review process
• Support DEI initiatives to build diverse talent pipelines and foster an inclusive culture at the MCC

Employee Engagement & Culture Building:

• Champion employee engagement and culture-building initiatives within your aligned teams
• Drive employee engagement actions based on surveys and feedback
• Coordinate engagement activities and internal communications in collaboration with business and HR teams
• Promote an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance culture

Data & Reporting:

• Maintain and update HR dashboards or trackers for key people metrics
• Provide reports and insights to support business or HR reviews
• Use data to identify trends and recommend people interventions
• Analyse HR metrics and provide insights on attrition, engagement, and ER trends

Change Management & Communication:

• Support change management efforts during organizational changes, transitions, or rollouts
• Communicate HR programs and policies clearly to employees and managers
• Act as a bridge between business and HR leadership

What we are looking for:

• Minimum of 7-11 years of progressive HR experience, with 3-5 years specializing in Employee Relations in India
• Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field; advanced degree preferred
• High proficiency in Excel and the ability to work with HR data to inform decision-making and drive adoption of people programs.
• Experience supporting a geographically dispersed workforce and familiarity with the unique challenges of a capability center environment.
• Strong command of Indian Labor laws, grievance handling, and employment practices
• Proven ability to manage investigations and resolve complex ER issues with fairness and integrity.
• Hands-on HRBP experience supporting business teams in dynamic environments.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable working in a matrixed, fast-paced global organization.
• Exposure to global HR practices and ER frameworks is a plus.
• Expert in driving cross-functional initiatives, ensuring organizational objectives are met seamlessly
• Continuous improvement and growth mindset
• Strong ability to influence others; able to build and drive a strong business case for people as a growth driver

Why join us?

• Be part of a purpose-driven organization that values innovation, inclusion, and impact.
• Work with a collaborative and supportive team across global markets.
• Enjoy competitive compensation, flexible work options, and continuous learning opportunities.

Work location:

Work pattern:

Work mode:

Additional Information:

McDonald’s is committed to providing qualified individuals with disabilities with reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of their jobs. McDonald’s provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, disability status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, protected military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Nothing in this job posting or description should be construed as an offer or guarantee of employment