Manager, Industrial Relations at Kenya Airways

Role statement:

In this role you will be tasked to design and lead proactive Industrial Relations strategies, policies, processes and procedures that contribute to cordial industrial and industrial relations.

This position requires an individual with practical experience in managing union-based interactions, welfare matters including recommending best practice to enhance employee engagement for productivity.

Specifically, the successful jobholder will be required to:

• Ensure consistent application of industrial relations policies and procedures as well as monitoring of staff motivation levels with a view of promoting employee satisfaction.
• Create and implement all industrial relations related practices, policies, procedures and strategies with the goal of promoting a positive culture and high employee performance.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of ER strategy across the business.
• Address conflicts and strive to resolve them in a positive manner that benefits all parties and facilitates healthy work relationships and manage the administration of all discipline/grievance issues as per discipline /grievance procedure.
• Coordinate disciplinary procedures and systems; handle disciplinary cases; attend to disciplinary hearings, confirm minutes and issuing verdicts with minimal litigation.
• Design programs to ensure the fair treatment of employees and effective communication between employees and managers and provide guidance to line managers on behavior management and effective counselling to staff.
• Listen to and address employee concerns, resolve employee issues and handle complaints to protect the interests of all parties involved and encourage a supportive atmosphere in the workplace.
• In conjunction with the other relevant parties in HR, develop, implement, and update Human Resources employment policies and procedures.
• Gathers and documents all facts through interviews, records, and other sources; evaluate the validity of complaints, violations of policy, and proper course of action.
• Liaison on industrial relations matters – attending conciliation meetings with union and labour officers including negotiations for CBA.
• Any other task as assigned.

Skills

• Interpersonal skills – essential to identifying the needs of employees and management.
• Knack of problem-solving – devise solutions to issues that arise in the workplace
• Strong negotiation and persuasion skills – effectively influence all stake holders in a way that results in acceptance, agreement or behavior change.
• Communication skills – ability to listen and understand concerns and provide answers to complex workplace questions.
• Strong analytical skills – to assess situations, make accurate observations and arrive at well informed decisions.
• Resilience – Able to remain calm, stable and in control of themselves in potentially emotional grievance handling and disciplinary.
• Work place pressure – Maintain effective work behavior in the face of setbacks or overwhelming work demands.
• Proficiency – in use of MS office tools.

 Key Competences:

• Knowledge of Labour /Employment law and its practical application.
• Knowledge of current trends and best practice of employee involvement and industrial relations.
• Good awareness of the internal and external industrial environment and successful adaptation to changing demands and conditions of ER landscape.
• Knowledge and effective application of all relevant retail policies, processes, procedures and guidelines to consistently achieve required compliance standards or benchmarks.

Qualifications

• University degree – Bachelor’s degree in HR / Business Administration or related field
• 5 years’ experience managing HR processes in a labour intensive industry and 2 years’ must experience specifically in labour and industrial relations management.
• Post Graduate Higher Diploma in HR.
• Additional qualifications in Employee or Industrial Relations would be an added advantage.
• Member of IHRM