Employment counsel for Labour Relations

Elastic, the Search AI Company, enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale — unleashing the potential of businesses and people. The Elastic Search AI Platform, used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, brings together the precision of search and the intelligence of AI to enable everyone to accelerate the results that matter. By taking advantage of all structured and unstructured data — securing and protecting private information more effectively — Elastic’s complete, cloud-based solutions for search, security, and observability help organizations deliver on the promise of AI.

What is The Role:

Are you a labour law authority specialized in labour relations? This role is a fantastic opportunity for a skilled legal professional with deep expertise in employment law to guide and support employee matters across multiple countries. You will work extensively within the framework of Works Councils and collective labor agreements in EMEA, helping to craft the future of a dynamic, globally distributed organization. This position allows you to take on a pivotal role in building and supporting our growing international workforce. The successful candidate leads effectively in cross-functional teams in a fast paced environment and will help drive compliance, champion collaboration, and strengthen internal and external labour relations across our EMEA operations.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Act as a trusted advisor to HR, leaders, and stakeholders on legal employment matters. Provide clear practical guidance on collective employment matters in Europe, including Works Council and trade union consultation, collective bargaining agreements and related compliance.
• Provide expertise on fostering and maintaining constructive relationships with Works Councils in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, and France, as well as with trade unions and regulatory bodies. Address complex legal issues while balancing business needs and legal risks in line with Elastic’s approach to risk.
• Develop and implement effective strategies to reduce employment-related risks and ensure compliance with laws and regulations, while adhering to recommended approaches for working with employee representative bodies.
• Collaborate with colleagues across teams to ensure alignment and build awareness and understanding of employment laws in various EMEA countries, Works Council requirements, and approaches for handling employee relations.
• Identify and prepare for emerging labour relations challenges, developing proactive strategies or tools to improve employee relations and address potential issues in an evolving business landscape.
• Guide the organization in navigating compliance with labor laws and regulations, supervising legislative changes, and explaining their potential impact.

What You Bring:

• A valid license to practice law.
• At least 5 years of legal experience specializing in employment law. In-house legal experience, particularly in collaboration with HR teams, is a valuable advantage.
• Expertise in providing guidance on European labor and employment law, with hands-on experience working with Works Councils in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, and France, and a strong understanding of related legal frameworks and requirements.
• Instinct to be proactive, business focused, ability to exercise independent judgment, and effective approaches working closely with cross-functional teams.
• A commitment to taking ownership of responsibilities and thriving in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• The capability to respond swiftly and adapt quickly to deliver impactful outcomes.
• Able to act with speed and decisiveness to achieve the best results;
• Excellent judgment, character, and professional integrity.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• Fluency in English; additional fluency in French, German or Dutch is highly desirable.

Additional Information - We Take Care of Our People:

As a distributed company, diversity drives our identity. Whether you’re looking to launch a new career or grow an existing one, Elastic is the type of company where you can balance great work with great life. Your age is only a number. It doesn’t matter if you’re just out of college or your children are; we need you for what you can do.

We strive to have parity of benefits across regions, and while regulations differ from place to place, we believe taking care of our people is the right thing to do.

• Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary
• Health coverage for you and your family in many locations
• Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles
• Generous number of vacation days each year
• Increase your impact - We match up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service
• Up to 40 hours each year to use toward volunteer projects you love
• Embracing parenthood with a minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave

Different people approach problems differently. We need that. Elastic is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender perception or identity, national origin, age, marital status, protected veteran status, disability status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance or regulation.

We welcome individuals with disabilities and strive to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all individuals. To request an accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email candidate_accessibility@elastic.co We will reply to your request within 24 business hours of submission.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws; view posters linked below: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Poster; Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision Poster; Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) Poster and Know Your Rights (Poster)

Elasticsearch develops and distributes technology and information that is subject to U.S. and other country export controls and licensing requirements for individuals who are located in or are nationals of the following sanctioned countries and regions: Belarus, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, the Crimea Region of Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic (“DNR”), and the Luhansk People’s Republic (“LNR”). If you are located in or are a national of one of the listed countries or regions, an export license may be required as a condition of your employment in this role. Please note that national origin and/or nationality do not affect eligibility for employment with Elastic.

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