Senior Manager - Employee Relations

The Freshworks People team shapes experiences that maximize the potential of our people. Based in San Mateo (HQ), this Senior Manager, Employee Relations role is a key member of our global ER leadership team, owning the employee relations agenda across the United States and Europe. 

You will co-create ER strategy alongside our global ER leadership, bringing a unique lens and deep cross-cultural fluency to how we build a high-trust, high-performance culture.

We are re-imagining Employee Relations for today’s world — how we handle workplace conflicts, how we take a more proactive, data-driven approach to organisational health, and how we teach employees to share diverse points of view with respect. At Freshworks, we believe we are stronger together.

 

What You’ll Bring

• BS/BA degree required; JD or advanced HR qualification a plus. 7+ years of relevant experience in employee relations, workplace conflict, and performance management, with meaningful exposure to both European and US employment environments.

• Proven experience operating as an ER practitioner at a senior level, with the ability to execute independently while contributing to broader global strategy.

• Demonstrated ability to attract, develop, and inspire talent; experience managing or mentoring ER team members or HR colleagues.

• Fresh, innovative, and data-driven thinking applied to complex, long-standing ER challenges — with a growth mindset and a track record of high-impact outcomes.

• Strong business and people acumen, with excellent consulting, conflict resolution, and facilitation skills across diverse cultural contexts.

• In-depth understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and their application to employee relations practice.

• Knowledge of UK and European employment law (including but not limited to GDPR, works council obligations, and country-specific labour laws across the EU) highly desired. 

• Proficient in US employment law (ADA, ADEA, FMLA). Knowledge of additional markets (Canada, India, Israel, Australia) is an advantage.

• Collaborative, influential, and decisive — able to lead and partner at all levels of the organisation while keeping stakeholders informed.

• Comfort with HR technology and case management tools (e.g. Salesforce, ServiceNow, Smartsheet); operational rigour in everything you do.

 

How You Will Lead

• Co-create ER strategy with the global ER leadership team, ensuring alignment and consistency across the US and other regions.

• Own the day-to-day ER agenda for Europe and the United States — from complex case management to coaching managers and HR Business Partners on handling workplace issues with confidence and consistency.

• Build capability across the broader People organization on conflict resolution, mediation, restorative justice, and bias-aware decision-making.

• Partner with the global ER team to re-imagine how we address performance concerns, involuntary exits, and organisational changes — grounded in principle, designed for people, and executed with operational excellence.

• Serve as a trusted expert on organizational health issues: gaps in belonging and trust, manager-employee conflicts, and behaviours that do not align to Freshworks’ values or DEI commitments.

• Ensure governance and compliance with employment policies and practices across the US and Europe, including interpretation and application of relevant laws, regulations, and corporate policy.

• Work closely with HR Business Partners, Talent Development, Total Rewards, and Legal to deliver coordinated, seamless support on ER matters.

• Drive accountability through strong case management practices, meaningful metrics, and a continuous improvement mindset.

• Partner with Legal to navigate works councils, trade unions, and local consultation requirements in European markets.