Manager Employee Relations, Central Europe

Adobe Adobe · Enterprise · Munich, Germany

This role is for a Manager of Employee Relations for Central Europe at Adobe. The position involves leading a team, managing complex employee relations cases, building ER frameworks, and advising business leaders. Expertise in German employment law is required, and the role operates in a hybrid setup in Munich. The company mentions AI in the context of its products and AI-assisted coding tools for employees, but the core function of this role is not AI/ML development or research.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead, coach and develop a team of 3 ER Consultants, building their confidence, autonomy and ability to handle complex cases
  2. Own high-complexity and high-visibility ER cases directly, including all Employee Experience (EX)-level cases
  3. Build ER frameworks, playbooks and templates that create consistency and speed across Central Europe
  4. Shift the team from reactive case-handling to proactive ER, spotting trends, flagging risks early, and getting ahead of issues
  5. Navigate performance management cases pragmatically within strict German legal boundaries, including close collaboration with the Works Council LR partner

Skills

Required

  • Proven ER Manager or equivalent senior HR experience with complex case management
  • People leadership experience with an inclusive, supportive management style
  • Expertise in German employment law
  • Experience in a US-headquartered or multinational company
  • Comfortable in a split Labor Relations/Employee Relations setup where Works Council is owned by a separate LR Manager
  • Fluent in German and English

Nice to have

  • ER experience across other Central European countries (Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland)
  • Experience building ER practices or frameworks from scratch
  • Tech or similarly fast-paced, agile environment background

What the JD emphasized

  • Expertise in German employment law
  • Comfortable in a split Labor Relations/Employee Relations setup where Works Council is owned by a separate LR Manager
  • Fluent in German and English