General Manager Employee Relations

Job Title

General Manager Employee Relations

Reporting To

Head – Human Resources

Direct Reports

Factory HR Managers – 7 Biscuit Manufacturing Plants (Non-Unionised)

Location

Dhulagarh (Extensive multi-plant travel)

Role Purpose

The General Manager – Employee Relations will spearhead the Employee Relations, Industrial Relations, and Factory HR governance for 7 biscuit manufacturing units. The role is critical in ensuring uninterrupted production, stable industrial relations, statutory excellence, and disciplined workforce management in a high-volume, high-speed, 24x7 FMCG manufacturing environment.

The position demands a leader with deep exposure to food / biscuits / FMCG plants, high contract labour dependency and shop-floor dynamics.

Key Responsibilities

1. Employee & Industrial Relations Leadership

• Drive harmonious ER/IR climate across all manufacturing units.
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with workers, works committees, and shop-floor leadership.
• Proactively anticipate and mitigate ER risks impacting production continuity, especially during peak and festive seasons.
• Lead negotiations, conciliation matters, and dispute resolution with maturity and legal robustness.

2. Workforce Deployment & Productivity Optimization

• Ensure optimal manpower deployment aligned to production plans and line efficiencies.
• Drive productivity-linked initiatives.
• Partner with Operations to improve utilization of human resources across shifts and plants.
• Provide ER inputs during automation, expansion, and restructuring initiatives.

3. Worker Engagement, Training & Culture Building

• Design and drive structured Worker Engagement Programs across all plants.
• Ensure continuity of engagement initiatives to strengthen morale, discipline, and performance ownership.
• Facilitate regular training programs for workers covering:
• Productivity awareness
• Safety & compliance
• Behavioural standards
• Cost and quality alignment
• Develop a strong performance-oriented work culture through frontline leadership presence and consistent messaging.
• Act as an effective orator and communicator, capable of addressing large workforce groups and influencing positive behavioural outcomes.

4. Factory HR Governance & Standardization

• Lead and mentor Factory HR Managers to ensure:
• Strong shop-floor connect
• Proactive grievance management
• Consistent implementation of HR policies
• Uniform disciplinary standards
• Standardize ER and disciplinary practices across factories.
• Monitor ER health through structured dashboards covering absenteeism, attrition, overtime, disputes, productivity, and compliance metrics.
• Ensure strict implementation of HR policies, Standing Orders, and Code of Conduct across all units.

5. Contract Labour & Contractor Management

• Provide governance over large contract labour populations.
• Develop reliable contractor networks to ensure seamless manpower availability.
• Ensure full statutory compliance under:
• Contract Labour Act
• Minimum Wages Act
• PF, ESIC, Bonus and wage compliances
• Drive ethical, compliant, and productivity-linked contractor management models.

6. Statutory Compliance & Government Liaison

• Ensure zero-risk statutory compliance across all factories under:
• Factories Act
• Industrial Disputes Act
• Standing Orders
• Food manufacturing-related labour compliances
• Act as senior interface with:
• Labour Department
• Factory Inspectorate
• Local administration and regulatory authorities
• Lead inspections, audits, statutory hearings, and conciliation proceedings.
• Maintain strong, professional liaison with government officials to safeguard business continuity.

7. Administrative Excellence & Process Simplification

• Review and streamline factory administrative processes to enhance efficiency.
• Implement systems and controls to simplify documentation, reporting, and compliance tracking.
• Enable Admin Officers and HR teams to spend maximum productive time on the shop floor rather than desk-bound administration.
• Drive digitization and system-led governance in factory HR operations.

8. Talent Acquisition & Capability Building (Factory HR)

• Work with Factory HRs to build pipeline of competent professionals from similar FMCG / food manufacturing industries.
• Strengthen hiring standards for shop-floor in alignment with business needs.
• Mentor and develop internal HR talent to build long-term organizational capability.

9. Crisis Management & Business Continuity

• Anticipate and manage ER crises such as:
• Production stoppages
• Labour unrest
• Strike / lockout risks
• Lead calm, decisive resolution during critical business situations.
• Advise leadership on ER risk scenarios linked to expansion, new lines, or mechanization.

Education & Experience

• Post-Graduate in HR / IR / Labour Welfare (mandatory)
• 12–18 years of experience in FMCG / Food Manufacturing
• Strong exposure to:
• Unionized and non-unionized shop-floor environments
• Complex plant operations
• High contract labour dependency
• Multi-plant ER governance

Key Competencies

• Deep expertise in FMCG-specific ER & IR dynamics
• Strong negotiation and conflict management skills
• High shop-floor credibility and frontline leadership presence
• Strong communication and mass-address capability
• Sound statutory and labour law expertise
• Administrative process orientation with systems mindset
• Calm and decisive under pressure