Employee & Labor Relations Consultant

The Colleague Experience Group (CEG)—Amex’s Human Resources function—is responsible for all colleague-related benefits and programs globally, including career growth and development, leadership and learning, total rewards and well-being, recruitment, labor relations, colleague servicing, and more. CEG’s vision is to provide the best colleague experience every day to fuel growth, and they are committed to ensuring all of Team Amex has the resources and support they need to be and deliver their best.

As Employee & Labor Relations Consultant you will support all employee and labor relations projects in Germany and Austria. You will contribute to the constructive collaboration with the works council, help to shape our culture of fairness and provide expertise to business leaders and colleagues. 

Our Colleague & Labor Relations department (CLR) is part of the wider Human Resources team at American Express. We collaborate closely with business leaders, the Country Executive Team and many other departments (e.g. Legal, Compliance, local and international project teams).

What you will bring:

• University degree in law (Staatsexamen, Magister/Magistra in law, L.L.M. in German (labor or economic law) and initial relevant professional experience as specialist in employee relations or HR generalist and/or as professional for labor law.
• Advanced knowledge of German and preferably Austrian individual and collective labor law
• Experience working with German works councils, preferably in a highly matrixed multi-national environment
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – ability to liaise with all levels of the organization
• Ability to focus both on detail and broader implications of issues
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Copilot)
• Fluency in German and English (written and verbal)

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in Germany is required as the company will not pursue visa sponsorship for these positions.  

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. From delivering differentiated products to providing world-class customer service, we operate with a strong risk mindset, ensuring we continue to uphold our brand promise of trust, security, and service. 

As part of Team Amex, you’ll experience our powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career. Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express. 

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:   

• Competitive base salaries   
• Bonus incentives   
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement   
• Flexible work arrangements and schedules with hybrid and virtual options with Amex Flex   
• Onsite and online Healthy Living activities, including insightful health and workout webinars, as well as an array of in-person screening opportunities (i.e. skin cancer screening, eye screening, diabetes screening and more!)    
• Onsite Healthy Living room for exercise activities or relaxation programs with onsite shower room facility. Relaxation programs include regularly scheduled massages!    
• Inclusive and helpful parental perks including first aid rooms for breastfeeding privacy, emergency back-up childcare services and childcare allowance.    
• Optional on-site visits from Occupational Doctors for workplace health consultations.    
• Free and confidential counselling support through our Healthy Minds program   
• Career development and training opportunities   

Amex Flex provides flexibility for colleagues to thrive personally and professionally while ensuring we preserve the important benefits of our unique in-person culture. In Germany, we have an agreement with the works council with specific guidelines for Amex Flex. Depending on the role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model or fully virtual.   

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.   

Reporting to the Manager, Colleague and Labor Relations for Germany and Austria, you will support the local and international pro-active CLR agenda by:

• Leading and supporting the works council consultation on e.g. the implementation of new IT systems, compensation programs, re-organizations and other national or international initiatives

• Providing guidance for all individual and collective labor law aspects in Germany and Austria 

• Developing and updating works council agreements, contract templates and guidelines

• Providing support in managing disciplinary cases

• Providing support for Health & Safety activities in Germany

• Participating in global CLR initiatives and projects