Industrial Relations Lead at Newcross Petroleum Limited (NPL)

Newcross Petroleum Limited (NPL) is an emerging indigenous company with investment and operating interests in the Nigerian oil and gas industry. The Company is governed by a board of directors with proven integrity and driven by a dynamic management team with broad knowledge and experience in the oil and gas industry. 

The Company has a deep understanding of its operating environment and is focused on profitability and high return on investment, whilst remaining socially and environmentally responsible. Newcross’ goal is to provide sustainable solutions to the energy challenges of Nigeria and use its operational success in the country as a springboard into the international arena, starting with the Sub-Saharan African markets.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Industrial Relations Lead

Location: Lagos
Job Type: Full Time

Job Purpose

• Responsible for managing and fostering positive labor relations, ensuring compliance with labor laws, and resolving disputes between employees and management.
• Implementing strategic HR initiatives to enhance organizational productivity and employee satisfaction. senior management, HR, legal, and operations teams, as well as external stakeholders such as labour unions, government agencies, and industry associations, to foster constructive relationships and achieve common objectives

Responsibilities

• Labour Relations Management: Develop and implement strategies for effective labour relations management while serving as the primary point of contact between the Group and labour unions.
• Labour Law Compliance: Ensure adherence to Nigerian labour laws, regulations, and industry standards pertaining to employee relations, employment contracts, and workplace safety, including NSITF, ITF, etc.
• Negotiation and Mediation: Serve as a primary point of contact for resolving conflicts between management and employees, conducting negotiations, and facilitate mediation sessions to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Collective Bargaining: Lead negotiations with labour unions or employee representatives to develop collective bargaining agreements, addressing wages, benefits, working conditions, and other employment terms.
• Policy Development and Compliance Monitoring: Develop, review, and implement HR policies, procedures, and guidelines in alignment with organizational objectives and legal requirements, fostering fairness and equity in the workplace.
• Employee Advocacy: Advocate for employee rights and interests, presenting their concerns to management. Put in place initiatives to facilitate and promote open communication channels to address grievances effectively.
• Dispute Resolution: Investigate employee complaints, grievances, or disciplinary issues, conducting fair and impartial investigations and recommending appropriate resolutions or disciplinary actions in line with company policies.
• Training and Development: Develop training programs on labour relations and deliver workshops to enhance understanding and compliance with labour laws and regulations.

Accountabilities

• Labor Relations Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive industrial relations strategy aligned with the company's goals and objectives. Build positive relationships with Pengassan, TUC and Ministry of Labour.
• Conflict Resolution: Proactively address and resolve labour disputes, grievances, or conflicts in a timely and efficient manner, minimizing disruptions to operations and preserving positive employee relations.
• Compliance Assurance: Ensure compliance with all relevant labour laws, regulations, and contractual agreements, CBAs and company policies. Maintain accurate records and documentation to support legal compliance and mitigate risks of litigation. Policy review and advisory in line with emerging trends and best practices.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks and liabilities related to industrial relations matters, assess their impact on the organization, and develop proactive strategies to mitigate risks and ensure legal compliance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Grievance Resolution Time: Measure the average time taken to resolve employee grievances or disputes, aiming for prompt resolution within established timelines.
• Union Negotiation Success Rate: Evaluate the effectiveness of collective bargaining negotiations by assessing the outcomes achieved in terms of agreement terms, cost savings, and overall employee satisfaction. Cost optimization. Number o days lost to IR issues.
• Labor Law Compliance Score: Monitor compliance with labour laws and regulations through regular audits and assessments, maintaining a high compliance score and
• addressing any areas of non-compliance promptly. Number of policies revised and improvement recommendations annually
• Employee Satisfaction Surveys: Conduct regular surveys to gauge employee satisfaction levels with industrial relations practices, policies, and procedures,
• Litigation Risk Reduction: Number of risks identified and mitigation implementation with positive outcomes for the business. Number of penalties from government agencies.
• Number of litigation/cases arising from grievance and industrial disputes.
• Negotiation: Conduct industry CBA survey annually and recommend appropriate changes in key clauses in line with business objectives.
• Stakeholders: Engagement with relevant stakeholders to build positive relationships and obtain intel. Submit reports.

Key Interfaces:

• Management Team
• Heads of Departments
• PENGASSAN – HQ and Zonal
• Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment
• Professional Bodies and Association

Requirements
Qualifications include:

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or a related field. A master’s degree or professional certification (e.g., ACIPM, SHRM-CP, PHRi) is preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of combined experience in industrial relations or human resources management, preferably in the oil and gas industry.

Skills and Experience:

• In-depth knowledge of labour laws, collective bargaining agreements, and dispute resolution strategies.
• Proven track record of effectively managing industrial and employee relations in the oil and gas industry
• Well-developed communication and interpersonal skills
• Negotiation and Conflict resolution skills
• Good attention to detail and ability to work to deadlines.
• Broad knowledge of operation in the oil and gas industry operations.
• Ability to manage a diverse group of staff at different levels.
• Data analytics competences
• Excellent networking skills
• Must be creative, imaginative and of high integrity.
• Excellent presentation and organizational skills
• Team-orientation and able to work with all levels within the organization and external network.
• Previous experience a HRBP or HR generalist role is a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and HR management software.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Resume or CV to: careers@newcross.com using the Job Title as the subject of the email.