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Employee Relations Specialist

Princeton, New Jersey

Kyowa Kirin is a fast-growing global specialty pharmaceutical company that applies state-of-the-art biotechnologies to discover and deliver novel medicines in four disease areas: bone and mineral; intractable hematologic; hematology oncology; and rare disease.  A Japan-based company, our goal is to make people smile by delivering breakthroughs where no adequate treatments currently exist, working from drug discovery to product development and commercialization. In North America, we are headquartered in Princeton, NJ, with offices in California, Massachusetts, and Ontario.

Summary of Job:

Experienced Employee Relations Specialist who will also function as an HR Generalist in support of our human resources business partners on key HR activities including performance management, talent management, employee relations, talent development, and recruitment. This role involves addressing employee concerns, implementing HR policies/procedures, and assisting with various HR functions.

Essential Functions:

  • Serve as a primary point of contact for HR Business Partners regarding employee inquiries regarding policies, procedures, and workplace issues.
  • Partner with HR centers of excellence (COE’s) such as Talent Development, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, and Total Rewards and serve as a point of contact in support of the HR Business Partner sub-function.
  • Conduct investigations into employee complaints or concerns, documenting findings and recommending appropriate actions.
  • Parter closely with Legal team concerning employee investigations to determine proper actions as needed.
  • Promote a positive workplace culture through effective communication and employee engagement initiatives.
  • Assist in the development and implementation of HR policies and procedures for the HR business partner function and other COEs as needed.
  • Support the performance appraisal process by providing guidance to managers and employees.
  • Monitor employee performance issues and provide recommendations for improvement.
  • Develop and implement employee engagement strategies to enhance job satisfaction and retention.
  • Organize and facilitate team engagement and team-building activities.
  • Stay updated on labor laws and regulations to ensure company compliance.
  • Prepare reports and documentation for audits and compliance reviews.
  • Acts as key project lead for the team as needed.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

Experience:

At least 3 years of experience in employee relations and general HR functions. Strong knowledge of employment laws and regulations. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills. Ability to handle sensitive situations with discretion and professionalism.

Technical Skills:

Proficient in MS Office Suite.

Non-Technical Skills:

Demonstrated ability to organize, prioritize, meet deadlines, make decisions, and change course of action quickly. Strong interpersonal and communication skills. Strong work ethics required. Detail oriented and excellent follow through. Has the ability to flex and deal with ambiguity in a dynamic, fast-paced, high growth environment. Has a passion for personal learning and development to be able to grow with the company. Cultural sensitivity and ability to develop consensus within a multinational organization. 

KKNA and all of its employees have an obligation to act in accordance with the law and with integrity in all our operations and interactions

It is the policy of Kyowa Kirin North America, Inc. to provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons without regard to race, religion, creed, color, pregnancy, sex, age, national origin, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or affection preference or citizenship status or any other category protected by law.

When you apply to a job on this site, the personal data contained in your application will be collected and stored by Kyowa Kirin, Inc. (“Controller”), which is located at 510 Carnegie Center Dr. Princeton, NJ 08540 USA and can be contacted by emailing kkus.talentacquisition.8h@kyowakirin.com. Controller’s data protection officer can be contacted at usprivacyoffice@kyowakirin.com. Your personal data will be processed for the purposes of managing Controller’s recruitment related activities, which include setting up and conducting interviews and tests for applicants, evaluating and assessing the results thereto, and as is otherwise needed in the recruitment and hiring processes. Such processing is legally permissible under Art. 6(1)(f) of General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) as necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the Controller, which are the solicitation, evaluation, and selection of applicants for employment. 

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Your personal data will be retained by Controller as long as Controller determines it is necessary to evaluate your application for employment.  Under the GDPR, if you are located in the European Union, you have the right to request access to your personal data, to request that your personal data be rectified or erased, and to request that processing of your personal data be restricted. You also have the right to data portability, and to lodge a complaint with an EU supervisory authority. If you have any questions about our use of your data, you may contact us by email at usprivacyoffice@kyowakirin.com.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies

Kyowa Kirin does not accept agency resumes unless contacted directly by internal Kyowa Kirin Talent Acquisition. Please do not forward resumes to Kyowa Kirin employees or any other company location; Kyowa Kirin is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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