HR Policy and Employee Relations Advisor

Joining An HR Department That Operates As ‘’HR One’’ Between Germany And Chile, And Arising From An Internal Reorganisation Pending The Launch Of The ESO People Strategy In Late 2026, We Are Seeking To Hire a

HR Policy and Employee Relations Advisor

ESO is building the world's biggest eye on the sky. This role helps build the people strategy behind it.This is a genuinely blended role. ESO is looking for a person who can move between HR policy development and employee relations casework, not a policy specialist or an employee relations specialist alone. Candidates should be drawn to both areas in their HR career journey and have demonstrable, hands-on experience .

Human Resources plays a central role in supporting ESO’s strategic objectives by providing a comprehensive, high-quality service to staff and management. This position is a great opportunity for an experienced HR professional to influence how policy and employee relations are practiced across a scientific organisation entering a period of significant change. Rather than administering an established framework, the successful candidate will help design one, working at the intersection of day-to-day HR advice, policy development in the framework of the recently established People Strategy, and some of the most consequential governance conversations happening inside ESO today.

You will work closely with managers, staff representatives and other HR colleagues, and you will be line manager of an HR Policy Officer, giving you scope to build not just policy, but a team.

You Will

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage and drive the development, review and implementation of HR policies and frameworks, ensuring alignment with organisational needs and best practices.
• Collaborate with staff representation bodies, supporting constructive social dialogue and follow-up actions.
• Provide expert HR advice and guidance to managers and staff on policies, procedures and employment conditions.
• Actively support and, where appropriate, lead HR projects and strategic initiatives, such as:

• organisational development
• reviews of Staff Regulations and internal policies
• benchmarking of employment conditions
• Prepare HR proposals, reports and presentations for internal governance bodies and senior management.
• Conduct research and analysis on HR trends and best practices to inform decision-making.
• Represent HR in internal working groups and committees.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of HR processes, systems and services.
  
  

The role requires flexibility and the ability to operate across a broad range of HR topics in an evolving organisational context.

Reports To

Programme Manager – People Strategy (a role which also acts as HR Policy and Employee Relations Team Leader)

This reporting line reflects the central role that HR policy and employee relations expertise plays in delivering significant strategic objectives under the People Strategy. The postholder will be fully integrated into the broader HR function in the HR Business partnering group under the overall leadership of the Head of Human Resources.

Essential

Key competences and experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in Human Resources is required, ideally in an international or complex multi-national organisational environment.
• Proven experience in developing, reviewing and implementing HR policies.
• Experience in Employee Relations management, including advising on and managing individual employee cases, interpreting HR policies and employment frameworks, and engaging with staff associations/unions or other staff representative bodies.
• Strong knowledge of employment frameworks, policies and HR practices (experience with staff regulations or similar frameworks is an asset).
• Ability to balance operational delivery with strategic thinking.
• Confidence to challenge and improve existing practices.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under time constraints.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence and build trust.
• Collaborative approach, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
  
  

Desirable

• Project management in a leadership capacity.
• Change management experience.
• Familiarity with HR in international organisations.
• Familiarity with HR information systems.
• Supervisory skills.
  
  

Qualifications

• University degree in Human Resources, Law, Business Administration or a related field. Candidates with a degree in an unrelated field who have significant relevant professional experience will also be considered. Evidence of continuing professional development in HR or management will be a strong asset.
  
  

Language Skills

An excellent command of the English language both oral and written, is required (note: drafting skills are tested as part of the interview process). A working knowledge of Spanish is an asset.

Remuneration And Contract

We offer an attractive remuneration package including a competitive salary (free of income tax for applicants from ESO member states), comprehensive pension scheme and medical, educational and other social benefits, as well as financial help in relocating your family and support to place your child/children in daycare.

Our Salary Structure

ESO’s salary structure is based upon a range of career paths which reflect the nature and level of our jobs. Each career path is made up of two or three grades which are used to further reflect experience.

Please follow this attached link for more details https://www.eso.org/public/jobs/conditions/intstaff/salary-structure/

The post is allocated in Career Path: IV

Working Conditions

ESO aims to support members of personnel in maintaining a good work-life balance (https://www.eso.org/public/jobs/conditions/intstaff/#work-life-balance) between their professional and private life. ESO is also committed to offering family-friendly support (https://www.eso.org/public/jobs/conditions/intstaff/#family-friendly-support), creating a work environment and policies which allow staff to balance their professional and private responsibilities through flexible working arrangements and financial support for families.

The contract is for a fixed term duration of three years and is subject to medical clearance and successful completion of a six-month probation period. There may be a possibility of extension(s) subject to individual performance and organisational requirements, and as defined in the applicable policies and staff rules and regulations. (Please note that the contract policy and in particular the regulations concerning fixed-term and indefinite contracts are under review which may lead to changes in the contractual conditions applicable to this position).

Duty Station

The duty station of the post will be Garching near Munich, Germany.

The role is based on-site at ESO and relocation to the duty station area is required (as applicable). Please note staff at ESO benefit from a mobile working policy that allows for some hybrid working for work-life balance purposes.

Application

Applicants are invited to apply online at http://jobs.eso.org/. Applications must be completed in English and should include a motivation letter and CV. Within your CV, please provide the names and contact details of three persons familiar with your work and willing to provide a recommendation letter upon request. Referees will not be contacted without your prior consent. If you have questions or would like to know more about the position and discuss an informal basis, please contact: vacancy@eso.org

Deadline for applications is 27 September 2026.

Interviews are expected to start soon after this date. Candidates are informed that the process may involve more than one round of interviews and that skills testing will be involved.

ESO Values

An important element in any successful employment relationship is harmony in values between an organisation and its people.

The ESO Values Are

ESO strives for excellence through innovation.

ESO provides outstanding services to its communities.

ESO fosters diversity & inclusion.

ESO believes in the key role of sustainability for its future.

Achieving the above are recognized as only possible on the basis of personal values and attitudes that we expect from our employees: respect, integrity, accountability, commitment, collaboration, and clear & open communication.

Applicants to any ESO role are asked to reflect on their affinity with these values and advised they may be asked about them if called for interview.

Diversity

ESO has established diversity as an important value of the Organisation, is committed to providing an equal opportunities environment and is actively seeking to promote a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce. Please visit https://www.eso.org/public/about-eso/sustainability/dei-at-eso/ for further details.

Nationality

No nationality is in principle excluded from employment at ESO, however, recruitment preference will be given to nationals of our Member States, host states and strategic partners: Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Chile, irrespective of gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity or religion.

The European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world's most productive ground-based astronomical observatory. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries.

ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in northern Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor (home to ALMA), and the ESO Headquarters are located in Garching, near Munich, Germany.

At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world's most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory, and will host and operate the southern array of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, the world's largest and most sensitive high energy gamma-ray observatory. ESO is a major partner in ALMA. On Cerro Armazones, ESO is building the 39-metre Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), which will become "the world's biggest eye on the sky" and whose operations will be fully integrated into the Paranal Observatory.

It is against this backdrop of scientific ambition and organisational growth that ESO is launching its People Strategy 2026 to 2031, a five-year programme designed to future-proof its workforce and ensure ESO can attract, develop and retain the people it needs for the decade ahead. Human Resources sits at the centre of that effort, combining high-quality day-to-day service to staff and management with an active role in helping to shape the organisation for the future.