Role Description The Employee Relations Specialist serves as a trusted advisor to employees, supervisors, and managers by promoting a positive workplace culture and strengthening employee engagement. This role ensures fair and consistent application of company policies while supporting an inclusive, respectful, and compliant work environment. This is a hands-on opportunity to develop and deliver the employee experience in a transformational culture. The Employee Relations Specialist is responsible for addressing employee concerns, conducting investigations, advising on performance and conduct matters, and supporting conflict resolution while mitigating organizational risks. Through proactive partnership with leadership and HR, this role helps to enhance employee experiences, reinforce organizational values, and mitigate risk while driving a culture of accountability and engagement. Duties and Responsibilities Employee Relations & Culture - Serve as a key point of contact for employee relations matters, promoting open communication, trust, and responsiveness across the organization. - Foster a positive, inclusive workplace culture by addressing employee concerns in a timely, respectful, and solution-focused manner. - Act as a culture steward, reinforcing organizational values, behavioral expectations, and engagement principles in daily employee interactions. - Partner with leadership to identify and address employee sentiment, engagement trends, and workplace issues proactively. Investigations & Risk Management - Conduct prompt, thorough, and impartial investigations related to employee complaints, misconduct, harassment, discrimination, and policy concerns. - Ensure investigations are handled with confidentiality, professionalism, and sensitivity to employee experience. - Document findings accurately and recommend appropriate, consistent outcomes aligned with policy and company values. Supervisor and Manager Advisor - Coach people leaders on effective leadership, performance management, corrective action, and employee engagement practices. - Advise on conflict resolution, employee communications, and approaches that balance accountability with empathy. - Support leaders through difficult employee situations while reinforcing fairness, consistency, and inclusion. Employee Engagement & Development - Partner with HR and management teams to design and support initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, retention, and morale. - Contribute to development of training content and facilitate team sessions on HR processes, people leader fundamentals, and development. - Assess employee relations data, turnover, case trends, and feedback to identify opportunities for improving workplace culture and engagement. - Contribute to engagement surveys, focus groups, listening sessions, and follow-up action planning with teams. Policy, Compliance & Collaboration - Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws while maintaining a positive employee experience. - Support the development, implementation, and communication of employee relations policies and practices. - Participate in HR projects, culture initiatives, audits, and continuous improvement efforts as assigned. Qualifications Education and Experience - Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. - Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in employee relations engaging with employees for concerns and formal investigations. - Minimum 4 years of hands-on experience as a generalist/business partner implementing HR processes and programs across a small or mid-size business population. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - Strong knowledge of employee relations principles, engagement strategies, and multi-state employment laws. - Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive situations with discretion, empathy, and sound judgment. - Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and conflict-resolution skills. - Ability to influence and coach leaders at all levels while maintaining credibility and trust. - Strong organizational skills with attention to detail and accurate documentation. - Must be curious, driver of change, and contributor to optimizing the HR eco-system. - Ability to balance employee advocacy with organizational needs in a fast-paced environment. - Proficiency with HRIS systems and Microsoft Office applications. Preferred Qualifications - HR certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR a plus. - Demonstrated experience building a career architecture. - Experience supporting culture change, engagement initiatives, and multi-state organizations. Company Description