Director of Employee Relations

Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and Institutional Equity, the Director of Employee Relations functions as the primary resource and liaison for employee relations for the university. The Director facilitates a climate of trust, respect, equity, and civility across the university.

The Director works with senior leadership as a strategic partner to meet changing business and talent needs and to promote employee engagement. The Director collaborates with the HR leadership team and the university community to design and sustain a high performance work culture. The Director has routine and ongoing contact and collaboration with a wide variety of university senior officers in performing assigned duties. The Director understands the University's mission and strategic direction, and provides information, analysis and consultations on a wide range of employee relations matters. The Director stays abreast of talent needs and trends, leveraging HR to help analyze and identify faculty and staff issues. The Director communicates organizational culture, policies and procedures, tools and resources to colleagues and internal clients. Communication methods include presentations to large and small groups; writing reports, policies, procedures, and training materials; and consultations with senior leaders, managers, supervisors and employees.

The Director also serves as Deputy Title IX Coordinator for faculty and staff.

The Director

• Manages all aspects of employee relations for the university for all types of University employees, including Faculty, EHRA employees and SHRA employees. The Employee Relations leader offers a full-range of consultative and programmatic services including, but not limited to, the following: supervisory consultations related to performance and professionalism, conduct, disciplinary issues, and separations from the university of any kind (e.g., discontinuations and dismissals); assistance to faculty and staff involving workplace concerns and disputes; management of employee engagement surveys.
• Maintains the highest level of integrity, confidentiality, and a commitment to creating an environment in which employees can thrive.
• In support of senior staff, provides a variety of conflict resolution processes and strategies to faculty and staff to enable them to resolve disputes in the university setting.
• Provides leadership in ensuring best practices on a wide range of employee relations issues; provides advice and guidance on complex and challenging matters.
• Advises/refers faculty and staff on appropriate grievance procedures, advises supervisors and managers on corrective action procedures, and provides employee relations support to university departments.
• Leads investigations into alleged violations of university policies, prepares investigation reports and provides guidance to academic and administrative units on addressing the outcome of such investigations; manages the employee appeals processes.
• Anticipate legal issues associated with recruitment, performance, and conduct matters.
• Initiate, recommend, and implement best practices in all areas of employee relations.
• Analyze and evaluate data on retention and related issues, conduct exit interviews, and provide recommendations and counseling to management.
• Serves as the Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator for employees.