Director, Employee Relations and Performance Management

About the role

Lehigh University's Human Resources team is seeking a seasoned employee relations leader to shape the culture and performance of one of the Northeast's most respected research universities. If you bring deep expertise in employee relations and a genuine commitment to building healthy, high-performing workplaces, this is a role where your influence will be felt university-wide. Reporting directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer (AVP), you will serve as Lehigh's authoritative voice on employee relations, advising senior leaders, resolving complex workplace matters, and building the organizational capability that allows issues to be addressed before they escalate. Position Number: S87550. This position is a Grade: 11 - 40.

Responsibilities

• Serving as the University's subject matter expert on employee relations, providing authoritative guidance to leaders across Lehigh's schools, colleges, and administrative divisions
• Acting as a strategic partner to the Chief Human Resources Officer, contributing informed perspective on workforce matters that intersect with institutional priorities
• Leading direct intervention and case management for sensitive, complex, or escalated employee relations matters with sound judgment and discretion
• Designing and facilitating management development programs and workshops that build proactive employee relations capability at all levels of the organization
• Identifying systemic employee relations trends through data and case analysis, and developing targeted strategies to address root causes
• Owning the University's performance management system end-to-end, including process design, documentation standards, and continuous improvement