Employee Relations Consultant

About The Role

The Employee Relations Consultant serves as an enterprise-level advisor and subject matter expert, providing independent, consultative guidance on complex and high-risk employee relations matters. This role operates with significant autonomy and judgment, advising leaders, HR partners, and cross-functional stakeholders on sensitive workforce issues that require a balance of legal risk mitigation, business outcomes, and employee experience. The ER consultant is accountable for end-to-end leadership of employee relations investigations. The ER Consultant leads and influences outcomes in situations involving elevated complexity, ambiguity, or reputational risk, and plays a key role in building organizational and HR capability through coaching, consultation, and continuous improvement.

What You'll Do

• Serve as a trusted consultant on medium- to high-risk employee relations matters, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, workplace misconduct, and complex performance or behavioral concerns.
• Provide strategic, defensible guidance to leaders and HR partners on risk mitigation, corrective action, and disciplinary decisions, ensuring alignment with employment law, company policy, and enterprise values.
• Exercise independent judgment in navigating situations where legal exposure, business priorities, and employee experience intersect.
• Participate in formulating labor relations strategies, policies, and practices to support employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
• Represent the Company during contract negotiations as part of the team; help shape negotiation strategy, prioritize issues, and draft proposals/counterproposals that advance business objectives.
• Serve as day-to-day liaison with the Union to administer and interpret the CBA consistently; monitor trends, practices, and internal policies to ensure aligned application.
• Lead cross-functional teams to design or improve labor-related programs, policies, and processes in alignment with our employee experience.
• Act as a labor relations subject-matter expert (SME); partner with HR leadership, legal, and other key stakeholders to assess risk and determine approaches for complex labor matters.
• Lead or contribute to end-to-end, complex workplace investigations, including matters involving senior leaders, sensitive allegations, or potential legal, financial, or reputational risk.
• Conduct advanced interviews, assess credibility, analyze evidence, and produce clear, well-reasoned findings and recommendations suitable for executive and legal review.
• Coach, guide, and influence HR Advisors and less-experienced ER team members, strengthening ER capability and decision quality across the HR ecosystem.
• Lead or participate in employee relations projects and enterprise priorities, including policy development, training design, and process improvements.
• Identify emerging ER trends and risks, translating insights into proactive recommendations that improve leader effectiveness, employee experience, and organizational resilience.
• Provide ER expertise during organizational change, reductions in force, or other high-impact employee events, partnering closely with Business HR, Legal, Compliance, and HR leadership.
• Act as a key advisor on high-visibility or escalated matters, influencing outcomes without direct authority.
• Review and provide oversight on ER recommendations developed by others for higher-risk or escalated cases, ensuring consistency, quality, and sound risk judgment.

What You'll Bring To The Role

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in employee relations, HR consulting and conducting workplace investigations, including regular exposure to high-risk or complex matters.
• Demonstrated labor relations experience, including experience leading or participating in negotiations of Collective Bargaining Agreements, handling grievances, and/or resolving unfair labor practice claims.
• Strong working knowledge of employment laws and regulations (e.g., Title VII, NLRA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, OSHA and applicable state and local laws).
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex cases and investigations with minimal oversight.
• Prominent ability to independently manage complex cases and investigations with minimal oversight.
• Proven success operating in ambiguous environments where judgment, influence, and enterprise perspective are critical.
• Ability to influence leaders and stakeholders without direct authority, using sound reasoning and credibility.
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and risk-assessment skills.
• Advanced written communication skills, including drafting investigation reports, executive-level summaries, and risk assessments.
• High level of discretion, confidentiality, emotional intelligence, and resilience when handling sensitive or contentious matters.
• Strong prioritization and case-management capability in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, consultative mindset with the ability to identify and assess any emerging risks or trends.

Skills

• Customer Centricity
• HR Ethics
• Risk Management
• Dispute Resolution
• Organizational Dynamics
• Policy & Procedure
• Project Management
• Adaptive Communication
• Learning Agility & Critical Thinking
• Crisis Management
• Negotiation & Managing Objections
• Statutes & Regulations
• Data Collection & Analysis
• Organizational Dynamics

Pay Range

Pay Range - Start: $81,280.00
Pay Range - End: $121,920.00
Structure 110: Geographic Specific Pay Structure: $89,440.00 USD - $134,160.00 USD
Structure 115: $93,440.00 USD - $140,160.00 USD