HR Business Partner/Employee Relations Specialist

About the role

Gotion is seeking a hands-on HR Business Partner / Employee Relations Specialist to support our business and R&D teams in Manteno, Illinois. This role is designed for an execution-oriented HR professional who can work closely with managers and employees on employee relations, 90-day reviews, performance management, documentation, corrective actions, investigations, and day-to-day HR support.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support employee relations matters, including employee complaints, workplace concerns, misconduct issues, communication conflicts, attendance concerns, policy violations, and manager-employee disputes.
• Conduct workplace investigations, document findings, summarize facts, and recommend appropriate next steps in partnership with HR leadership and management.
• Support the 90-day review process for new hires, including review tracking, manager follow-up, documentation, performance feedback, and employment decision support.
• Persist with performance management, including coaching conversations, performance documentation, corrective action, PIP support, and follow-up actions.
• Maintain strong on-site visibility and build effective working relationships with employees, managers, and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Provide Spanish-language HR support when needed, including policy explanation, employee communication, investigation interviews, coaching, and issue resolution.
• Ensure consistent application of company policies, performance standards, attendance expectations, disciplinary processes, and workplace conduct requirements.
• Prepare and maintain accurate HR documentation, including investigation notes, corrective action forms, 90-day review records, performance documentation, and employee relations case files.
• Coach managers on handling difficult employee conversations in a compliant, practical, and well-documented manner.
• Partner with HR leadership, legal, payroll, operations, and functional leaders on employee relations, performance, compliance, leave, attendance, and workforce management issues.
• Identify recurring ER or performance issues and recommend practical improvements to reduce risk, improve accountability, and strengthen team effectiveness.
• Support additional HR activities as needed, including onboarding, employee communication, HR reporting, policy rollout, employee engagement, and manager enablement.

Required Qualifications

• 5–10 years of HR experience, with strong hands-on experience in employee relations, performance management, corrective actions, workplace investigations, and manager coaching.
• Prior experience supporting business, technical, R&D, engineering, commercial, project, or cross-functional teams.
• Fluent or professional working proficiency in both English and Spanish.
• A strong understanding of employee relations documentation, investigation processes, corrective action, attendance management, and performance review processes.
• The ability to work fully on-site in Manteno, IL, Monday through Friday.
• Comfortable working directly with managers, employees, technical teams, and business leaders.
• A strong judgment, confidentiality, documentation discipline, and ability to handle sensitive employee matters.
• The ability to operate in a fast-paced environment where HR must be visible, responsive, practical, and execution-focused.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain policies, expectations, and performance feedback clearly in both English and Spanish.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting 90-day reviews, probationary period evaluations, structured new-hire performance reviews, or manager-led performance calibration.
• Experience supporting R&D, engineering, product, commercial, sales, project management, or technical business teams.
• Experience in battery, EV, clean energy, automotive, technology, advanced manufacturing, or high-growth industrial environments.
• Knowledge of Illinois employment practices and general U.S. employment law principles.
• Experience with HRIS, case tracking, attendance systems, performance documentation systems, or employee relations case management tools.