Senior Director, Head of Associate Relations

About the role

The Head of Associate Relations at GEICO will lead and shape the enterprise Associate Relations function, setting the long-term strategy and operating model that enables a fair, consistent, and values-driven associate experience across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a multi-year Associate Relations strategy aligned to the Associate Value Proposition and overall people strategy.
• Design and evolve the Associate Relations operating model, including role clarity, case segmentation, escalation paths, and decision frameworks.
• Modernize Associate Relations processes, ensuring consistency, scalability, and defensibility across all regions and business units.
• Champion the use of data, insights, and technology to improve case outcomes, identify systemic issues, and inform leadership decision-making.
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders on employee relations risk, organizational health, investigations governance, and complex workforce issues.
• Establish and oversee enterprise governance standards for investigations, disciplinary actions, and policy interpretation to ensure fairness and consistency.
• Partner closely with Legal, Compliance, and HR leadership to anticipate risk, strengthen controls, and align on mitigation strategies.
• Represent Associate Relations in executive forums, delivering clear, actionable insights on trends, root causes, and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing Associate Relations leadership team, building bench strength and future-ready capabilities.
• Set expectations for judgment, decision quality, and executive presence across the function.
• Establish learning, coaching, and quality standards that elevate investigative rigor, empathy, and consistency.
• Owes strategic direction of employee relations policies and frameworks, ensuring alignment with employment law, organizational values, and evolving business needs.
• Ensure the function is positioned to proactively manage compliance risk across federal, state, and local employment regulations.
• Oversee the development of enterprise-level training and enablement strategies for leaders and HR partners related to employee relations and workplace conduct.
• Use quantitative and qualitative insights to identify patterns, systemic issues, and cultural risks.
• Translate data into strategic recommendations that drive improvements in engagement, trust, and retention.
• Lead continuous improvement efforts that strengthen the associate experience while balancing organizational risk and accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or equivalent experience; advanced degree or certifications preferred.
• 10–12+ years of progressive leadership experience in Associate Relations or Employee Relations, with demonstrated success leading enterprise-scale functions or transformations.
• Proven experience designing and scaling investigations or employee relations operating models in large, complex organizations.
• Deep expertise in employment law, EEO regulations, anti-retaliation principles, and investigations governance.
• Strong executive presence and judgment, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, high-stakes matters, and competing priorities.
• Track record of influencing senior leaders and driving alignment across cross-functional partners.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complexity and deliver clear, defensible recommendations.
• Unwavering integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to fairness, confidentiality, and ethical leadership.

Pay

$195,000.00 - $315,000.00

Schedule

This is a hybrid role, with an onsite presence of 3 days per week at our Bethesda, MD; NYC, NY; Dallas, TX; Tampa, FL; or Chicago, IL office.