Senior Manager, Employee Relations

About the role

The Senior Manager, Employee Relations serves as a trusted advisor to Xeris employees, providing expert guidance on complex employee relations matters while driving a fair, compliant, and high-performance workplace culture within a regulated biopharmaceutical environment. This role partners closely with HR Centers of Excellence, Legal, Compliance, and Business leaders to proactively identify organizational risks, resolve workplace issues, strengthen manager capability, and ensure consistent application of company policies and employment laws.

Responsibilities

• Acts as a subject matter expert on employee relations, providing strategic guidance to leaders on complex and sensitive workplace matters.
• Coaches leaders through all aspects of performance management including formal coaching letters, corrective actions, difficult conversations, and documentation.
• Ensures consistency, fairness, and legal compliance in employment decisions.
• Independently leads complex workplace investigations involving allegations of misconduct, employee conflicts, harassment, discrimination, and policy violations.
• Presents with Legal and Compliance on high-risk matters to ensure appropriate resolution and risk mitigation.
• Advise on involuntary terminations, ensuring compliance with employment laws and internal policies.
• Ensures all terminations are submitted into Workday along with any applicable documentation.
• Conducts exit interviews to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for organizational improvement.
• Analyzes exit data and provides actionable insights to HR leadership and business partners.
• Supports Manager Toolkit training by facilitating training for managers on Employment Law and other modules as needed.
• Creates tools, resources, and guidance that strengthen manager capability and promote consistency across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree is a plus.
• 7+ years of progressive HR Business Partner/Employee relations experience required.
• Prior experience supporting a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device or other highly regulated organization is preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of U.S. employment law and HR best practices.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex investigations and advising senior leaders on high-risk employee matters.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state and local employment laws.
• Excellent computer skills required including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Workday knowledge is preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, exceptional judgment, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and influencing skills.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify trends and recommend business-focused solutions.
• Able to manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• SHRM, SPHR, or equivalent HR certification preferred.