Sr. Manager Employee Relations & Investigations

Description

The Senior Employee Relations & Investigations Manager will serve as the organization’s subject matter expert for workplace investigations and high-risk employee relations matters. Based in Chicago, this role will support locations across the U.S. and partner closely with Human Resources, Legal, outside counsel, and business leaders to ensure investigations are conducted thoroughly, objectively, consistently, and in a legally defensible manner. This role is being established to strengthen the organization’s investigation capabilities, support ongoing EEOC and consent decree obligations, and ensure employee complaints are addressed with the highest level of professionalism and rigor.

Key Responsibilities

• Immediately partner with HR, Legal, outside counsel, and other stakeholders to support active EEOC matters, consent decree obligations, and high-risk employee relations investigations.
• Lead complex investigations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, ethics concerns, workplace misconduct, policy violations, and other employee relations matters.
• Conduct witness interviews, gather and analyze evidence, assess credibility, and prepare detailed investigation findings and recommendations.
• Ensure investigations are completed in a timely, objective, thorough, and legally defensible manner.
• Support responses to EEOC charges, state agency complaints, litigation matters, and other regulatory inquiries.
• Travel to locations as needed to conduct investigations, interviews, fact-finding, and employee relations assessments.
• Partner with HR and Legal to identify investigation risks, trends, and opportunities for corrective action.
• Develop and implement consistent investigation standards, documentation practices, reporting templates, and case management processes.
• Provide coaching, guidance, and subject matter expertise to HR team members on investigation techniques and best practices.
• Strengthen organizational confidence in the complaint and investigation process through consistent and professional handling of employee concerns.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in highly sensitive matters.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive Employee Relations and workplace investigations experience.
• Demonstrated expertise conducting complex discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and workplace misconduct investigations.
• Experience supporting EEOC charges, agency complaints, litigation matters, and compliance-related investigations.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws and workplace investigation best practices.
• Experience working in both unionized and non-union/professional employee environments.
• Experience supporting geographically dispersed operations and multiple business locations.
• Exceptional interviewing, fact-finding, analytical, and report-writing skills.
• Proven ability to partner effectively with Legal, outside counsel, senior leadership, and business stakeholders.
• Ability to travel approximately 30-40% as business needs require.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in transportation, logistics, aviation, distribution, manufacturing, or other highly regulated industries.
• Experience operating within a consent decree, regulatory oversight environment, or similar compliance-driven setting.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, AWI-CH, or other relevant certifications.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service. The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.