Senior Program Manager - Employee Relations

Role Summary for Senior Program Manager - Employee Relations (Individual contributor role)

The incumbent will serve as a pivotal individual contributor responsible for driving high-impact Employee Relations and HR governance outcomes across R1 locations. The role will require end-to-end ownership of employee matters, grievances, disciplinary processes, performance-related interventions and sensitive workplace concerns while ensuring that all actions are handled with objectivity, consistency, confidentiality, and strong documentation discipline. In addition to managing day-to-day ER service delivery, the incumbent must bring strong knowledge of HR compliances, statutory requirements, labor codes, employment regulations, and policy governance to proactively identify risks, strengthen compliance controls, and support legally sound decision-making. The role is also expected to drive strategic HR and ER initiatives that improve workplace experience, reduce organizational risk, and enable consistent people practices across sites.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Grievance and Inquiry Resolution: Proactively manage and resolve employee grievances and inquiries, ensuring that all issues are addressed promptly and effectively. This involves working closely with employees and management to facilitate open communication and resolution.
• Collaboration on Performance Improvement: Work in tandem with business leaders to address performance improvement issues. This involves collecting relevant information, participating in the review of performance improvement documents, and offering strategic recommendations to enhance employee performance.
• HR Compliance, Labor Code Governance & Risk Mitigation: Own and support HR-related statutory compliances, labor code readiness, employment law requirements, and internal governance obligations to ensure adherence with applicable legal and organizational standards. Proactively identify compliance gaps, assess people-risk exposure, recommend mitigation plans, partner with Legal/Compliance teams where required, and ensure timely reporting for internal governance and audit readiness.
• Strategic Initiative Design and Execution: Lead the design, planning, and execution of structured ER and HR initiatives, including labor code implementation, policy revisions, grievance framework improvements, workplace risk controls, associate engagement interventions, and process standardization. Translate insights from cases, compliance reviews, and business needs into scalable initiatives that strengthen governance and improve employee experience.
• ER Service Delivery Management: Oversee the delivery of ER services across R1 locations, utilizing platforms like Service Now for query management, tiering support, and other communication channels. This includes ensuring timely and effective responses to employee inquiries and concerns.
• ER Case Management and Advisory: Independently manage and advise on complex ER cases, including disciplinary matters, grievances, involuntary exits, leaves of absence, performance-related concerns, workplace conduct issues, and other sensitive or high-risk matters. Ensure each case is assessed through a fair, consistent, legally informed, and well-documented approach, with appropriate stakeholder alignment and timely closure.
• Consistency and Documentation: Guarantee consistency in the approach and resolution of employee concerns. This includes meticulous preparation of documentation and reports to ensure high-quality records are maintained.
• Monthly Reporting: Conduct monthly reporting of ER cases via the internal tracking log for the site. This involves compiling data, analyzing trends, and presenting findings to relevant stakeholders.
• Data Insights and Trend Analysis: Share data insights at the site level, derived from trends observed through various focus groups, listening posts, industry trends and ER case logs. Use this data to inform strategic decisions and enhance employee engagement.
• Liaison with Stakeholders: Act as a liaison with Business Leaders, HR Business Partners, Legal Compliance and other ER Advisors to keep them aligned and informed of the progress of employee relations matters on-site. This ensures alignment and continuity in HR practices across the organization.
• Policy Review, Governance and Implementation: Play an active role in reviewing, strengthening, implementing, and communicating ER/HR policies, procedures, and programs. Ensure policies remain aligned with business needs, statutory expectations, labor code requirements, internal governance standards, and associate-facing clarity. Partner with relevant stakeholders to drive adoption, ensure consistency, and maintain robust policy governance.
• HR Project and Transformation Engagement: Lead or contribute to cross-functional HR projects and transformation initiatives requiring ER expertise, compliance understanding, business partnering, stakeholder management, and structured execution. Bring a strategic mindset to design practical solutions that improve governance, reduce risk, and enhance organizational effectiveness.

Key Competencies:

• Strong ER, HR Compliance and Legal Acumen: Demonstrated experience in Employee Relations and/or HR Business Partnering, with strong working knowledge of HR compliances, labor codes, employment law principles, statutory obligations, policy governance, and employee engagement practices. Ability to apply this knowledge in practical business situations while balancing associate experience, compliance requirements, and organizational risk.
• Experience Requirement: A preferred 10-12 years of relevant work experience, demonstrating a track record of success in HR and Employee Relations roles.