Lead Employee Relations Partner

We are looking for a Lead Employee Relations Partner to serve as the primary advisor and escalation point for complex employee relations issues across the organization. The role will report into the People Partner team, and act as a strategic partner to People Partners cross‑functional teams, balancing risk management, compliance, and cultural alignment while fostering a fair, inclusive, and consistent employee experience.

The base salary offered for this role and level of experience will begin at $167,000 and up to $230,000. Full‑time employees are also eligible for a bonus, competitive equity package, and benefits. The actual base salary offered may be higher, depending on your location, skills, qualifications, and experience.

In this role, you can expect to:

• Own the intake, assessment, investigation, and resolution of complex employee relations issues, including employee complaints, misconduct, performance concerns, policy violations, and sensitive workplace conflicts.
• Serve as the escalation point for high‑risk or ambiguous matters, providing clear guidance on investigation strategy, risk exposure, and recommended outcomes.
• Conduct and oversee thorough, unbiased, and timely investigations, ensuring appropriate scoping, evidence gathering, documentation, findings, and closure aligned with Legal and company standards.
• Provide expert consultation to People Partners and business leaders on employee relations risks, employment law considerations, corrective action, and decision‑making.
• Drive excellence in ER documentation and case management, ensuring accurate, consistent, and defensible records across all cases; maintain clear rationales for findings, actions, and outcomes.
• Analyze ER data, complaint trends, and investigation outcomes to identify root causes, systemic issues, and emerging risks, and recommend preventative or scalable solutions.
• Partner with People Partners to coach managers and leaders on effective conflict resolution, performance management, employee communications, and early intervention strategies.
• Collaborate closely with Legal, People Operations, Compliance, and Benefits to ensure equitable outcomes, alignment on policy interpretation, and consistency across the organization.
• Ensure employee relations programs and policies comply with federal, state, and local employment laws, and partner with Legal and Compliance to update policies, guidance, and training based on evolving legislation or workplace trends.
• Review and update employee handbook policies to ensure compliance with federal, state and local employment laws (e.g., EEO, FMLA, ADA, etc.).
• Manage the severance program; ensuring guidelines and policies are up to date.
• Oversee compliance externally with regulatory requirements (state reporting).
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of ER frameworks, investigation tools, training, and manager resources to strengthen organizational health and trust.

To thrive in this role, you have:

• 8+ years in employee relations or HR business partnering, with increasing responsibility in complex, high‑growth or matrixed environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Deep expertise in employment law and HR compliance.
• Strong investigation, mediation, and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Proven ability to influence at senior levels and drive cross‑functional alignment.
• Data‑driven mindset for identifying ER trends and solutions.
• Proven ability to use sound judgment to address multifaceted organizational challenges.

#LI‑Hybrid #LI‑MM1

At Chime, we believe that everyone can achieve financial progress. We created Chime—a financial technology company, not a bank*—on the premise that core banking services should be helpful, easy, and free. Through our user‑friendly tools and intuitive platforms, we empower our members to take control of their finances and work towards their goals. Whether it's starting a savings account, purchasing a first car or home, launching a business, or pursuing higher education, we're proud to have helped millions unlock their financial potential.

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