Director, Employee Relations, Human Resources

Director, Employee Relations, Human Resources

Reporting to the Executive Director of Employee Relations and Learning and Development, the Employee Relations Director will oversee the policies, procedures, and programs of the Employee Relations team, developing and improving programs related to employee performance, assistance, and engagement. The incumbent has the primary responsibility for employee relations and staff performance management, in accordance with Wake Forest’s mission, values, and goals.

• Provides leadership and support to the Employee Relations team.
• Counsels employees, managers, and leaders on concerns related to applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws including Title VII, Fair Labor Standards Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other similar federal and state laws.
• Communicates with faculty and staff regarding employee relations concerns; provides guidance and recommendations for resolution of issues.
• Investigates workplace issues, supports disciplinary actions, and manages employee and applicant appeals and grievances. Provides guidance and recommendations to departmental leaders and individuals.
• Mitigates risk to the University by applying consistent and appropriate employment practices. Evaluates and makes decisions on background screening results, unemployment inquiries, employment verifications. Evaluates and applies management plans for potential Conflicts of Interest.
• Designs and maintains general employment policies.
• Assists managers in understanding and implementing departmental policies related to performance, discipline, and related topics.
• Evaluates exit data and offers solutions to assist with retention and reduce turnover.
• Suggests learning and development opportunities to managers.
• Coaches managers on principles and techniques for becoming more effective leaders.
• Conducts and/or designs supervisor training covering employment laws, performance management, and related policies, procedures and best practices.
• Provides guidance in developing objective performance evaluations and practices; will be responsible for implementing best practice performance management practices, to include designing appropriate Workday functionality in partnership with HRIS.
• Responsible for maintaining, troubleshooting, and testing Workday Performance Management business processes in partnership with the HRIS team.
• Coaches managers on appropriate steps for performance appraisals, corrective actions, terminations, EAP referrals, reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. Provides guidance related to proper language, detail, and tone.
• Ensures consistency between individual pay and individual performance.
• Assists leaders in assessing the need for workforce reductions, departmental reorganizations, and position eliminations. Advises managers on organizational design issues.
• Collaborates with the General Counsel’s Office, Office of Institutional Equity, Compliance Office, Audit Office, CARE team, BIAS incident reporting team, Threat Assessment team, and Employee Assistance Program affiliates.
• May serve as Human Resources liaison to the CARE, Threat Assessment, or other emergency management teams.
• Responsible for managing and forecasting the budget for the Employee Relations team.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field; at least five years of related experience, including three years of management/leadership experience.
• Thorough understanding of how to utilize policy and procedure to drive strong ER practice.
• Practical knowledge of current employment laws and regulations.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with employees, managers, academic and administrative leaders, and other stakeholders. Strong customer service orientation.
• Ability to analyze complex issues and make sound objective judgments.
• Ability to use independent judgment to make appropriate decisions on employment matters.
• Ability to develop excellent working relationships and establish personal credibility with individuals at every level of…