Director, Employee Relations

Job Title: Director, Employee Relations

Department: Human Resources

Location: Unity Hospital

Hours Per Week: 40

Schedule: Monday- Friday 8am - 4:30pm

SUMMARY:

 The position is responsible for establishing and developing trusted relationships with the HR Strategy and Operations team, Labor Relations, Centers for Excellence, leadership, and legal.

The role leads a team consisting of Employee Relations Partners and Managers for their assigned area, including training, best practices, consultation and guidance to management leadership, and team members on a variety of issues, such as performance management, and policy interpretation, as well as conducts team member investigations, and recommends appropriate actions.

The role a deep understanding of employment law, and has strong influencing and mediation skills and ensures compliance with all applicable policies, laws, and regulations, and promotes treatment of team members in a fair, respectful, and consistent manner aligned within the framework of our core business values and objectives.

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Independently conducts and oversees investigations of highly complex and sensitive HR issues, including conducting claimant, witness, and accused team member interviews; analyzing data from various internal systems; composing investigation reports.

• Proposes remedial action based on investigation findings, recommending appropriate actions to correct concerns based on assessing risks and minimizing liability.

• Provides oversight to their Employee Relations Team in conducting team member relations investigations, reviews and approves investigation and recommendations completed by the Employee Relations Partner/Manager.

• Analyzes employee relations trends to produce strategic, proactive recommendations to HR and the business to proactively address and mitigate systemic issues.

• Provides coaching to departmental leadership in carrying out their responsibilities on team member relations matters.

• Fosters a positive work environment facilitating discussions or providing consistent advice.

• Escalates issues and matters to Vice President of Employee and Labor Relations with recommendations as appropriate.

• Applies a continuous improvement mindset across the Employee Relations Partner function to identify and implement change.

• Leads projects and programs of work as assigned that may include maintaining entity specific or system-wide policies at regular intervals, legal case management, prepares data from internal systems and creates presentations and reports on hot topics or trends.

• Establishes reporting for various data sources related to ER metrics and review to assess where action can be taken to simplify or streamline a process, train managers, etc.

• Serves as a subject management expert on employment laws and appropriately applies information to team member relation matters.

• Supports other internal projects/initiatives as needed.

• Keeps up to date on regulation changes and communicates and implements within the team as appropriate.

• Coaches, mentors, and trains others as subject matter expert.

• Just Culture Champion and Trainer

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• For those hired on or after 7/1/2026, Bachelor’s Degree required, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources preferred.

• Five years of progressive experience in Human Resources, which includes at least two years of employee relations, labor relations and/or employee investigations experience

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• PHR/SPHR or a similarly recognized certification related to Human Resources

• Knowledge of employment law and experience with progressive employment best practices

• Just Culture Champion trained

EDUCATION:

LICENSES / CERTIFICATIONS: 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

For disease specific care programs refer to the program specific requirements of the department for further specifications on experience and educational expectations, including continuing education requirements.

Any physical requirements reported by a prospective employee and/or employee’s physician or delegate will be considered for accommodations.

PAY RANGE:

The listed base pay range is a good faith representation of current potential base pay for a successful full time applicant. It may be modified in the future and eligible for additional pay components. Pay is determined by factors including experience, relevant qualifications, specialty, internal equity, location, and contracts.

Rochester Regional Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, marital or familial status, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.