Director Employee Relations & HR Compliance

Alliant Credit Union; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 168,000 - 288,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

Work from home up to 3 days a week

Paid parental leave

Employee discount programs

Time off including paid personal and S

11 paid holidays

Education reimbursement

Job summary

Alliant Credit Union is seeking a seasoned employment law and HR compliance leader to guide day-to-day employment law guidance, ER governance, and policy interpretation across the enterprise. You will partner with the legal function, manage investigations, risk assessment, and compliance programs, and coach HRBPs and leaders on difficult conversations and high-risk actions.

This role oversees policy lifecycle, templates, training, and audits, with external counsel engagement for executive

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Admin, Labor Relations, Employment Relations or related
• Graduate degree preferred in HR, Business Admin, Labor Relations, Employment Relations or related
• Minimum 8 years in employment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance (in-house HR, in-house counsel, or law firm with client advisory exposure)
• Minimum 3 years of people management
• In lieu of education, 12 years of employment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance including people management

Responsibilities

• Serve as the first-line advisor to HRBPs and leaders on employment law questions across the employee lifecycle
• Assess risk, recommend options, and document rationale to support defensible outcomes
• Define escalation triggers and protocols with legal; engage outside counsel selectively for executive-level, novel, or high-risk matters
• Maintain templates, playbooks, and decision guides to standardize responses and reduce variability
• Provide strategic oversight of ER investigations, findings, and recommended actions
• Coach HRBPs and leaders on difficult conversations, ER strategy, and risk-aware decision-making
• Own HR compliance oversight and translate changes into HR practices, training, and policy updates
• Develop an annual compliance calendar, policy refreshes, postings, training, and periodic reviews
• Lead compliance reviews and audits and drive remediation
• Track and report key compliance risks to the CHRO and partner with legal on enterprise risks

Skills

Employment law

HR compliance

Policy interpretation

Risk assessment

Employee relations

Coaching leaders

Investigations

External counsel coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Graduate degree in HR or related field

Job description

Owner for day-to-day employment law guidance, ER governance, HR compliance oversight, and HR policy strategy/interpretation. Partner with the legal function to ensure Alliant’s employment practices are legally sound, consistent, and defensible, while enabling timely, practical decisions for leaders and HR. Work with outside counsel for executive-level, novel, or high-risk matters, with routine work handled in-house to improve speed, consistency, and cost predictability.

• Serve as the first-line advisor to HRBPs and leaders on employment law questions across the employee lifecycle (performance management, accommodations, investigations, discipline, separations, restructures)
• Assess risk, recommend options, and document rationale to support defensible outcomes
• Define and maintain escalation triggers and protocols with legal, engage outside counsel selectively for executive-level, novel, or high-risk matters
• Maintain a practical library of templates, playbooks, and decision guides to standardize responses and reduce variability
• Provide strategic oversight of ER investigations, findings, and recommended actions, ensure consistent standards and documentation
• Coach HRBPs and leaders on difficult conversations, ER strategy, and risk-aware decision-making. Approve or review higher-risk actions such as terminations, final warnings, sensitive leader cases before execution
• Partner with HR Shared Services and HR Tech to ensure ER documentation and workflows are controlled and auditable where appropriate
• Own HR compliance oversight (federal, state, and local employment requirements) and translate changes into HR practices, training, and policy updates
• Develop an annual compliance calendar, policy refreshes, required postings/notifications, training, and periodic reviews
• Lead targeted compliance reviews and audits such as personnel file practices, retention, accommodations process, separation documentation and drive remediation
• Track and report key compliance risks and themes to the CHRO and partner with legal on enterprise-level risk topics
• Own the HR policy lifecycle, intake, drafting, updates, approvals, and rollout guidance. Provide authoritative interpretation of policies and ensure consistent application across HRBPs and leaders
• Partner with internal communications to ensure policies are communicated clearly and adoption is reinforced
• Reduce policy ambiguity by simplifying language and creating manager toolkits/FAQs for high-friction policies
• Build ER and compliance capability across HR, training, office hours, case reviews, templates, and coaching
• Plan, oversee and lead the work of the team to meet functional and individual operational objectives and goals. Coach, mentor, and develop staff, including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities.

Education &Years of Experience

• Minimum - 4 Year Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, Business Admin, Labor Relations, Employment Relations or related
• Preferred - Graduate Degree in Human Resources, Business Admin, Labor Relations, Employment Relations or related
• Minimum - 8 Years ofEmployment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance (in-house HR, in-house counsel, or law firm employment practice with client advisory exposure) or related
• Preferred - 10 Years ofEmployment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance (in-house HR, in-house counsel, or law firm employment practice with client advisory exposure) or related
• Minimum - 3 Years of People management

In Lieu of Education

• 12 Years ofEmployment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance (in-house HR, in-house counsel, or law firm employment practice with client advisory exposure) including people management

License/Certifications/Training

• Preferred - SHRM-SCP (Society for Human Resource Management)
• Preferred - SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources)

Typical hiring range:‏‏‎ ‎ $167,700.00 to $287,500.00‎ Annually. Actual compensation will be determined using factors such as experience, skills & knowledge.

‎Benefits: Alliant provides a benefits package including health care, vision, dental, and 401k with employer match including:

• Annual performance bonus
• Work from home up to 3 days a week
• Paid parental leave
• Employee discount programs
• Time off including paid personal and sick days
• 11 paid holidays

Note that eligibility and cost of benefits can vary depending on the number of regularly scheduled hours, and job status such as regular full-time, regular part-time, or temporary employment.

Adhere to and ensure compliance of all business transactions with policy and process of the Bank Secrecy Act. Ensures compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, company procedures and policies. Maintains integrity and ethics in all actions and conversations with or regarding credit union members and their accounts; complies with Privacy Act directives.

The responsibilities listed do not contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Owner for day-to-day employment law guidance, ER governance, HR compliance oversight, and HR policy strategy/interpretation. Partner with the legal function to ensure Alliant’s employment practices are legally sound, consistent, and defensible, while enabling timely, practical decisions for leaders and HR. Work with outside counsel for executive-level, novel, or high-risk matters, with routine work handled in-house to improve speed, consistency, and cost predictability.

Essential Responsibilities

• Serve as the first-line advisor to HRBPs and leaders on employment law questions across the employee lifecycle (performance management, accommodations, investigations, discipline, separations, restructures)
• Assess risk, recommend options, and document rationale to support defensible outcomes
• Define and maintain escalation triggers and protocols with legal, engage outside counsel selectively for executive-level, novel, or high-risk matters
• Maintain a practical library of templates, playbooks, and decision guides to standardize responses and reduce variability
• Provide strategic oversight of ER investigations, findings, and recommended actions, ensure consistent standards and documentation
• Coach HRBPs and leaders on difficult conversations, ER strategy, and risk-aware decision-making. Approve or review higher-risk actions such as terminations, final warnings, sensitive leader cases before execution
• Partner with HR Shared Services and HR Tech to ensure ER documentation and workflows are controlled and auditable where appropriate
• Own HR compliance oversight (federal, state, and local employment requirements) and translate changes into HR practices, training, and policy updates
• Develop an annual compliance calendar, policy refreshes, required postings/notifications, training, and periodic reviews
• Lead targeted compliance reviews and audits such as personnel file practices, retention, accommodations process, separation documentation and drive remediation
• Track and report key compliance risks and themes to the CHRO and partner with legal on enterprise-level risk topics
• Own the HR policy lifecycle, intake, drafting, updates, approvals, and rollout guidance. Provide authoritative interpretation of policies and ensure consistent application across HRBPs and leaders
• Partner with internal communications to ensure policies are communicated clearly and adoption is reinforced
• Reduce policy ambiguity by simplifying language and creating manager toolkits/FAQs for high-friction policies
• Build ER and compliance capability across HR, training, office hours, case reviews, templates, and coaching
• Plan, oversee and lead the work of the team to meet functional and individual operational objectives and goals. Coach, mentor, and develop staff, including overseeing new employee onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities.

Education &Years of Experience

• Minimum - 4 Year Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, Business Admin, Labor Relations, Employment Relations or related
• Preferred - Graduate Degree in Human Resources, Business Admin, Labor Relations, Employment Relations or related
• Minimum - 8 Years ofEmployment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance (in-house HR, in-house counsel, or law firm employment practice with client advisory exposure) or related
• Preferred - 10 Years ofEmployment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance (in-house HR, in-house counsel, or law firm employment practice with client advisory exposure) or related
• Minimum - 3 Years of People management

In Lieu of Education

• 12 Years ofEmployment law, employee relations, and/or HR compliance (in-house HR, in-house counsel, or law firm employment practice with client advisory exposure) including people management

License/Certifications/Training

• Preferred - SHRM-SCP (Society for Human Resource Management)
• Preferred - SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources)

Compensation & Benefits:

Typical hiring range:‏‏‎ ‎ $167,700.00 to $287,500.00‎ Annually. Actual compensation will be determined using factors such as experience, skills & knowledge.

‎Benefits: Alliant provides a benefits package including health care, vision, dental, and 401k with employer match including:

• Annual performance bonus
• Work from home up to 3 days a week
• Paid parental leave
• Employee discount programs
• Time off including paid personal and sick days
• 11 paid holidays
• Education reimbursement

Note that eligibility and cost of benefits can vary depending on the number of regularly scheduled hours, and job status such as regular full-time, regular part-time, or temporary employment.

Adhere to and ensure compliance of all business transactions with policy and process of the Bank Secrecy Act. Ensures compliance with all applicable state and federal laws, company procedures and policies. Maintains integrity and ethics in all actions and conversations with or regarding credit union members and their accounts; complies with Privacy Act directives.

The responsibilities listed do not contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.