Director, Governance and Advisory Lead, ER/LR COE

The Estée Lauder Companies; New York (NY); Remote; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Estée Lauder Companies is seeking an experienced Employee Relations leader to define and evolve enterprise ER/LR standards, governance, and guidance across the organization. You will act as a trusted advisor to People Leaders and HRBPs, partnering with Legal, Total Rewards, and Compliance to ensure consistent, risk-aware policy interpretation and implementation.

You will drive tool development, governance playbooks, and continuous improvement of ER frameworks, influencing how matters are

Qualifications

• 10–12+ years of progressive HR experience with depth in ER governance, policy interpretation, and advisory work.

Responsibilities

• Lead and evolve enterprise ER/LR standards and governance frameworks across geographies and business units.
• Provide expert advisory on policy interpretation, governance alignment, and risk management.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, and HR leadership to embed global policies into governance and management systems.
• Drive development of practical tools, guidance, and standards for consistent ER/LR application.
• Coach and guide People Leaders and HRBPs to raise governance discipline and decision quality.

Skills

ER governance

Policy interpretation

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Advisory skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Job description

Description

This opportunity is posted with a location of New York, NY, however we are open to all geographies. This is an exciting opportunity within our Employee Relations COE where you will have the chance to build and influence evolved ER processes, use technology in a new way of working and consult as a ER subject matter expert within our People Function!

Strategic Leadership

• Drive and evolve enterprise ER/LR standards and governance frameworks that enable consistent decision-making, clear accountability, and scalable adoption across geographies and business units.
• Enforce enterprise-wide guardrails and escalation protocols that clarify when and how matters move between local execution and CoE-level advisory support.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to people leaders and HRBPs on complex or ambiguous people-related policy interpretation and ER/LR guidance.

Policy & Program Development

• Align the strategic approach to global people-related policy in partnership with Legal, Total Rewards, and Employee Engagement, ensuring cohesion between intent, practice, and governance.
• Drive the development of practical decision tools, guidance, and standards that support consistent and equitable application of ER/LR practices.
• Organize and embed global people-related policies into governance and management systems so that standards are accessible, understood, and operationalized.

Case Management & Risk Oversight

• Partner with Legal and Compliance to align governance guardrails, policy intent, and enterprise risk positioning, particularly in complex or precedent-setting scenarios.
• Provide expert advisory and guidance on escalated matters that require policy interpretation, governance alignment, or enterprise consistency, working in close coordination with ER/LR CoE leadership and investigation partners as needed.

Insights & Continuous Improvement

• Analyze trends and recurring themes from ER/LR cases and advisory activity to identify systemic issues, improve standards, and inform enterprise priorities.
• Continuously refine governance frameworks, playbooks, and guidance based on feedback, outcomes, and evolving business and legal needs.

Team & Stakeholder Leadership

• Build strong partnerships across People Partners, the People Experience Team, Legal, Ethics & Compliance, Total Rewards, Talent, ID&E, and business leaders to drive alignment, adoption, and consistent execution of enterprise standards.
• Model high standards of judgment, clarity, and fairness, strengthening ER/LR capability across the People function through guidance, coaching, and strong governance discipline.

Qualifications

• 10–12+ years of progressive HR experience, with significant depth in employee relations governance, policy interpretation, and advisory work in a matrixed environment.
• Demonstrated ability to define and embed enterprise standards, governance frameworks, and scalable guidance that drive consistency and adoption across diverse contexts.
• Experience partnering with Legal and cross-functional stakeholders to align policy intent, risk positioning, and practical execution.
• Strong analytical and systems thinking capability, with the ability to identify themes, anticipate downstream impacts, and translate insights into improved standards and tools.
• Exceptional judgment and discretion; ability to navigate ambiguity with confidence and integrity.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree a plus.