Employee & Labor Relations Specialist Senior - Day Shift

Illuminate USA; Pataskala (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Benefits

Career development

Job summary

Illuminate USA, located near Columbus, Ohio, seeks an experienced Senior Employee & Labor Relations professional to partner with associates and leaders on day-to-day relations, policy application, and fair resolution of workplace issues.

This role focuses on investigations, union interactions, and advising leaders on the Associate Handbook, CBAs, and performance management, ensuring compliance with laws and a strong employee experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• 8+ years progressive HR experience with a strong focus on employee relations.
• Experience supporting a union or labor environment and familiarity with collective bargaining agreements.
• Demonstrated experience handling complex investigations and workplace conflict resolution.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law and HR best practices.
• Proven ability to influence and coach leaders in a fast-paced, manufacturing or industrial environment.

Responsibilities

• Traversing the plant floor to connect with associates and supervisors and improve the associate experience.
• Coaching managers on real-time employee relations matters, performance, and disciplinary actions.
• Investigating and escalating policy violations with managers for timely resolution.
• Leading complex investigations into harassment, discrimination, misconduct, retaliation, and disputes.
• Advising leaders on the Associate Handbook, CBAs, and performance management to ensure fairness and consistency.
• Supporting union interactions and interpretation of CBAs and employment laws.

Skills

Employee relations

Union experience

Investigations

Employment law

Coaching leaders

Manufacturing environment

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR / Business Admin

Tools

Workday

Job description

Job Description Located in the heart of Central Ohio, Illuminate USA is transforming solar panel manufacturing from our cutting-edge facility in Pataskala. As a new standalone joint venture established by two global leaders in renewable energy, we’ve rapidly grown to over 1,500 associates and are now fully operational in our 1.1 million-square-foot factory. Our vision is to establish one of the largest solar panel manufacturing operations in the Western Hemisphere. This is an exciting time to join Illuminate USA as we continue to grow and innovate. We’re not just building solar panels—we’re building a team of dedicated, passionate associates eager to make a real impact. If you’re looking to be part of a collaborative, people-focused, and forward-thinking workplace, we want to hear from you! We offer competitive pay, comprehensive benefits, and continuous opportunities for career growth. Come join us on this journey to create a brighter, more sustainable future in the Columbus area.

The Employee & Labor Relations Specialist Senior is a key partner to both associates and leaders, helping to create a positive, respectful, and high-performing workplace. This role is highly visible on the floor and focused on building strong relationships, listening to associate concerns, and working collaboratively with leaders to find thoughtful, fair solutions. You will play an important role in supporting day-to-day employee relations, ensuring policies are applied consistently, and helping leaders navigate complex situations with confidence. Success in this role comes from being approachable, solutions-oriented, and committed to creating an environment where associates feel supported, heard, and set up to succeed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Traversing across the Plant floor, connecting with associates and supervisors to proactively enhance the associate experience
• Empowering supervisors in managing the floor by utilizing Planned Absence reports, Overtime Reports, and Daily Attendance reports for Pre-Shift Meetings and throughout the shift for staffing validation
• Coaching and support managers in real time on the floor, handling employee relations matters, including performance management, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions.
• Investigating and escalating policy violations in partnership with managers and supervisors for timely resolution
• Leading complex and sensitive investigations into allegations of harassment, discrimination, misconduct, retaliation, and workplace disputes.
• Guiding supervisor interactions with union representatives and stewards
• Answering associate questions and resolving issues on the floor at their workstations
• Serving as a primary point of contact for associates, addressing concerns, answering questions, and ensuring a positive and respectful employee experience.
• Acting as a point of contact for union representatives on associate concerns, grievances, and workplace matters.
• Advising and coaching leaders on the Associate Handbook, CBA, and performance management, corrective action, and progressive discipline, ensuring fairness, consistency, and risk mitigation.
• Supporting the unionized environment by helping leaders interpret and apply collective bargaining agreements, ensuring compliance with established processes, and maintaining consistency in practice.
• Assisting the administration and documentation of grievance processes, partnering with leadership to support timely and appropriate resolution.
• Partnering with leadership to proactively identify employee relations trends and implement solutions to improve engagement, retention, and overall workplace culture.
• Ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, company policies, and applicable labor agreements.
• Supporting key HR processes including leaves of absence and workplace accommodations.
• Facilitating training for leaders and associates on policies, workplace expectations, and employee relations best practices.
• Managing grievance cases from intake through resolution including, preparing arbitration files, and ensuring all evidence is captured and available for hearings.
• Partnering with managers, HR colleagues, and legal counsel to resolve disputes in compliance with CBAs and employment laws.
• Identifying and track grievance trends, escalating systemic issues to leadership as needed.
• Identifying employee relations risks and recommend proactive strategies to minimize future disputes.
• Monitoring changes in labor and employment law, advising leadership on necessary policy and practice updates.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience with a strong focus on employee relations
• Experience supporting a union or labor environment and familiarity with collective bargaining agreements.
• Demonstrated experience handling complex investigations and workplace conflict resolution.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law and HR best practices.
• Proven ability to influence and coach leaders in a fast-paced, manufacturing or industrial environment.
• High level of professionalism, sound judgment, and ability to handle sensitive matters with confidentiality.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• Workday experience
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
• Manufacturing or industrial experience in a high-growth environment.

Schedule Wednesday – Sunday 6am – 2pm (Monday and Tuesday off)

Illuminate USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any protected status as defined by law. Illuminate is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Illuminate USA, a new standalone joint venture established by two global leaders in renewable energy, is building one of the largest solar panel manufacturing factories in the Western Hemisphere. This 1.1 million-square-foot factory is currently in advanced stages of preparation in the Columbus, Ohio area. Illuminate USA is seeking highly motivated team members to help the company grow from startup to a full scale, industry leading manufacturer with $1B - $2B expected annual revenue and over 1,200 employees in less than two years. This will be a fast-paced and exciting time in our history as we are building something great from the ground up here in central Ohio. We offer competitive pay, benefits, and ongoing career development opportunities. Come join our collaborative, people-focused, and innovative workplace as we embark upon this unique and exciting journey!