Employee Relations and Engagement Specialist

UT-Battelle; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

UT-Battelle seeks an Employee Relations and Engagement Specialist for ORNL in Oak Ridge, TN. You will manage case intake, investigations, and engagement initiatives, partnering with HR Business Partners, Legal, and leaders to ensure fair, data-informed decisions.

The role emphasizes confidentiality, proactive engagement, and alignment with ORNL's values while advancing employee experience and compliance across the organization.

Qualifications

• BS/BA in HR, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Communications, Psychology, or related field with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience advising managers on employee relations, including performance concerns, conduct issues, policy interpretation, accommodations, and workplace concerns.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and producing clear, fact-based documentation, summaries, and recommendations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience using HR systems, shared drives, and reporting tools.

Responsibilities

• Manage intake, tracking, investigations, facilitated discussions, and mediation-related activities.
• Assess matters, identify risks, and recommend practical, consistent actions.
• Develop investigation plans, conduct interviews, review docs, evaluate findings, and prepare reports and recommendations.
• Maintain confidential case records, timelines, status updates, and dashboards.
• Partner with HR Partners, Legal, and senior leaders on complex workplace matters.
• Document and improve Employee Relations processes, templates, and tools.
• Identify trends from case data and feedback to inform engagement strategies.

Skills

Employee relations

Case management

Investigation coordination

Stakeholder collaboration

MS Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/related field

Tools

HR systems

Case management systems

Reporting tools

Job description

Overview

The Employee Relations and Engagement Specialist provides guidance, and operational support across a broad range of employee relations and engagement matters within the Employee Relations Division of the Human Resources Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Requisition Id 17080

This role manages case intake and tracking, documentation, reporting, facilitated discussions, organizational engagement, learning experience coordination, and cross-functional collaboration. The role will work closely with the HR Business Partners, managers, Office of General Counsel, Employee Concerns, and other stakeholders to establish processes, promote consistency, timely follow-up, and data-informed decision making that support positive employe-employer relations.

The successful candidate will use sound judgment, analytical skills, and knowledge of employment practices to support fair and consistent decision-making, identify trends, strengthen manager support, and help connect employee relations insights to proactive organizational engagement and employee experience alignment.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

• Support and coordinate accommodation requests and employee relations intake, documentation, tracking, follow-up, investigations, facilitated discussions, mediation-related activities, coaching conversations, and other early intervention efforts.
• Assess employee relations matters, identify organizational and compliance risks, and recommend practical, consistent, and well-documented courses of action.
• Develop investigation plans, conduct interviews, review relevant documentation, evaluate findings, and prepare clear, objective reports, recommendations, and case summaries.
• Maintain accurate, confidential, and timely case records, timelines, status updates, outcome records, documentation packets, trackers, dashboards, reports, and other case-management tools.
• Partner with HR Business Partners, Legal, Senior Leaders, and other stakeholders to address complex, sensitive, or cross-functional workplace matters.
• Document, standardize, and continuously improve Employee Relations processes, workflows, checklists, intake tools, templates, procedures, engagement programs, and tracking practices.
• Identify employee relations trends, recurring workplace issues, engagement themes, training needs, manager support needs, and prevention opportunities through case data, employee feedback, and applicable workforce metrics.
• Support the design, administration, analysis, and follow-up of employee engagement surveys, pulse surveys, focus groups, listening sessions, and related feedback mechanisms.
• Translate employee feedback, case trends, and workforce data into actionable insights, recommendations, presentations, tools, and organizational solutions.
• Build trusted relationships while maintaining professional independence, appropriate boundaries, confidentiality, and consistent treatment of employees.
• Stay informed of developments in employment law, employee relations practices, workplace investigations, and employee engagement strategies.
• Foster a respectful workplace by aligning work, behaviors, and interactions with ORNL’s core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service.
• Ability to build trusted relationships while maintaining professional independence, appropriate boundaries, and confidentiality.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications

• BS/BA degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Communications, Psychology, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or a related field and a minimum of five years relevant experience.
• Experience advising or supporting managers on employee relations matters, including performance concerns, conduct issues, conflict resolution, policy interpretation, accommodations, and workplace concerns.
• Experience conducting or supporting workplace investigations and preparing clear, fact-based documentation, summaries, and recommendations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and experience using shared drives, spreadsheets, tracking tools, case management systems, HR systems, or reporting tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS/MA degree in Human Resources, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Employment Law, or a related field.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or an employee relations, workplace investigations, or mediation-related credential.
• Experience supporting employee engagement surveys, pulse surveys, organizational assessments, focus groups, listening sessions, facilitated discussions, action planning, or manager training programs.
• Experience developing or improving employee relations processes, templates, case-management tools, dashboards, training materials, or engagement programs.
• Experience working in a large, complex, matrixed, regulated, scientific, technical, research, higher education, federal-contractor, government-related, or mission-driven environment.
• Knowledge of federal-contractor requirements and employment-related compliance obligations.

Special Requirements

• This position requires access to sensitive and confidential employee information. The selected candidate must demonstrate the highest standards of discretion, integrity, confidentiality, and professional judgment.
• Occasional work outside normal business hours may be required to address time-sensitive matters.
• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain an HSPD-12 PIV badge.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

About ORNL

For employment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), a Real ID compliant form of identification will be required. Additionally, ORNL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as mandated by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which requires a favorable post-employment background investigation. To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete and pass a Federal Tier 1 background check investigation. This investigation includes a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last year. This includes marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well‑being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.