Employee Relations Director

Blue Origin; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 188,000 - 263,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company match

Paid time off and holidays

Job summary

Blue Origin is seeking a Director of Employee Relations to architect and lead a modern ER function. You will define strategy, operating model, and standards to address workplace concerns, partnering with Legal, Security, and HR Business Partners.

You will drive AI-enabled practices while preserving human judgment and ensure defensible outcomes across executive investigations. You will supervise a two-level ER team, set role clarity and coaching culture, and build data-driven insights for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, HR, or related field or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years of progressive HR/ER experience, incl. 6+ years leading ER teams.
• Experience building or transforming ER in fast-paced environments.
• Expertise in workplace investigations, including executive/multi-party matters.
• Knowledge of federal and state employment law, with NLRA awareness.
• Labor relations exposure and partnership with LR teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead a multi-year ER strategy aligned to the company's mission, growth and risk.
• Build ER operating model end-to-end: intake, triage, investigation, case management and closure standards.
• Establish service levels, KPIs, and dashboards for timeliness and quality.
• Evaluate and implement ER tech, including AI-assisted tools while preserving human judgment.
• Lead and develop a two-level ER team and define career pathways.
• Build AI fluency to reduce admin work and enhance judgment and coaching.
• Oversee complex investigations, ensuring thorough and defensible outcomes.
• Develop crisis response protocols and ER's role in high-stakes incidents.
• Translate data-driven insights into prevention strategies and policy improvements.
• Advise senior executives with clarity on ER matters; shape a culture of safety.

Skills

ER leadership

Workplace investigations

Employment law knowledge

Data-driven decisions

AI in HR

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/HR or related field

Juris Doctorate (JD)

AWI-CH / SPHR / SHRM-SCP certifications

Job description

Application close date:

Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the requisition is closed.

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We're working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight!

Build the future of work for the people building the future in space.

Blue Origin was founded on a vision of millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. Our teams are designing, building, and flying the vehicles that will make that future real. The work is hard, the stakes are high, and the people doing it deserve a workplace defined by fairness, trust, and integrity. Gradatim Ferociter: step by step, ferociously.

As part of a hardworking team of HR and Employee Relations (ER) specialists, you will architect and lead a modern, high-trust, high-rigor, AI-enabled ER function as our Director of Employee Relations. This is a builder role. You will define the strategy, operating model, and standards for how Blue Origin addresses workplace concerns, and you will lead a two-tier team of ER professionals who carry that work out with excellence every day.

You will serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders and a critical partner to Legal, Security, Labor Relations, and HR Business Partners. You will turn case data into foresight, use AI to work smarter and faster without losing the human judgment that defines great ER, help leaders make sound and defensible people decisions, and shape a culture where employees feel safe raising concerns and confident they will be handled well.

Special Mentions

• Travel expected up to 30% per quarter or as business need requires

• Relocation provided

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Design and execute a multi-year ER strategy aligned to Blue Origin's mission, growth, and risk profile
• Build the ER operating model end to end: intake, triage, risk tiering, investigation protocols, case management, quality assurance, and closure standards
• Establish service levels, KPIs, and dashboards that measure timeliness, quality, consistency, and outcomes
• Evaluate and implement ER case management technology, including responsible use of AI and analytics to strengthen insight while preserving human judgment
• Champion AI adoption across the ER lifecycle, such as intelligent intake and routing, investigation planning, interview summaries, documentation quality checks, and predictive trend analysis
• Lead, develop, and inspire a team spanning two levels
• Define role clarity, career pathways, calibration practices, and a coaching culture that builds deep investigative capability
• Build AI fluency across the team so ER professionals spend less time on administrative work and more time on judgment, coaching, and resolution
• Set a high bar for objectivity, documentation quality, and empathy in every interaction
• Oversee complex, sensitive, and executive-level investigations, ensuring thorough, timely, and defensible outcomes
• Develop crisis response protocols and lead ER's role in high-stakes incidents
• Identify enterprise-level ER risks and use data and AI-driven insights to spot emerging hotspots early and translate trends into prevention strategies, manager capability building, and policy improvements
• Own and evolve ER policies, playbooks, and manager toolkits, including AI-assisted guidance that helps managers get consistent answers faster
• Deliver training that equips leaders to address performance and conduct issues early, fairly, and confidently
• Present insights and recommendations to senior executives with clarity and influence

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, HR, or related and relevant field; or equivalent experience
• 10+ years of progressive HR and/or Employee Relations experience, including 6+ years leading ER teams and leaders of others
• Experience building, scaling, or transforming an ER function in a complex, fast-paced, or high-growth environment
• Expertise in workplace investigations, including executive and multi-party matters
• Knowledge of federal and state employment law, with working knowledge of the NLRA
• Labor relations exposure, whether in a represented environment, union campaign context, or close partnership with an LR team

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or technology
• Juris Doctorate (JD) Degree,
• Certifications/Designations: Association of Workplace Investigations (AWI-CH), or SPHR, or SHRM-SCP
• Hands-on experience implementing ER technology or deploying AI tools in HR, including change management and governance
• Familiarity with ITAR, export control, or security clearance environments
• Experience supporting a mixed workforce of engineers, technicians, and manufacturing teams
• Exceptional judgment, composure, and decisiveness in ambiguous, high-stakes situations
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and build trusted partnerships with Legal and Security
• A data-driven mindset with experience using metrics to drive decisions and prevention
• Curiosity about AI and a practical, responsible approach to applying it in sensitive people work
• Outstanding written communication and investigative documentation skills

Base Pay Range for: WA applicants is $187,923.00 - $263,092.20

Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don't meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S.as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

• Required for all positions: Blue's Standard Background Check
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation
• Required for Certain Job Profiles: Drivers who operate Commercial Motor Vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) or combination of power unit and trailer that meets or exceeds 10,001 lbs. and/or transports placardable amounts of hazardous materials by ground in any vehicle on a public road while in commerce, may be subject to additional Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations including: Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification (obtained before onboarding), Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.
• Required for certain Job Profiles: Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical

Benefits

• Benefits include: Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion. Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation. Please check with your recruiter for more details.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on "Know Your Rights," please see here.

Affirmative Action and Disability Accommodation

Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin's Affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request.