Employee Relations Director - Consulting & Professional Services

Vizient, Inc.; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 118,000 - 206,000; Full time

Job summary

Vizient, Inc. seeks a strategic leader to captain the enterprise Employee Relations function, partnering with executive leadership, HR business partners, and Legal to balance employee advocacy with organizational risk.

You will drive ER strategy, investigations, workforce transitions, and analytics while developing a high-performing ER team and advancing accountability, respect, and performance across the organization.

Qualifications

• Requires strong understanding of federal and state employment laws.
• Experience leading enterprise Employee Relations programs and consulting on complex matters.
• Proven ability to manage complex investigations and risk mitigation.
• Willingness to travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the enterprise Employee Relations strategy aligned with organizational objectives and risk management priorities.
• Lead ER programs, policies, processes, service standards, metrics, and continuous improvement.
• Advise executive leadership, HRBPs, Legal, and leaders on complex ER matters and risk.
• Coach leaders on performance management, conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and tough conversations.
• Develop and mentor ER professionals while driving operational excellence and analytics.
• Oversee complex workplace investigations and ensure objective, timely, and compliant outcomes.
• Collaborate with Legal on matters with potential litigation or regulatory implications.
• Lead ER support during restructures, workforce reductions, M&A, and business transformations.
• Advise on severance, ADEA compliance, decisional unit analysis, and communication strategies.
• Implement ER governance, documentation standards, and data-driven reporting.
• Analyze ER trends and workforce data to develop executive insights and interventions.

Job description

When you're the best, we're the best. We instill an environment where employees feel engaged, satisfied and able to contribute their unique skills and talents while living and working as their authentic selves. We provide extensive opportunities for personal and professional development, building both employee competence and organizational capability to fuel exceptional performance through an inclusive environment both now and in the future.

Summary:

In this role, you will provide strategic leadership for the enterprise Employee Relations function, ensuring a consistent, legally compliant, and business-focused approach to employee relations matters. You will serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, Human Resources Business Partners, Legal, and people leaders while balancing employee advocacy, organizational risk, and business objectives. You will lead Employee Relations strategy, complex workplace investigations, workforce transitions, policies and compliance, leader education, technology, and analytics while developing a high-performing Employee Relations team and advancing a culture of accountability, respect, and performance.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute the enterprise Employee Relations strategy aligned with organizational objectives, culture, employee experience, and risk management priorities.
• Lead Employee Relations programs, policies, processes, service standards, operating metrics, and continuous improvement initiatives to promote consistent and effective practices across the enterprise.
• Advise executive leadership, Human Resources Business Partners, Legal, and people leaders on complex and sensitive employee relations matters, organizational risk, and appropriate resolution strategies.
• Coach leaders on performance management, corrective action, performance improvement plans, conflict resolution, difficult employee conversations, involuntary terminations, and leadership effectiveness.
• Lead, develop, mentor, and coach Employee Relations professionals while fostering professional growth, consultative capability, operational excellence, and a proactive approach to Employee Relations.
• Oversee and conduct complex workplace investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, workplace misconduct, and policy violations while ensuring objective, thorough, timely, and consistent practices.
• Review investigation findings, documentation, and recommendations to promote quality, consistency, sound decision-making, and appropriate risk mitigation, partnering with Legal on matters with potential litigation or regulatory implications.
• Lead Employee Relations support for organizational restructures, workforce reductions, mergers, acquisitions, and other business transformations in partnership with Human Resources Business Partners, Legal, and business leadership.
• Advise on reduction-in-force planning, ADEA compliance, decisional unit analysis, selection documentation, severance practices, and communication strategies to support effective workforce transitions and mitigate organizational risk.
• Manage Employee Relations policies, procedures, guidelines, and governance practices to promote consistent interpretation and application while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Partner and collaborate with Legal and HR Business Partners on Employee Relations issues and policies.
• Develop and deliver Employee Relations education for people leaders and Human Resources Business Partners focused on performance management, documentation, workplace investigations, difficult conversations, conflict resolution, and consistent leadership practices.
• Oversee Employee Relations case management technology, data integrity, reporting accuracy, documentation standards, and system adoption while identifying opportunities to leverage automation and artificial intelligence to improve operations and service delivery.
• Establish documentation and case management standards for investigations, coaching, performance improvement plans, corrective actions, warnings, and involuntary terminations to promote consistency and quality.
• Analyze Employee Relations trends, investigation outcomes, corrective actions, turnover, employee feedback, and other workforce data to develop executive-level insights, identify organizational risks, and recommend targeted or enterprise-wide interventions.

Qualifications:

• Relevant degree preferred.
• 7 or more years of relevant experience required.
• Demonstrated Employee Relations experience, including leadership of enterprise programs and consultation on complex and sensitive employment matters.
• Experience advising executive leaders and coaching people leaders on performance management, workplace conflict, corrective action, and other complex Employee Relations matters.
• Demonstrated experience conducting and overseeing complex workplace investigations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, misconduct, and policy violations.
• Experience supporting organizational restructures, workforce reductions, mergers, acquisitions, or other significant business transformations.
• Knowledge of workforce reduction processes, including, including ADEA compliance, decisional unit analysis, selection documentation, severance practices, and related risk considerations.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws and regulations, including Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FMLA, FLSA, PWFA, and NLRA.
• Experience partnering with internal and external employment counsel on investigations, employment matters, and organizational risk.
• Experience supporting a large, geographically dispersed organization with approximately 5,000 or more employees preferred.
• Experience with Employee Relations case management technology, workforce analytics, executive dashboards, and data-driven decision-making; HR Acuity and Workday experience preferred.
• Experience implementing Employee Relations technology, artificial intelligence, automation, or other process improvements preferred.
• Strong strategic leadership, executive communication, consultative, conflict resolution, risk assessment, judgment, and relationship-building skills.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or similar professional certification preferred.
• Willingness to travel.

Estimated Hiring Range:

At Vizient, we consider skills, experience, and organizational needs in our compensation approach. Geographic factors may adjust the range estimate and hires typically fall below the top range. Compensation decisions are tailored to individual circumstances. The current salary range for this role is $117,600.00 to $206,000.00.

This position is also incentive eligible.

Vizient has a comprehensive benefits plan! Please view our benefits here:

http://www.vizientinc.com/about-us/careers

Equal Opportunity Employer: Females/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The Company is committed to equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, gender identity, ethnicity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, disability status, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.