Employee Relations & Ethics Manager

Cox Enterprises; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 92,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

Cox Automotive is seeking an Employee Relations & Ethics Manager in Atlanta, GA, with a hybrid work arrangement. Candidates must reside in the Eastern or Central time zones or within those zones for remote work.

The role involves investigating ethics and compliance matters, advising leaders, and driving a positive employee experience across the organization. The role requires strong ER/ethics expertise, collaboration with Legal and HR, and the ability to manage multiple cases in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business management, or related field; 6+ years in employee relations or HR.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).
• Direct experience handling all aspects of employee relations including intake, review, and resolution.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted ethics, compliance, and ER SME; guide people leaders and investigate concerns.
• Perform and document investigations per ER guidelines.
• Partner with HR, Legal, and other teams to resolve inquiries and investigations in line with company values.

Skills

Microsoft Office proficiency

Experience handling employee relations

Strong communication skills

Investigations & case management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Company

Cox Automotive - USA

Job Family Group

People Solutions

Job Profile

Employee Relations Manager

Management Level

Manager - Non People Leader

Flexible Work Option

Can work remotely but need to live in the specified city, state, or region

Travel %

Yes, 15% of the time

Work Shift

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $92,300.00 - $153,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

Cox Automotive is currently looking for an Employee Relations & Ethics Manager to join our team . Atlanta, Georgia is the preferred location for this role, which follows a hybrid work arrangement. Candidates must reside within the Eastern or Central time zones of the United States. Candidates located outside of Atlanta but within the Eastern or Central time zones will be considered for remote employment.

The Role:

The Employee Relations & Ethics Manager is responsible for providing guidance, support, and recommendations on various levels of employee relations issues with a primary focus on investigating ethics and compliance matters, investigating escalated employee relations matters, auditing investigation output and work product, and tracking and identifying labor and employee relations trends to support proactive strategy and training efforts.

The Employee Relations & Ethics Manager must build strong partnerships and work closely with all levels of management, HR Business Partners, Legal and other internal teams with a goal of driving a consistent, equitable, and positive experience for our employees in line with our company values. The Manager will manage multiple issues, at times for competing stakeholders, in a fast and ever-changing environment.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a trusted ethics & compliance and employee relations subject matter expert, providing guidance on employee concerns and conduct investigations, advising/guiding people leaders, demonstrating effective listening, probing, and investigatory skills with the ability to clearly and objectively synthesize information in a timely manner.
• Perform and document investigations and all other matters according to Employee Relations team process documents and guidelines.
• Partner with the Employee Relations team, People Leaders, HR Business Partners, Legal, and other departments as needed on recommendations to resolve inquiries, concerns, and investigations in line with our company values.
• Act as a champion for compliance, helping to interpret company policies and processes, ensure consistent application, alignment with company priorities, and educate employees and other stakeholders as needed.
• Own assigned employee relations and ethics and compliance cases in our case management system and/or Ethics Hotline, documenting investigation findings according to best practices.
• Monitor employee sentiment and concerns (through employee engagement surveys and other tools) and identify trends and risks for presentation on a combined Labor & Employee Relations heatmap, dashboard, or other reporting solutions.
• Proactively identify and address areas of opportunity and improve employee engagement, as well as aid in the maintenance of a compliant workplace.
• Partner with HR business partners to champion and promote a positive and open employee relations climate, where employees are comfortable seeking guidance and receiving prompt resolution of issues.
• Assist with information gathering for legal complaints and charges.
• Conduct case audits and support the review and optimization of Sr. ERBP case investigation materials and work product.
• Contribute to the development of investigations processes and protocols designed to drive efficiency and consistency across the function.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business management, or related field, and 6 years of relevant experience in employee relations/ human resources. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master’s degree and 4 years of experience; a Ph.D. and 1 year of experience; or 10 years of experience in a related field.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Direct experience handling all aspects of employee relations matters, including intake, review, and resolution.
• Advanced knowledge of workplace investigations, labor relations, ethics and compliance requirements, and state and federal employment laws.
• Ability to think, understand, and communicate at all employee levels (exempt, non-exempt, corporate, field) when resolving issues.
• Exceptional coaching, facilitation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong influencing skills with the ability to advise HR Business Partners and all levels of management on recommendations for resolving employee concerns and issues.
• Experience working with or advising executive leadership.
• Ability to work independently and with a sense of urgency and prioritization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Capable of applying sound judgement and discretion when handling sensitive information.
• Ability to collect, understand, interpret, and share data.
• Ability to travel up to 15% of the time, as needed, for investigations.
• For candidates located outside of Atlanta, ability to work successfully in a fully remote environment, with periodic travel as required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PHR/SPHR or SHRM-CP/SCP.
• Experience with Service Now or other web-based case management systems.
• Experience with AI tools such as Claude or Microsoft Copilot.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.

EOE, including disability/vets

Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.