Employee Relations Lead

Bilfinger North America; Spring (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Bilfinger North America in The Woodlands, TX, seeks an Employee Relations Lead to guide employee relations practices across U.S. entities, reporting to the VP of HR.

You will advise HR partners, operations leaders, and legal on workplace investigations, policy interpretation, and compliance matters. Based in the Texas corporate office with periodic travel, the role emphasizes confidentiality, accuracy, and proactive policy development to promote a respectful and safe work environment aligned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Labor Relations, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive human resources experience with significant responsibility for employee relations, workplace investigations, HR compliance, policy administration, and manager consultation.
• Experience supporting multi-site, field-based, industrial, construction, maintenance, engineering, manufacturing, or services environments preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. employment laws and HR compliance practices, including EEO, anti-harassment, wage and hour, leave management, disability accommodation, retaliation prevention, and employee documentation standards.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct impartial investigations, assess facts, identify risk, write clear summaries, and recommend appropriate next steps.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, implementing, and communicating HR policies, handbooks, procedures, employee communications, manager guidance, and training materials.
• Ability to advise leaders with sound judgment, discretion, consistency, and a strong understanding of both employee experience and business needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex policy and compliance topics for managers and employees.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple sensitive matters, competing priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and HR systems; experience with SuccessFactors or similar HRIS/case management tools preferred.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or workplace investigation training preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support employee relations matters across all Bilfinger North America entities in the United States, including intake, fact-gathering, documentation, investigation planning, witness interviews, findings summaries, recommended actions, and closure communications.
• Participate and support in Segment/Group investigations when required.
• Standardize employee relations practices, investigation protocols, documentation templates, escalation criteria, and case management expectations across U.S. entities.
• Provide practical guidance to HR Business Partners, managers, supervisors, and operations leaders on workplace concerns, performance issues, corrective action, policy interpretation, employee complaints, behavioral concerns, attendance matters, and conflict resolution.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, HSE, Ethics, Finance, payroll, and operational leadership on sensitive or complex employment matters to support legally compliant, fair, and business-aligned outcomes.
• Manage, review, and help maintain company policies, handbook content, HR procedures, posted notices, acknowledgement processes, documentation, and related employment documents to support consistency and compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.
• Lead or support the development and revision of policies related to employee conduct, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment, workplace expectations, leave and attendance, employee recognition, disciplinary processes, investigations, reporting obligations, and other HR-owned policy areas.
• Monitor policy implementation and identify gaps in communication, training, documentation, and manager understanding; recommend practical improvements to strengthen adoption and compliance.
• Support compliance audits and readiness activities related to HR policies, employee files, required postings, handbook acknowledgements, investigation records, training completion, and employment practices.
• Maintain confidentiality, objectivity, professionalism, and accurate records in all employee relations and compliance-related matters.
• Identify trends in employee relations activity and policy questions, prepare periodic summaries for HR leadership, and recommend preventive actions to reduce recurring issues and improve employee experience.
• Support change management, communications, and training related to new or revised HR policies and practices across Bilfinger North America.
• Promote a respectful, professional, compliant, and safety-focused workplace culture aligned with Bilfinger values and business priorities.

Skills

Employee relations

Workplace investigations

HR compliance

Policy administration

Manager coaching

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

HRIS

SuccessFactors

Job description

Bilfinger is an international industrial services provider with a vision to be the No. 1 for its customers in enhancing efficiency and sustainability within the process industry. Bilfinger’s comprehensive portfolio spans the entire value chain, from consulting & engineering to prefabrication & installation, access & insulation, and services that improve the asset performance of industrial plants.

The company operates in three geography-based segments: Western Europe, Central Europe, and International, with primary activities in Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

Its process industry customers come from markets such as chemicals & petrochemicals, energy, oil & gas, and pharma & biopharma.

With about 31,000 employees, Bilfinger upholds the highest standards of safety and quality, generating revenue of €5.4 billion in the financial year 2025. To achieve its goals, Bilfinger has identified two strategic levers: Operational Excellence to continuously improve its own efficiency and performance, and Market Expansion to strengthen customer orientation and establish Bilfinger as the partner of choice.

Employee Relations Lead

Bilfinger North America | The Woodlands, Texas Corporate Office | United States

Position Summary

The Employee Relations Lead is responsible for leading employee relations practices and supporting the development, maintenance, communication, and consistent application of company policies across all Bilfinger entities in the United States. Reporting to the Vice President, Human Resources – US and based in The Woodlands, Texas corporate office, this role serves as a trusted advisor to Human Resources, operations leadership, Legal, Compliance, HSE, and business stakeholders on employee relations matters, workplace investigations, policy interpretation, employee concerns, compliance-related employment practices, and continuous improvement of HR standards across U.S. entities.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support employee relations matters across all Bilfinger North America entities in the United States, including intake, fact-gathering, documentation, investigation planning, witness interviews, findings summaries, recommended actions, and closure communications.
• Participate and support in Segment/Group investigations when required.
• Standardize employee relations practices, investigation protocols, documentation templates, escalation criteria, and case management expectations across U.S. entities.
• Provide practical guidance to HR Business Partners, managers, supervisors, and operations leaders on workplace concerns, performance issues, corrective action, policy interpretation, employee complaints, behavioral concerns, attendance matters, and conflict resolution.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, HSE, Ethics, Finance, payroll, and operational leadership on sensitive or complex employment matters to support legally compliant, fair, and business-aligned outcomes.
• Manage, review, and help maintain company policies, handbook content, HR procedures, posted notices, acknowledgement processes, and related employment documents to support consistency and compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.
• Lead or support the development and revision of policies related to employee conduct, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment, workplace expectations, leave and attendance, employee recognition, disciplinary processes, investigations, reporting obligations, and other HR-owned policy areas.
• Monitor policy implementation and identify gaps in communication, training, documentation, and manager understanding; recommend practical improvements to strengthen adoption and compliance.
• Support compliance audits and readiness activities related to HR policies, employee files, required postings, handbook acknowledgements, investigation records, training completion, and employment practices.
• Maintain confidentiality, objectivity, professionalism, and accurate records in all employee relations and compliance-related matters.
• Identify trends in employee relations activity and policy questions, prepare periodic summaries for HR leadership, and recommend preventive actions to reduce recurring issues and improve employee experience.
• Support change management, communications, and training related to new or revised HR policies and practices across Bilfinger North America.
• Promote a respectful, professional, compliant, and safety-focused workplace culture aligned with Bilfinger values and business priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Labor Relations, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive human resources experience with significant responsibility for employee relations, workplace investigations, HR compliance, policy administration, and manager consultation.
• Experience supporting multi-site, field-based, industrial, construction, maintenance, engineering, manufacturing, or services environments preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of U.S. employment laws and HR compliance practices, including EEO, anti-harassment, wage and hour, leave management, disability accommodation, retaliation prevention, and employee documentation standards.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct impartial investigations, assess facts, identify risk, write clear summaries, and recommend appropriate next steps.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, implementing, and communicating HR policies, handbooks, procedures, employee communications, manager guidance, and training materials.
• Ability to advise leaders with sound judgment, discretion, consistency, and a strong understanding of both employee experience and business needs.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex policy and compliance topics for managers and employees.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple sensitive matters, competing priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and HR systems; experience with SuccessFactors or similar HRIS/case management tools preferred.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or workplace investigation training preferred.

Work Environment and Travel

The position is based in the The Woodlands, Texas corporate office and operates primarily in a professional office environment. The role will require periodic travel to branch offices, project sites, customer locations, or other business locations to support investigations, audits, policy implementation, employee meetings, or training. When visiting field or site-based environments, the employee must follow all applicable safety requirements, customer protocols, and site access requirements.

If you have any questions please contact Jason Alan Jaure ([e-mail]).

Bilfinger is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or other characteristics protected by law.