EMPLOYEE RELATIONS MANAGER - 09222026- 81203

State of Tennessee

Nashville (TN)

Hybrid

USD 76,000 - 94,000

Full time

2 days ago

Be an early applicant

Application generator

Don’t send a generic resume — generate a resume and cover letter tailored to this exact role.

Get past ATS filters

Job summary

The State of Tennessee is recruiting for an Employee Relations Manager in Nashville, TN at TennCare. This role leads the employee relations function, guides investigations, and partners with agency leadership to maintain a compliant, high-performing workplace.

The successful candidate will have a bachelor's degree and 5+ years in HR with at least 2 years in employee relations; a graduate degree or JD may substitute for up to two years of experience. Hybrid work arrangements are available.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and at least five years in HR with two years in employee relations.
Graduate degree may substitute for up to two years of required experience.
Four years HR experience with the State of Tennessee or a JD degree.

Responsibilities

Supervise Employee Relations staff, set performance expectations and coach.
Oversee investigations, conflict resolution, and disciplinary actions.
Advise leaders on performance concerns, actions, transfers, or terminations.
Review disciplinary requests to ensure fairness and due process.
Oversee employee relations case management and reporting.
Partner with leadership to promote compliant, effective HR processes.

Skills

Employee relations

Leadership

Coaching

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

JD or graduate HR degree substitution

Job description

State of Tennessee Job Information

Opening Date/Time 09/22/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Job Information

Opening Date/Time 09/22/2026 12:00AM Central Time

Closing Date/Time 09/28/2026 11:59PM Central Time

Salary (Monthly) $7,458.00

Salary (Annually) $89,496.00

Job Type Full-Time

City, State Location Nashville, TN

Department TennCare

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DIVISION OF TENNCARE, DAVIDSON COUNTY

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and experience equivalent to substantial (five or more years of) increasingly responsible human resources work including at least two years of employee relations work.

Substitution of Education for Experience

Additional graduate degree in human resources administration or other related acceptable field may be substituted for the required experience, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of two years.

Four years of human resources experience with the State of Tennessee.
Graduation from a school of law with a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree.

Necessary Special Qualifications

None.

Overview

The Division of TennCare is dedicated to providing our employees with a hybrid work environment. All TennCare positions have a combination of work from home and work in the office, which varies by position, department, and business need. You may review the specific expectations with our hiring team.

The Administration & Talent Management (Admin & TM) department plays a key role in the overall workforce experience and supports TennCare's strategic priority of being a great place to work.

Operationally, Administration & Talent Management is comprised of 4 units and 29 employees. The department includes Human Resources, Talent Management, Facilities, and Contractor & Asset Management.

The Employee Relations Manager reports to the Human Resources Director and provides leadership for TennCare's employee relations program by supervising assigned staff, conducting and overseeing workplace investigations, performance management, corrective and disciplinary actions, conflict resolution, and employee conduct matters. This position serves as a trusted advisor to agency leadership by providing consultation on complex employee relations issues, ensuring compliance with state and federal employment laws, and promoting consistent application of HR policies and procedures. The role partners with executive leadership, the Office of General Counsel, and internal stakeholders to resolve workplace concerns, support organizational effectiveness, and foster a respectful, high-performing work environment. Additionally, the position oversees employee relations case management, analyzes workforce trends, and identifies opportunities to improve HR processes, compliance, and service delivery.

Responsibilities

Directly supervise assigned Employee Relations staff by establishing performance expectations, providing coaching and development, reviewing workload and case assignments, and fostering a collaborative, customer-focused, high-performing work environment.
Lead and oversee employee relations programs and services, including workplace investigations, conflict resolution, corrective and disciplinary action, performance management, employee conduct, and related agency processes.
Coach, counsel, train, and advise leaders regarding employee relations matters, including performance concerns, corrective action, disciplinary recommendations, transfers, demotions, terminations, and other issues affecting job performance or workplace conduct.
Review and evaluate requests for disciplinary action, including terminations, to promote fairness, accountability, consistency, due process, and compliance with applicable state and federal law, policies, and procedures.
Oversee the investigation of employee complaints and workplace concerns; evaluate findings, identify possible courses of action, and provide recommendations and direction for resolution in consultation with leadership, the Human Resources Director, the Office of General Counsel, and other subject matter experts as appropriate.
Partner with agency leadership and internal stakeholders to prevent workplace misconduct, address concerns involving harassment or discrimination, promote respectful workplace practices, and implement employee relations best practices aligned with agency priorities.
Provide consultation and support related to performance management, performance improvement plans, employee conduct, conflict resolution, and other workforce matters that affect organizational effectiveness and employee engagement.
Maintain complete, accurate, timely, and confidential documentation of employee relations matters, investigations, disciplinary actions, complaints, and resolutions in accordance with applicable records-management requirements and best practices.
Monitor employee relations processes, case workloads, deadlines, and service standards; use the HR Portal and other business applications to manage work, maintain case notes, track actions, and support consistent and timely responses.
Develop and maintain reports, dashboards, and statistical summaries concerning employee relations activity, investigations, disciplinary actions, performance management, and other personnel-related data to support compliance, trend analysis, and informed decision-making.
Support agency compliance with applicable state and federal employment laws, regulations, required postings, and statewide human resources programs; recommend process or policy improvements when appropriate.
Coordinate or support employee survey processes, including engagement, climate, stay, and exit surveys, and assist with evaluating results and identifying opportunities for improvement.
May serve as the agency ADA Coordinator, Workers¿ Compensation Coordinator, unemployment claims representative, or other designated human resources representative, as assigned.
Use Microsoft Office, the HR Portal, and other business applications to perform daily administrative functions and communicate with customers by phone, email, Microsoft Teams, and other approved channels.