Employee Relations Partner

Native-American-Youth-and-Family-Center-; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) match

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Job summary

NAYA Family Center is seeking an experienced Employee Relations Partner to foster a fair, respectful, and healthy workplace. You will coach, investigate, and support performance management while maintaining confidentiality and objectivity.

The role emphasizes restorative practices and trend analysis to strengthen the organization’s culture, with a focus on Native communities and urban Native youth and families. This is a full-time position aligned with standard hours.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Communications, Conflict Resolution, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 2–4 years of progressive HR experience focused on employee relations, investigations, and conflict resolution.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and documenting findings objectively.
• Cross-cultural communication skills and ability to balance confidentiality with organizational needs.
• CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications: valid or able to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted contact for employee workplace concerns, providing confidential intake and restorative approaches to resolution.
• Conduct timely, thorough, and impartial workplace investigations; document findings and recommend actions.
• Coach supervisors through performance management, progressive discipline, and policy interpretation.
• Facilitate conflict resolution and mediation to strengthen communication and restore relationships.
• Track and analyze employee relations trends with HR Manager to identify systemic concerns and opportunities.
• Develop and support trainings related to conflict resolution and respectful workplace practices.
• Be the first point of contact for HR matters when HR Manager is unavailable.

Skills

Employee relations

Workplace investigations

Coaching

Cross-cultural communication

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related field

Tools

Paylocity

HRIS

MS Word

MS Excel

Job description

Description

NAYA Family Center is looking for an experienced and culturally responsive Employee Relations Partner to help foster a fair, respectful, and healthy workplace. Working closely with the HR Manager, you’ll serve as a trusted resource for employees and leaders navigating workplace concerns, performance challenges, conflict, and HR policies. You’ll provide confidential coaching, conduct workplace investigations, support performance management, facilitate conflict resolution and restorative practices, and help identify employee relations trends and opportunities to strengthen NAYA’s workplace culture. This is a hands‑on role for an HR professional who brings sound judgment, strong listening skills, empathy, and objectivity.

NAYA offers an exceptional benefits package, including free medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees (with affordable options for family members), a 401(k) retirement plan with a 6% match, paid vacation, and 16 paid holidays. This is a full‑time position typically working 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional evenings or weekends as needed. The salary range is $75,000–$80,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

Who You Are

• You have a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, Conflict Resolution, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, along with 2–4 years of progressive HR experience focused on employee relations, investigations, and conflict resolution.
• You have demonstrated experience conducting workplace investigations, navigating complex interpersonal conflicts, and preparing clear, objective documentation.
• You bring strong coaching, active listening, empathy, sound judgment, and cross-cultural communication skills, with the ability to balance employee support, organizational needs, confidentiality, and objectivity.
• You understand Native American history, the diversity of the local American Indian/Alaska Native community, and issues surrounding the Urban Indian experience; experience working within Native communities or organizations is strongly preferred.
• You have experience with HRIS administration, reporting, and workflow management; Paylocity experience is strongly preferred.
• You are proficient with HRIS systems, Microsoft Word and Excel, databases, email, and web-based research. SHRM or PHR certification is preferred.
• You hold, or can obtain and maintain, CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications.

What You'll Do

• Serve as a trusted point of contact for employee workplace concerns, providing confidential intake, coaching, and restorative approaches to resolution.
• Conduct timely, thorough, and impartial workplace investigations; document findings and recommend fair and equitable corrective actions.
• Coach supervisors and directors through performance management, progressive discipline, constructive feedback, policy interpretation, and other employee relations matters.
• Facilitate conflict resolution and mediation using approaches that strengthen communication, address concerns, and restore workplace relationships while maintaining appropriate HR boundaries.
• Track and analyze employee relations trends and partner with the HR Manager to identify systemic concerns and opportunities to improve organizational practices.
• Develop and support trainings related to conflict resolution, effective communication, workplace respect, and employee relations.
• Serve as the first point of contact for HR matters when the HR Manager is unavailable while maintaining confidentiality, professionalism, and a safe, respectful, culturally responsive workplace.

NAYA is committed to building a work environment that respects and inspires every community member. Our mission is to serve Urban Native youth and families, so we strongly encourage members of the Native community to apply. We encourage applications from members of other historically marginalized groups as well, including women, people of color, those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and those who have served in the military.