Employee Relations Partner

New-Narrative; Tigard (OR); On-site; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

New Narrative seeks an Employee Relations Partner to serve as a strategic advisor to leaders in a nonprofit setting in the Portland area. You will oversee complex investigations, advise on performance management, accommodations, and employment law compliance while balancing employee experience with organizational risk.

You will collaborate with Legal on claims, drive organizational change, and help maintain compliant HR policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, or related field; master's preferred.
• SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification required or equivalent.
• Six+ years of progressive HR experience with employee relations and investigations.
• Experience in employment law interpretation for federal and state levels.
• Experience in nonprofit or regulated environments is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex employee relations matters and workplace investigations.
• Advise leaders on performance management and corrective action.
• Coordinate ADA, FMLA, and other leave processes and accommodations.
• Interpret employment law, develop policies, and address organizational risk.
• Support culture restoration and change management initiatives.

Skills

Consultative partnership

Employee relations

Workplace investigations

Employment law

Data-driven decision making

Emotional intelligence

Change management

Communication

Critical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Industrial Psychology, Social Work, or related field

Master's degree preferred

SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification

Job description

At New Narrative, we believe mental health care is community care. As a nonprofit organization, we partner with individuals to promote healing, housing stability, and long-term wellness through compassionate, equitable support.If you’re passionate about community impact, we invite you to join our team.Position Pay Starts at $90,000 and can go up DOEPosition Summary:The Employee Relations Partner serves as a strategic advisor to leaders across New Narrative, partnering with managers and executives to foster a high-performing, legally compliant, and trauma-informed workplace. This role leads complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, organizational consultation, performance management, accommodations, employment law compliance, and organizational change initiatives while balancing employee experience with organizational risk.Key Accountabilities:Employee Relations & Workplace Investigations: Lead complex investigations; advise leaders on corrective action, documentation, conflict resolution, and separations.Strategic Leadership Consultation: Coach leaders on performance, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, change management, and difficult conversations.Performance Management & Organizational Effectiveness: Support performance improvement, accountability, talent decisions, and organizational restructuring.Leave, Accommodations & Employment Compliance: Manage ADA interactive process, FMLA, Paid Leave Oregon, workers' compensation coordination, and return-to-work planning.Organizational Risk & Compliance: Interpret employment law, develop policy, coordinate responses to BOLI/EEOC matters, support litigation, and assess organizational risk.Workforce Analytics & Continuous Improvement: Analyze trends in employee relations, investigations, turnover, and compliance to recommend improvements.Training & Leadership Development: Develop and facilitate leadership training on employee relations, investigations, documentation, bias awareness, respectful workplaces, and legal compliance.Core Competencies:Consultative PartnershipEmployee Relations ExpertiseWorkplace InvestigationsEmployment Law (Federal & Oregon)Executive PresenceConflict ResolutionCritical ThinkingSound JudgmentEmotional IntelligenceOrganizational ConsultationChange ManagementData-Driven Decision MakingConfidentiality & Professional EthicsCommunicationProject ManagementTrauma-Informed PracticeCultural HumilityMinimum QualificationsSHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification Required (PHR/SPHR may be accepted as an equivalent, if approved).Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Industrial Psychology, Social Work, or related field required; Master's degree preferred.Minimum six (6) years of progressive Human Resources experience with significant responsibility for employee relations, workplace investigations, performance management, and employment law.Demonstrated experience conducting complex workplace investigations and advising leaders on high-risk employee matters.Experience interpreting and applying federal and Oregon employment laws.Experience in behavioral health, healthcare, nonprofit, or similarly regulated environments strongly preferred.Additional ResponsibilitiesSupport reductions in force and reorganizations.Coordinate executive-level employee relations consultations.Partner with Legal on employment claims and litigation support.Lead culture restoration efforts following significant workplace issues.Develop and maintain HR policies and best practices.Perform other related duties as assigned.All of our job openings are located in Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding metro areas.