Employee Relations Trainee (Administration and Management Trainee)

Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania; Harrisburg (Dauphin County); Hybrid; USD 47,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is offering a structured Employee Relations Trainee program in the HR Office for General Government. The role provides hands-on experience with workplace concerns, investigations, and processing of various appeals while working with a team dedicated to fair employment practices.

You will learn to apply contracts and local agreements, support civil service appeals, and gain exposure to employee relations processes across nineteen agencies.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: bachelor’s degree with 15 credits in public administration, business administration, or a closely related field, or an equivalent combination of experience and training with those credits.

Responsibilities

• Case Review: Examine grievances and related information to support consistent responses.
• Information Gathering: Collect facts needed for investigations and analyses.
• Appeal Support: Assist agency attorneys with Civil Service appeals, HR Commission complaints, and EEOC complaints.
• Contract Application: Learn how to apply provisions of contracts, memoranda of understanding, side letters, and local agreements.
• Agreement Assistance: Help review or develop proposed Local Agreements for offices, boards, councils, or commissions.

Education

Bachelor's degree with 15 credits in public administration, business administration, or related field

Equivalent combination of experience and training with 15 credits in public administration, business administration, or related field

Job description

Salary

$46,827.00 - $70,592.00 Annually

Location

Dauphin County, PA

Job Type

Civil Service Permanent Full-Time

Job Number

CS-2026-58743-08010

Department

Executive Offices

Division

EX OA HROO GG ERWS

Opening Date

09/15/2026

Closing Date

9/28/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Job Code

08010

Position Number

50693943

Union

Non Union

Bargaining Unit

A3

Pay Group

ST05

Bureau / Division Code

00813407

Bureau / Division

HR Office for General Government - Employee Relations & Workforce Support Division

Worksite Address

613 North Street

City

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Zip Code

17120

Contact Name

Emily Shapard

Contact Phone

717.705.5653

Contact Email

[e-mail]

THE POSITION

Are you looking for an on-the-job training program where you can learn about Commonwealth employee relations processes and procedures? If so, take advantage of this opportunity to grow in your career with the Human Resource (HR) Office for General Government. This position gives you a chance to experience the satisfaction of public service while working with a team of professionals dedicated to efficiently delivering services to nineteen diverse agencies. Join us to gain a strong understanding of HR principles used to provide essential employee relations support!

DESCRIPTION OF WORK

This role provides training and guidance as you learn how to support workplace concerns and help maintain fair processes across the agency. You will work alongside experienced staff who guide you through investigations, reviews, and responses to various workplace matters. As an Employee Relations Trainee, you will perform the following duties:

• Case Review: Examine grievances and related information to support consistent responses
• Information Gathering: Collect facts needed for investigations and analyses
• Appeal Support: Assist agency attorneys with Civil Service appeals, Human Relations Commission complaints, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints
• Contract Application: Learn how to apply provisions of contracts, memoranda of understanding, side letters, and local agreements
• Agreement Assistance: Help review or develop proposed Local Agreements for offices, boards, councils, or commissions

Kickstart your career in human resources with the Employee Relations & Workforce Support Division!

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with 30-minute lunch.
• Telework: You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time, two days per week in office. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Harrisburg. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
• Salary:In some cases, the starting salary may be non-negotiable.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE, TRAINING & ELIGIBILITY

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Experience and Training Requirements:

• A bachelor's degree, including 15 credits in public administration, business administration, or a closely related field; or
• An equivalent combination of experience and training that includes 15 credits in public administration, business administration, or a closely related field.
• Applicants will be considered to have met the educational requirements once they are within 3 months of graduating with a qualifying degree/credit.

Other Requirements:

• You must meet the PA residency requirement. For more information on ways to meet PA residency requirements, follow the link and click on Residency Guidelines.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. *7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.htmland click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

• Completing the application, including all supplemental questions, serves as your exam for this position. No additional exam is required at a test center (also referred to as a written exam).
• Your score is based on the detailed information you provide on your application and in response to the supplemental questions.
• Your score is valid for this specific posting only.
• You must provide complete and accurate information or:
  • your score may be lower than deserved.
  • you may be disqualified.
• You may only apply/test once for this posting.
• Your results will be provided via email.