Senior Employee Relations Partner

Relativity

Phoenix (AZ)

Hybrid

USD 112,000 - 168,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Relativity is seeking an experienced Senior Employee Relations Specialist to lead complex ER investigations end-to-end and drive equity across the organization. You will partner with Legal, HRBPs, and leadership to resolve issues swiftly while strengthening the culture as we scale.

The role requires 5+ years in HR with at least 3 years in Employee Relations or HR compliance, strong knowledge of multi-state law, and superb documentation.

Qualifications

5+ years of progressive HR experience with at least 3 years in Employee Relations or HR compliance
Experience leading workplace investigations from intake through resolution
Knowledge of multi-state employment law and regulatory requirements
Ability to manage high-risk, sensitive cases with discretion
Strong written communication and documentation skills

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end employee relations investigations and provide legally defensible findings and recommendations
Advise on high-risk performance and disciplinary processes with structured, documented frameworks
Partner with Legal to manage risk, escalation thresholds, and compliance
Ensure consistent ER policies and processes across regions and cultures
Coach managers on feedback delivery, documentation, and difficult conversations
Analyze ER data to identify patterns and drive improvements to playbooks and workflows
Provide real-time ER case consultation to HRBPs and leadership

Skills

Employee Relations

HR strategy

Leadership

Recruiting

Workforce planning

Policy interpretation

Investigation management

Disciplinary actions

Communication

Consulting

Tools

Workday

HR policies

Job description

Posting Type: Remote/Hybrid

Job Overview

The Employee Relations Specialist serves as a trusted advisor and practitioner responsible for navigating complex workplace matters with sound judgment, legal fluency, and a commitment to both people and organizational health. The Senior Employee Relations Specialist (Level 6) is a senior IC expert responsible for leading complex employee relations and performance management cases end-to-end, ensuring consistent, defensible, and equitable outcomes across the organization.

This role operates as a strategic partner to Sr. HRBPs, absorbing high-risk and high-complexity ER work while enabling HRBPs to focus on business strategy, talent decisions, and organizational effectiveness.

This role partners closely with HRBPs, Legal, and senior leadership to resolve issues swiftly and fairly while strengthening the company's culture as we scale.

Employee Relations & Investigations

Lead end-to-end investigations into complex employee relations matters (e.g., misconduct, discrimination, retaliation, policy violations)
Conduct structured interviews, assess credibility, synthesize evidence, and produce clear, legally defensible findings and recommendations
Partner closely with Legal to manage risk, escalation thresholds, and compliance requirements
Ensure consistent application of policies globally, accounting for regional legal and cultural differences

Performance & Disciplinary Processes

Advise on high-risk performance cases, including PIPs, coaching plans, and involuntary separations
Ensure performance processes follow structured, documented frameworks with clear expectations, timelines, and success metrics
Support differentiation between performance vs. capability vs. organizational/system issues in partnership with HRBPs
Drive consistency in disciplinary actions and ensure fairness across managers and teams

Risk Mitigation, Compliance & Governance

Act as a subject matter expert in employment law (multi-state and global) and internal policy frameworks
Ensure rigorous documentation standards and audit readiness across all ER and performance cases
Identify and mitigate legal, reputational, and employee experience risks before escalation
Own ER case governance, including escalation pathways and decision frameworks

Manager & HRBP Advisory

Coach managers on feedback delivery and documentation
Navigating difficult conversations
When and how to elevate ER matters
Partner with Sr. HRBPs to align ER decisions with broader talent, calibration, and organizational outcomes
Provide real-time case consultation for ambiguous or sensitive situations

Insights, Trends & Systemic Improvement

Analyze ER case data to identify patterns by manager, function, or region
Identify repeat manager risk patterns, policy gaps, and organizational friction points
Drive improvements to ER playbooks, templates, and workflows

Capability Building & Enablement

Design and deliver manager education on performance management rigor, documentation standards, bias mitigation, and fair process
Build scalable tools such as templates, guides, and intake frameworks that improve quality and consistency of ER handling
Partner with HRBPs to elevate overall organizational capability in managing performance and ER proactively

Decision Rights

Recommend outcomes, risk mitigation strategies, and disciplinary actions
Own ER process integrity, case quality, and documentation standards
Escalate high‑risk decisions to HRBPs, Legal, or leadership as appropriate

Qualifications

Required

5+ years of progressive HR experience with at least 3 years in a dedicated Employee Relations or HR compliance role
Demonstrated experience leading workplace investigations independently from intake through resolution
Working knowledge of multi‑state employment law and regulatory compliance requirements
Proven ability to manage sensitive, high‑risk cases with discretion and sound judgment
Strong written communication skills – able to produce clear, legally defensible documentation

Preferred

Experience in a global SaaS, technology, or pre‑IPO company environment
Experience partnering with HRBPs in a global, matrixed organization
PHR, SPHR, SHRM‑CP, or SHRM‑SCP certification
Experience using HRIS platforms (Workday, Rippling, or similar) and case management tools

Relativity is committed to competitive, fair, and equitable compensation practices.

This position is eligible for total compensation, which includes a competitive base salary, an annual performance bonus, and long‑term incentives.

The expected salary range for this role is between $112,000 and $168,000.

The final offered salary will be based on several factors, including but not limited to the candidate's depth of experience, skill set, qualifications, and internal pay equity. Hiring at the top end of the range would not be typical, to allow for future meaningful salary growth in this position.

Required Skills