Specialist, Employee Relations, Ford Energy

Ford Motor Company; Glendale Junction (KY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ford Energy in Glendale, Kentucky seeks an experienced HR professional to partner with frontline and mid-level leaders on performance, employee relations, and engagement. You will ensure data integrity, administer local processes, and support workforce planning in a fast-growing energy business.

This role combines operational HR activities with strategic advisory, requiring collaboration across Payroll, Recruiting, and HR tech teams.

Qualifications

• Minimum bachelor's degree in HR or related field.
• Experience advising frontline leaders and resolving employee issues.
• Strong knowledge of labor laws (FMLA, ADA, FLSA, OSHA).

Responsibilities

• Consult with frontline leaders on performance management processes.
• Resolve standard employee inquiries and support investigations.
• Coach supervisors on morale, retention, and culture.
• Support local workforce planning and people processes.

Skills

Performance Management

Employee Relations

Coaching Leaders

HR Analytics

Education

Bachelor's in HR

Tools

Oracle

Workday

Job description

Ford Energy is a newly formed, wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company dedicated to accelerating U.S. energy independence. Leveraging Ford’s century of manufacturing excellence and world-class battery energy storage systems (BESS) technology, Ford Energy designs, manufactures, and services grid-scale and commercial DC battery energy storage systems (BESS). Ford Energy is uniquely positioned to capture the growing demand for reliable, US-built energy storage systems. We are not just building batteries; we are building the infrastructure for the next generation of the American grid.

Why Ford Energy?

At Ford Energy, you have the backing of an industrial manufacturing powerhouse with the agility of a dedicated energy startup offering industry leading technology. We offer a competitive compensation package including performance-based bonuses, Ford vehicle discounts, and the opportunity to shape the energy strategy of one of the world's most iconic brands. Learn more at https://fordenergy.com

Based in Glendale, Kentucky, you will balance curiosity with a strong sense of accountability to navigate ambiguous inquiries, partner across teams to resolve systemic process bottlenecks, and deliver high-quality support to employees and leaders.

In this position...

• Consult & Partner: Act as a trusted advisor to frontline and mid-level operational leaders, providing guidance on performance management, policy application, and employee engagement.
• Drive Operational Excellence: Manage day-to-day HR operations, resolve complex employee inquiries, and maintain high standards of data integrity.
• Resolve & Escalate: Run independently on standard employee relations and operational matters, while partnering with and learning from Senior Specialists on highly complex, sensitive, or high-risk escalations.

What you'll do...

HR Consultation & Frontline Advisory

• Performance Management: Guide and coach frontline leaders through the end-to-end performance management process, including coaching conversations, performance documentation, and performance improvement plans (PIPs).
• Employee Relations: Address and resolve standard employee inquiries, complaints, and conflict resolution on the shop floor. Partner with the Senior ER Specialist to support larger, high-risk investigations.
• Leader Coaching: Provide proactive coaching to supervisors and team leaders on employee morale, retention strategies, and building a positive work culture.
• Workforce Support: Support HR Business Partners (HRBPs) in executing local workforce planning, annual people processes, and key moments across the employee life cycle.

HR Operations & Technical Support

• Inquiry Resolution: Intake, investigate, and strategically resolve elevated HR inquiries (e.g., payroll/paycheck discrepancies, position changes, benefits escalations) that require cross-functional coordination.
• Process Improvement: Proactively identify "friction points" in the employee experience. Partner with centralized teams (Payroll, HR Tech, Recruiting) to implement practical, sustainable solutions.
• Data Integrity & Analytics: Maintain high HCM data integrity within HR systems (Oracle, WorkDay). Perform standard data analysis to identify local workforce trends (absenteeism, turnover) that drive HR decision-making.
• Special Projects: Support organizational design changes, job architecture updates, and position management audits.

Compliance & Standard Work

• HR Compliance: Ensure local operations adhere to federal, state, and local labor laws, including FMLA, ADA, FLSA, and OSHA record-keeping.
• Standard Operating Procedures: Develop and update standard work instructions for local HR processes to ensure consistency as the site scales.

Capabilities for Success

• Balanced Advocate: An emotionally intelligent professional who balances empathy for employees with a strong sense of accountability to business objectives.
• Collaborative Problem Solver: A proven ability to build trust and partner effectively across departments (Operations, Payroll, Recruiting) to resolve systemic issues.