Sr Employee Relations Partner

Salem Health; Salem (OR); On-site; USD 110,000 - 155,000; Full time

Job summary

Salem Health is seeking a Senior Employee Relations Partner to serve as a trusted expert to frontline and senior leaders across assigned service lines. You will independently lead highly complex investigations, assess legal risk, and provide strategic recommendations in alignment with employment laws and policies.

This role also coaches leaders, supports labor relations, and guides investigations in a busy hospital system.

Qualifications

• Six years or more of progressive employee relations experience advising leaders.
• Advanced knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Experience conducting highly complex investigations, including provider-related matters.

Responsibilities

• Advise leaders on complex employee relations matters including corrective action and policy interpretation.
• Lead highly complex workplace investigations and document thoroughly.
• Monitor labor relations trends and support grievance resolution across service lines.
• Guide personnel actions, respond to legal inquiries, and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Lead employee relations training and Lean/process improvement initiatives with HR partners.
• Ensure practices comply with employment laws across a multisite hospital system.

Skills

Employee relations

Investigations

Leadership

Policy interpretation

Labor relations

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

HRIS platforms

Job description

Location: Salem Hospital, 890 Oak Street SE, Salem, Oregon 97301

Department: Human Resources

Position Type: Full Time, 40 hours/week, Exempt

Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday, early/late flexing to round with multiple shifts, primarily on-site

Your role with us

Join a highly engaged and mission-driven Employee Relations team that thrives on collaboration, adaptability, and human connection. As a Senior Employee Relations Partner, you will serve as a trusted subject-matter expert and strategic resource to frontline and senior leaders across assigned service lines.

You will independently lead highly complex investigations, assess organizational and legal risk, and provide strategic recommendations aligned with employment laws, policies, and best practices. You will also coach leaders through complex employee relations matters, oversee provider-related concerns, facilitate conflict resolution, and support labor relations and grievance resolution.

Each partner independently manages assigned service lines while collaborating closely with the broader Employee Relations, Human Resources Business Partner, and HR teams. If you’re ready to bring advanced judgment, empathy, and Care with Respect to Salem Health’s employees, we’d love to meet you.

What you'll do

• Advise frontline and senior leaders on complex employee relations matters, including corrective action, performance management, conflict resolution, and policy interpretation.
• Independently lead highly complex workplace and provider-related investigations, evaluating legal and organizational risk while maintaining thorough documentation.
• Monitor employee experience and labor relations trends, facilitate interventions, support grievance resolution, and maintain visibility through department meetings and staff rounding.
• Guide complex personnel actions, respond to legal inquiries, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment requirements.
• Lead employee relations training, organization-wide initiatives, Lean process improvement, and change-management efforts in partnership with HR stakeholders.
• Monitors practices to ensure customer departments comply with laws, rules and regulations related to employment.

Required qualifications

• Minimum of six years of progressively responsible employee relations experience, providing strategic guidance, high stakes consultation, and subject-matter expertise to frontline leaders and diverse employee groups, exempt and non exempt.
• Equivalent combinations of advanced experience and education may be considered in lieu of formal degree requirements.

Additional information

• Experience within a hospital, multi site healthcare system, or similarly complex, highly regulated environment strongly preferred.
• Advanced-level knowledge of federal, state, and local statutes, regulations, and administrative requirements governing employee and labor relations, with demonstrated ability to apply this knowledge to both routine and highly complex matters.
• Comprehensive understanding of the full spectrum of HR functional domains, including employment law, complex HR investigations, advanced employee relations practices, benefits, compensation, organizational development, change management, HRIS platforms, labor relations, and workforce planning.
• Extensive experience providing strategic employee relations guidance and high-stakes consultation to leaders.
• Demonstrated success independently conducting highly complex investigations, including provider-related matters.
• Advanced knowledge of employment law, labor relations, union contracts, and grievance resolution.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders using data, precedent, sound judgment, and effective presentations.
• High emotional intelligence, strong conflict-resolution skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities across a 24/7, multisite organization.

Salem Health's comprehensive benefits package prioritizes your mental and physical health, financial stability, family obligations, and professional growth.

Why Salem Health?

Salem Health is a Top Workplace in Oregon, known for fostering a supportive culture where your contributions truly matter. As an award-winning, independent health care system, we serve our region through Salem Hospital, multiple community clinics and West Valley Hospital, ensuring broad access to high-quality care.

We believe in empowering our teams. Through Lean principles, staff help drive innovation and solve real problems. We also invest in your growth with professional development, tuition assistance, and clear career pathways. At Salem Health, you’ll find more than a job, you’ll find purpose, connection, and room to thrive.

Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status or condition protected by law.

Salem Health Hospitals and Clinics is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for applicants.