Under the direction of the Director of Employee & Labor Relations and Assistant Director of Employee & Labor Relations the Senior Employee Relations Investigator/Consultant provides guidance, support and expertise in employee relations matters to include discipline, coaching, performance management, and HR policy interpretation. Key objectives include ensuring legal compliance and adherence to UMass Chan policies and procedures in a consistent, objective and fair fashion. Provides guidance to managers and employees on employee relations issues, investigates formal complaints, makes recommendations on UMass Chan’s complaint response, and ensure legal requirements are met in terms of employee relations, in order to minimize liability to UMass Chan. This position also collaborates with other HR team members to address organizational needs and contributes to a range of projects to implement HR strategies (i.e., organizational behavior, change management, policy implementation). The Senior Employee Relations Investigator/Consultant will provide guidance to other Employee Relation Consultants and staff in the absence of the Director and/or Assistant Director.

Responsibilities

• Conduct complex internal investigations regarding potential misconduct and violations of UMass Chan policy, including but not limited to, issues of discrimination, sexual harassment, and uncivil behavior.
• Serves as the main Title IX Investigator for the UMass Chan campus
• Prepare comprehensive fact-finding reports on completed investigations.
• Prepares Position Statements in response to complaints filed with state and federal administrative agencies, including, but not limited to, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination and the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission
• Lead assigned major/complex projects in a variety of employee relations-related areas. Provide direction and guidance to assigned staff and consultants for the satisfactory performance of projects.
• Partner with and serve as a resource to employees and managers to promote and maintain positive employee relations.
• Maintain relationships with managers to proactively identify, manage and resolve employee relations matters.
• Propose resolutions to complex and highly sensitive employee relations issues.
• Advise and influence all levels of management regarding resolution employee relations decisions.
• Interprets and applies UMass Chan policies and procedures, applicable federal and state laws and regulations to decision impacting employer-employee relations.
• Coach and counsel management and staff on the performance management process.
• Serves as an Adjudication Officer for the new hire background check process.
• Ensure consistency, communication, and collaboration in a matrixed environment.
• Conduct exit interviews.
• Uses HR employee relations metrics to identify trends and root causes; develop proactive solutions and programs utilizing best practices in support of the HR strategy.
• Proactively minimize legal risk by ensuring clients comply with UMass Chan policies and procedures.
• Participate in employee training programs as required.
• Ensure employee relations tracking systems are accurate and complete.
• Supports and promotes the HR mission.
• Collaborate with HR services to develop and deliver solutions to support client groups.
• Partners/collaborates with other HR functions to deliver excellent service to the customer.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• JD or equivalent experience
• Five years of employee relations experience to include conducting complex workplace investigations.
• Demonstrated experience in writing comprehensive investigation reports.
• Ability to provide credible HR guidance to and influence management at all levels.
• Proven experience coaching and counseling all levels of staff on a wide variety of issues, and a thorough understanding of employment law.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrates credibility and integrity in communications.
• Demonstrated experience in conflict resolution, mediation, facilitation.
• Demonstrated team player.
• Strong customer focus.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, in order to successfully interface at all levels of the organization.
• Computer skills in MS office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word), PeopleSoft and HRIS.
• Strong business acumen and a working knowledge of multiple HR disciplines.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills including the ability to analyze data, understand trends, develop recommendations.
• Ability to travel between business locations.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• PHR or SPHR certification
• Lean experience a plus
• Prior experience in a lead role or with facilitating large complex projects