Employee Relations Lead

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Job Description

• Independently manages and presents solutions for high-risk and high-complexity employee relations matters.
• Conducts thorough, objective investigations into allegations such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, misconduct, and other serious workplace concerns.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in evaluating findings, developing recommendations, and communicating outcomes to senior stakeholders with clarity and neutrality.
• Strategic Thought Partner to senior leaders influencing people practices and aligning with organizational strategic objectives and key results.
• Acts as lead consultant to Employee Relations Advisors and HR Business Partners on best practices for issue resolution, policy interpretation, and risk assessment.
• Partners with the Senior Manager, ER, to develop analytics and identify trends, forecast risks, and proactively shape employee relations strategies.
• Serves as a thought partner on continuous improvement initiatives and ER operational enhancements.
• Develops and maintains dashboards, reports, and data summaries related to ER case trends, risk indicators, and compliance metrics.
• Presents analytical findings and actionable insights to HR, legal and senior business leaders in a clear and executive-ready format.
• Contributes to the creation and refinement of employee relations policies, practices, and procedures.
• Monitors employment law developments and ensure internal practices remain compliant across multiple jurisdictions.
• Supports the delivery of ER-focused training sessions and learning programs for People Leaders, HR partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Handles special projects and other job-related responsibilities as assigned.

This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

• Ability to maintain neutrality and calm in intense, emotionally charged situations.
• Must have advanced knowledge of employment laws and regulations.
• Proven experience conducting internal HR investigations at all levels of the organization, in-person and via video conferencing (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Webex, Zoom, etc.)
• Effective in exercising good judgement, and articulating rationale for recommendations to leaders and P&T Business Partners.
• Ability to interact with a variety of different individuals, demonstrating sound interpersonal skills and business judgment.
• Interpersonal and communication experience, and experience building relationships at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to think strategically and translate plans into efficient processes, systems, and practices.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills with experience in presenting ideas and influencing at a senior level in the organization.
• Strong analytics, attention to detail, and financial acumen.
• Ability to drive continuous improvement within the employee relations function.
• Thorough knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and HR best practices.
• Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills with the ability to drive change and build a collaborative work environment.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Proven track record of conducting complex investigations and resolving employee issues.
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
• Formalized training and instruction in Title IX, Title VII, and conducting investigations

Experience

• 10+ years of related experience, including 8 years of progressive experience in HR roles, demonstrating increasing levels of responsibility and leadership.
• Experience with employment laws and regulations from multiple states; including 5+ years experience conducting employee relations investigations at a national-level organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• HR certification (e.g., SHRM or HRCI).
• Investigation certification (e.g., AWI, EEO Investigator)
• Conflict Resolution training
• Mediation training
• Experience in Higher Education and/or Non-Profit is a plus

Position & Application Details

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.