Employee Relations Manager

Some employee relations roles are primarily about process. This one is about judgment, trust, and helping people navigate genuinely complex situations.

We are partnering with a long-established, mission-driven non-profit providing critical services to children, youth, and families throughout California to identify an experienced Employee Relations Manager, who combines strong technical expertise with exceptional interpersonal judgment.

The work this organization’s employees do is deeply meaningful—and often emotionally demanding. That makes the employee relations function particularly important. Leaders need a thoughtful, steady partner who can help them work through sensitive situations with sound judgment, empathy, consistency, and an understanding that there is rarely a one-size-fits-all answer.

This is a highly visible role and the organization's primary resource for complex employee relations matters.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead complex and sensitive workplace investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, workplace violence, ethics concerns, whistleblower complaints, and other employee matters.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on performance management, conflict resolution, corrective action, separations, organizational change, and employment risk.
• Coach managers through difficult employee situations, helping them balance accountability, compassion, consistency, and organizational values.
• Partner closely with senior HR leadership, operational leaders, and legal counsel on significant employment matters.
• Identify patterns in employee relations cases, turnover, engagement data, and other workforce indicators—and help the organization move from reacting to issues to addressing root causes.
• Strengthen policies, investigation practices, documentation, and ER processes across a large and geographically dispersed organization.
• Partner with Learning & Development on manager and employee training related to respectful workplace practices, investigations, performance management, conflict resolution, and equal employment opportunity.
• Contribute to broader initiatives supporting engagement, retention, psychological safety, organizational effectiveness, and an inclusive workplace.

You’ll Likely Bring:

• 5+ years of progressive employee relations experience, ideally within a complex, multi-location organization.
• Significant experience independently conducting sensitive and complex workplace investigations from intake through findings and recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of California and federal employment law and investigation best practices.
• Experience advising senior leaders and partnering effectively with employment counsel.
• The ability to approach difficult situations objectively while never losing sight of the people involved.
• Strong writing, documentation, analytical, and case management skills.
• Experience in human services, healthcare, behavioral health, social services, or another highly regulated, mission-driven environment is particularly relevant.
• SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or workplace investigation certification is highly valued.

Just as important is how you work. The HR team is collaborative, service-oriented, and notably low ego. This is an environment for someone who listens well, builds credibility, shares expertise without needing to be the loudest person in the room, and understands that HR exists to help both employees and leaders succeed.

Mission Matters

The organization serves individuals and families experiencing some of life's most difficult circumstances. Its commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, access, and belonging is integral to both its mission and the way it strives to support its workforce.

For the right ER professional, this is an opportunity to bring sophisticated employee relations expertise to an organization where the quality of HR support has a very real ripple effect: supporting the people who are doing extraordinarily important—and often extraordinarily difficult—work.

Location: This role may work remotely from anywhere in Northern California, with the ability to attend in-person meetings as needed, currently anticipated to be approximately quarterly, as well as occasional travel based on business needs.

Compensation: $110k - $125k / annually