Regional Employee Advocate

Summary of Job:

The Regional Employee Advocate serves as the primary People Operations partner for assigned business units and regional locations, providing employees and leaders with responsive, knowledgeable, and consistent HR support. This position builds strong relationships with employees and managers, supports employee relations and workforce needs, and delivers People Operations programs and processes across the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, benefits support, leaves and accommodations, engagement, compliance, performance management, and offboarding. The Regional Employee Advocate is expected to understand the needs of the business, exercise sound judgment, identify opportunities for improvement, and partner across People Operations to deliver an exceptional employee experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary People Operations point of contact for assigned business units and regional locations, building strong relationships with employees and leaders and developing an understanding of business and workforce needs.
• Advise and support managers on employee relations matters, including performance concerns, disciplinary actions, performance improvement plans, employee complaints, workplace concerns, and terminations. Conduct workplace investigations as appropriate and review disciplinary documentation for consistency, completeness, and alignment with Company practices. Escalate complex or higher-risk matters as appropriate.
• Administer leaves of absence and workplace accommodations, including FMLA, ADA, disability, personal, and military leave. Guide employees and managers through applicable processes, ensure required documentation and follow-up are completed timely, and escalate complex or higher-risk matters and employment decisions as appropriate.
• Support employee engagement and retention within assigned business units by identifying trends and employee concerns, gathering feedback, communicating opportunities, and partnering with leaders and People Operations to develop appropriate solutions.
• Support organizational and business changes within assigned groups through employee and manager communication, training, implementation support, and follow-up.
• Deliver a consistent and welcoming onboarding experience for new employees, ensuring required onboarding activities are completed timely and employees understand the programs, resources, and support available to them.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition and hiring managers to support a smooth transition from candidate selection through onboarding, including resolution of background screening, drug screening, and pre-employment issues as appropriate.
• Support employee offboarding, including coordinating separation processes, ensuring required documentation and system activities are completed, communicating applicable benefits and resources, and helping provide a consistent employee experience through separation.
• Administer and support employee benefit processes, including enrollments, status changes, terminations, QMCSOs, EOIs, QDROs, and 401(k) distributions and loans. Serve as a resource for employee benefit questions and partner with the Benefits team and vendors on complex issues or matters requiring additional expertise.
• Support annual Open Enrollment by educating employees on available resources and plan options, answering questions, assisting with enrollment needs, and helping drive timely completion within assigned business units.
• Coordinate drug and alcohol testing requirements, including random, DOT, job-site-specific, post-incident, and reasonable-suspicion testing, and support related processes in accordance with Company policy and applicable requirements
• Serve as a knowledgeable resource for employees and managers regarding People Operations programs, policies, processes, benefits, and HR systems. Partner with Benefits, HRIS, Talent Acquisition, Payroll, and other teams to resolve questions and provide a seamless employee experience.
• Travel to each assigned regional office at least once per quarter to maintain strong relationships with employees and managers, participate in business unit meetings, understand workforce needs, deliver training and People Operations communications, and provide on-site support.
• Support and execute employee experience and recognition initiatives, including Company events and other programs designed to strengthen connection, engagement, and culture.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential employee documentation and records in accordance with Company practices and applicable requirements.
• Identify trends, recurring issues, process gaps, and opportunities for improvement within assigned areas. Develop recommendations and partner with the appropriate teams to improve processes, manager and employee experiences, and operational effectiveness.
• Take ownership of assigned projects and initiatives from planning through implementation and follow-up, collaborating across People Operations and the business to achieve intended outcomes.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable employment laws, Company policies, People Operations programs, and HR practices necessary to effectively support employees and managers.
• Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.
• Handle stress and job demands.
• Work cooperatively with others.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

• 3–4 years of progressive Human Resources experience, preferably in an HR generalist, employee relations, or employee-facing HR role.

• Working knowledge of employment laws and HR practices related to employee relations, leaves and accommodations, benefits, performance management, and other employee lifecycle processes.

• Experience advising or supporting managers on employee relations and performance matters preferred.

• Experience with an HRIS system required; Workday experience preferred.

• Experience supporting employees or business operations across multiple locations preferred.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and other business productivity tools.

Skills:

• Strong customer-service orientation with the ability to build trusted relationships with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization.

• Sound judgment and ability to assess situations, identify risk, determine appropriate next steps, and recognize when escalation is necessary.

• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex or sensitive information clearly and professionally.

• Ability to coach and guide managers through employee and workplace issues while maintaining appropriate confidentiality and objectivity.

• Strong organizational and prioritization skills with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities, cases, deadlines, and business needs.

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate, timely, and confidential documentation.

• Demonstrated problem-solving, analytical, and process-improvement skills.

• Ability to understand business needs and consider the employee, manager, operational, and Company impact when recommending solutions.

• Self-directed and accountable, with the ability to independently move work and projects from identification through completion.

• Adaptable and comfortable working through situations where the answer or process may not be immediately clear.

• Collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively across People Operations and other business functions.

• Ability to learn new processes, systems, tools, and areas of the business quickly.

Company Perks & Benefits

Our mission at Lee Company is to create a workplace where our employees can thrive, and we back that up with action. Wellness isn’t just about your physical health; it’s about your finances, career, community, and relationships too. We don’t just talk the talk; we walk the walk. Check out the benefits that help our team live well and work well every day!

• Physical: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, plus free virtual primary care, mental health, and urgent care services for employees and their family members.

• Financial: Earned Wage Access (EWA) – access a portion of your earned pay before payday, 401(k) company match, HSA contributions, and company-paid life and long-term disability insurance.

• Community: Company-supported volunteer opportunities to make a real impact.

• Career: Free trade training through Lee Company University (LCU), paid time off (PTO), and career growth opportunities.

• Relational: Paid time off (PTO), holidays, and Chaplain services for support when you need it.

Lee Company is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, genetic information or testing, or family and medical leave. Lee Company is an E-Verify employer.  Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.  At the time of hire, employees will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility.