Sr. Manager, Employee Relations

Welcome to the intersection of energy and home services. At NRG, we're all about propelling the next generation of leaders forward. We are driven by our passion to create a smarter, cleaner and more connected future. We deliver innovative solutions that make our customers' lives easier-helping them power, protect, and intelligently manage their homes and businesses. To do this, we need creative and talented people to join our company.

We offer a dynamic work environment and a unified and inclusive culture. NRG fosters a strong sense of belonging that leads to better collaboration and business performance. Our company programs are designed to help employees develop the skills they need for success now and in the future. In everything we do, we aim to champion our employees and bring value to our customers, investors and society.

More information is available at www.nrg.com. Connect with NRG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

The Senior Manager, Employee Relations leads the centralized Employee Relations function and is responsible for the strategic and operational oversight of Tier 1 and Tier 2 employee relations services. This role ensures the consistent, fair, and compliant management of workplace concerns while delivering a positive employee and manager experience.

The Senior Manager provides leadership to Employee Relations Specialists, oversees employee relations case management activities, develops reporting and analytics, and partners closely with Enterprise Investigations, Talent Business Partners, Legal, Compliance, Labor Relations, and Business Leaders to ensure appropriate handling of workplace concerns. The role serves as the primary HR Shared Services leader for employee relations operations, continuous improvement, trend analysis, and executive-level reporting.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Relations Leadership

• Lead, develop, and coach a team of Employee Relations Specialists.
• Establish service standards, quality expectations, and case management protocols.
• Ensure consistent application of company policies, procedures, and employee relations practices.
• Provide guidance and support on complex employee relations matters.
• Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, confidentiality, and customer service.

Employee Relations Operations

• Oversee Tier 1 & 2 employee relations case management activities.
• Monitor intake, triage, case assignments, escalations, and resolution processes.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant case documentation.
• Review complex, sensitive, or high-risk employee relations matters.
• Act as final escalation point for Tier 1 & 2 employee relations concerns.
• Support implementation of corrective actions and workplace resolutions.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with Enterprise Investigations regarding Tier 3 investigations and escalations.
• Coordinate with Legal, Compliance, Labor Relations, Ethics, and HR leadership on sensitive matters.
• Ensure effective transitions and communication between ER and investigation teams.
• Participate in findings reviews and action planning discussions for significant matters.
• Support enterprise-wide initiatives related to workplace conduct, policy compliance, and organizational culture.

Data Analytics and Executive Reporting

• Develop and maintain employee relations dashboards and reporting.
• Monitor and analyze:
• Case volume
• Case aging
• Investigation outcomes
• Allegation categories
• Escalation trends
• Business unit trends
• Root cause indicators
• Partner with Enterprise Investigations to consolidate Tier 2 and Tier 3 reporting.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for HR leadership and executive stakeholders.
• Present trends, insights, and recommendations to senior leaders.
• Identify opportunities to reduce case volume and improve organizational effectiveness through data-driven decision-making.

Governance and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain employee relations procedures, standards, templates, and playbooks.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable employment laws.
• Lead employee relations process improvement initiatives.
• Recommend technology, workflow, and reporting enhancements.
• Support optimization of ServiceNow HRSD and employee relations case management processes.
• Develop training and resources that improve manager capability and reduce recurring employee relations issues.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Psychology, or a related field.
• Masters degree preferred.

Certifications Preferred

• SHRM-SCP
• SPHR

Experience Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive Human Resources or Employee Relations experience.
• 3+ years managing employee relations programs, investigations, or case management functions, preferred
• Prior leadership experience managing Human Resources professionals.
• Experience conducting or overseeing workplace investigations.
• Experience working within a centralized HR Shared Services environment, preferred.
• Demonstrated experience presenting information and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Experience leveraging workforce and/or employee relations analytics to drive decisions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook

Knowledge and Skills

Employee Relations Expertise

• Employee Relations Case Management
• Workplace Investigations
• Policy Interpretation
• Conflict Resolution
• Corrective Action Administration
• Employment Law Fundamentals

Leadership Competencies

• Team Leadership and Development
• Strategic Thinking
• Influence and Negotiation
• Project & Change Management
• Decision Making and Judgment

Technical and Analytical Competencies

• Workforce Analytics
• Data Interpretation
• Trend Analysis
• Executive Reporting
• Proficiency with the Microsoft suite including CoPilot

Working Conditions

• Hybrid (Mon-Thurs) In Office, Houston or Lehi
• Open office environment
• Willingness to work outside normal business hours as necessary, especilly during critical issue resolution and to achieve project milestones
• Travel up to 20% is required

NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace. To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Protected Veteran Status/Disability. Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicants experience or skills.

EEO is the Law Poster (The poster can be found at http://www.eeoc.gov/employers/upload/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf)

Official description on file with Talent.

We support the use of AI tools to help you prepare for your interview (e.g., practicing responses, researching the role, or refining your resume). However, during interviews and assessments, we expect responses to reflect your own thinking, experience, and communication. Use of AI to generate or read answers in real time, complete assessments, or misrepresent your qualifications is not permitted and may impact your candidacy.