Associate Director, U.S. Employee Relations

Galderma•Boston, MA

2d•$180,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director, Employee Relations serves as the primary subject matter expert and trusted advisor for complex employee relations matters across the U.S. organization. This role partners closely with HR Business Partners, business leaders, Legal, Compliance, and HR Operations to ensure consistent, fair, and legally compliant outcomes while fostering a positive employee experience and supporting Galderma's values and culture. The role is responsible for leading investigations, advising on employment-related risks, ensuring compliance with applicable employment laws, and identifying proactive solutions that strengthen organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and organizational health.

Requirements

10+ years in employee relations or HR business partnering, with increasing responsibility in complex, high-growth or matrixed environments.
Advanced degree or Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred
Deep expertise in employment law and HR compliance
Strong investigation, mediation, and problem-solving capabilities
Proven ability to influence at senior levels and drive cross-functional alignment
Exceptional written and verbal communication across diverse audiences
Data-driven mindset for identifying ER trends and solutions
Proven ability to use sound judgment to address multifaceted organizational challenges.

Responsibilities

Lead the intake, assessment, investigation, and resolution of complex employee relations matters, including employee complaints, workplace conflicts, misconduct allegations, policy violations, performance concerns, retaliation claims, and other sensitive employment issues.
Serve as the primary escalation point for high-risk and complex employee relations cases, providing guidance on investigation strategy, risk assessment, and recommended actions.
Conduct thorough, objective, and timely investigations, ensuring appropriate documentation, evidence gathering, interview processes, findings, and case closure.
Partner with Legal, Compliance, Ethics, Security, and other functions, as appropriate, to manage matters involving significant legal, regulatory, reputational, or business risk.
Facilitate resolution of workplace conflicts through coaching, mediation, and other informal resolution approaches whenever appropriate.
Effectively de-escalate challenging employee situations while maintaining objectivity, fairness, and confidentiality.
Provide expert consultation and coaching to HR Business Partners and business leaders regarding employee relations matters, performance management, corrective actions, workplace accommodations, policy interpretation, and organizational effectiveness.
Support leaders in navigating challenging employee situations while balancing business needs, legal requirements, and employee experience considerations.
Promote consistent application of policies, practices, and employment decisions across the organization.
Support organizational transformations, restructurings, workforce reductions, and other business changes by assessing employee relations risks and recommending mitigation strategies.
Partner with leaders to foster a respectful, inclusive, and high-performing workplace culture aligned with Galderma's values and leadership expectations.
Coach managers and leaders on effective people management practices, difficult conversations, conflict resolution, performance improvement, employee communications, and corrective action processes.
Develop and deliver employee relations training programs, manager toolkits, and guidance materials to strengthen leadership capabilities and reduce organizational risk.
Support HR Business Partners in building organizational capability and proactively addressing workplace concerns before escalation.
Analyze employee relations trends, investigation outcomes, employee feedback, and workforce data to identify recurring themes, root causes, and opportunities for improvement.
Develop actionable recommendations and preventative solutions that strengthen organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and employee experience.
Provide regular reporting and insights to HR leadership regarding employee relations trends, organizational risks, and workforce concerns.
Drive continuous improvement of employee relations processes, investigation methodologies, manager resources, and training programs.
Collaborate closely with HR Business Partners, HR Operations, Total Rewards, Legal, Compliance, and business leaders to ensure consistent and equitable employee outcomes.
Partner across global and regional HR teams to promote consistency in employee relations practices and policy application.
Lead or contribute to enterprise-wide employee relations initiatives, policy enhancements, and compliance projects.
Contribute to a culture of accountability, inclusion, respect, and high performance by promoting fair, transparent, and consistent employment practices.
Act as a trusted advisor and advocate for both employees and leaders while supporting Galderma's values and business objectives.