Employee Relations & Compliance Manager

Okta•San Francisco, CA

14h•$132,000 - $203,500

About The Position

Okta is seeking an Employee Relations & Compliance Manager to join its global Employee Relations team. The role responds to escalated concerns about potential policy violations, leads workplace investigations from start to finish, recommends employee corrective action, and advises People Consultants, managers, and senior leaders on sensitive employment situations, including complex performance-management escalations. The position also supports alternative dispute resolution, organizational restructurings and position eliminations, and severance agreements resulting from involuntary terminations. It may contribute to other People team initiatives and compliance projects to support company growth, a high-performance culture, and more effective People operations. The manager investigates allegations such as harassment, discrimination, bullying, retaliation, and other misconduct; interviews witnesses, gathers and evaluates evidence, documents findings, prepares reports, and debriefs stakeholders. The role partners with People Business Partners, People Consultants, Employment Legal, Ethics & Compliance Legal, Learning and Development, and People Operations. It also coaches leaders and People Consultants, supports performance-management and position-elimination matters in partnership with Employment Legal, and contributes to policy education, ER training, analytics, and improvements to the global Employee Relations function. The position calls for sound judgment, discretion, strong communication and writing skills, project-management capability, and the ability to navigate ambiguity and complex personnel matters.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
At least 8 years of relevant Employee Relations experience focused on investigations, employment legal, performance management, and/or HR business partner work.
Solid understanding of federal, state, and local labor and employment laws.
Strong interpersonal skills, professional judgment, written and oral communication, and emotional intelligence.
Ability to write clear, concise reports and summaries that capture findings, analysis, and recommendations, and to document interviews and other evidence in an organized manner.
Independent judgment, reasoning, problem-solving skills, and creativity in resolving complex personnel matters.
Ability to work effectively in a team environment and build trust, rapport, and influence with cross-functional partners and business leaders.
Ability to remain respectful and empathetic in difficult investigation or performance-management situations.
Ability to handle confidential information maturely and professionally.
Ability to navigate ambiguity in a fast-moving, changing environment.
Project-management experience or experience as a key project contributor.
Ability to manage time and resources, prioritize, and balance multiple commitments with some input from a manager.
Comfort working with employees and managers at any level and navigating complexity and ambiguity.
Demonstrated sound judgment and experience assessing and mitigating risk.
Ability to influence strategy, decisions, and organizational behavior through trust and insight.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree, law degree, or specialized training in employment investigations and/or employment law.
Robust experience leading complex workplace investigations and/or cross-functional, multi-jurisdictional initiatives within a People or HR organization.
Formal project-management experience.

Responsibilities

Conduct prompt, thorough investigations into potential policy violations, including harassment, discrimination, bullying, retaliation, and other misconduct.
Conduct investigatory interviews, gather relevant evidence, prepare investigation reports, collaborate with cross-functional partners, and debrief stakeholders.
Develop and present recommendations for formal disciplinary or other corrective action based on investigation findings; influence leaders toward consistent application of policies and the Code of Conduct.
Document investigative efforts in a case management system.
Build effective relationships with People Business Partners, People Consultants, Employment Legal, Ethics & Compliance Legal, Learning and Development, People Operations, and other stakeholders.
Coach People Consultants, managers, and senior leaders on moderately complex Employee Relations and performance-management issues.
Support leaders and People Business Partners on performance management and position eliminations, partnering with Employment Legal and providing guidance consistent with established guidelines.
Communicate and educate on policies, procedures, and compliance in partnership with the People organization.
Collaborate with Employee Relations leadership to improve and scale the function, develop reactive and proactive initiatives, produce data analytics, and provide global Employee Relations support.
Participate in developing and delivering Employee Relations training and other team projects.
Support alternative dispute resolution, organizational restructurings, position eliminations, and severance agreements resulting from involuntary terminations.