Employee Relations Director

BLUE ORIGIN•Huntsville, AL

6d•$187,923 - $263,092

About The Position

Blue Origin is seeking a Director of Employee Relations to build and lead a modern, high-trust, high-rigor, AI-enabled Employee Relations function. The role will define the ER strategy, operating model, and standards for addressing workplace concerns, and lead a two-tier team of ER professionals. It is part of Blue Origin corporate functions and provides centralized support across business units, functions, and locations. The Director will advise senior leaders and partner closely with Legal, Security, Labor Relations, and HR Business Partners. The role uses case data, analytics, and responsible AI to improve the speed and insight of ER work while preserving human judgment, and supports fair, defensible people decisions and a workplace where employees feel safe raising concerns. Travel is expected up to 30% per quarter or as business needs require. Relocation is provided.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, HR, or a related and relevant field, or equivalent experience.
At least 10 years of progressive HR and/or Employee Relations experience, including at least 6 years leading ER teams and leaders of others.
Experience building, scaling, or transforming an ER function in a complex, fast-paced, or high-growth environment.
Expertise in workplace investigations, including executive and multi-party matters.
Knowledge of federal and state employment law, with working knowledge of the NLRA.
Labor relations exposure through work in a represented environment, union campaign context, or close partnership with a Labor Relations team.

Nice To Haves

Experience in aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or technology.
Juris Doctorate (JD).
Association of Workplace Investigators (AWI-CH), SPHR, or SHRM-SCP certification/designation.
Hands-on experience implementing ER technology or deploying AI tools in HR, including change management and governance.
Familiarity with ITAR, export control, or security clearance environments.
Experience supporting a mixed workforce of engineers, technicians, and manufacturing teams.
Exceptional judgment, composure, and decisiveness in ambiguous, high-stakes situations.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and build trusted partnerships with Legal and Security.
A data-driven mindset and experience using metrics to drive decisions and prevention.
Curiosity about AI and a practical, responsible approach to applying it in sensitive people work.
Outstanding written communication and investigative documentation skills.

Responsibilities

Design and execute a multi-year ER strategy aligned to Blue Origin’s mission, growth, and risk profile.
Build the ER operating model, including intake, triage, risk tiering, investigation protocols, case management, quality assurance, and closure standards.
Establish service levels, KPIs, and dashboards to measure timeliness, quality, consistency, and outcomes.
Evaluate and implement ER case-management technology, including responsible use of AI and analytics.
Promote AI adoption across the ER lifecycle, including intake and routing, investigation planning, interview summaries, documentation quality checks, and predictive trend analysis.
Lead, develop, and inspire a team spanning two levels; define role clarity, career pathways, calibration practices, and a coaching culture.
Build AI fluency across the team so ER professionals can focus more on judgment, coaching, and resolution.
Set high standards for objectivity, documentation quality, and empathy in ER interactions.
Oversee complex, sensitive, and executive-level investigations and ensure thorough, timely, and defensible outcomes.
Develop crisis-response protocols and lead ER’s role in high-stakes incidents.
Identify enterprise-level ER risks, use data and AI-driven insights to spot emerging hotspots, and translate trends into prevention strategies, manager capability building, and policy improvements.
Own and evolve ER policies, playbooks, and manager toolkits, including AI-assisted guidance.
Deliver training to help leaders address performance and conduct issues early, fairly, and confidently.
Present insights and recommendations clearly and persuasively to senior executives.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Basic and supplemental life insurance
Paid parental leave
Short- and long-term disability
401(k) with company match of up to 5%
Education Support Program
Stock options for regular employees working at least 20 hours per week
Paid time off of up to four weeks per year, based on weekly scheduled hours
Up to 14 company-paid holidays
Employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on role type and job level; eligibility and amounts are not guaranteed and may change or be canceled.