Employee Relations Investigator, Lead

Chugach Government Solutions•Huntsville, AL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Employee Relations Investigation, Lead is an employee relations professional responsible for leading complex workplace investigations and partnering closely with Human Resources and Legal to promote a respectful, compliant, and high-performing workplace. This role supports HR in resolving employee relations matters, assessing workplace risk, and ensuring fair, consistent, and legally sound outcomes across both represented and non-represented employee populations. The position works collaboratively with HR leadership, Legal, Compliance, Risk, Safety, and Operations to address concerns related to conduct, performance, and policy adherence. This position reports to the Director of Human Resources and is a key member of a diverse, high performing HR team. The role plays a key part in strengthening employee trust in HR processes, reinforcing non-retaliation practices, and supporting a culture of integrity and accountability.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Legal Studies, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
5 to 7 years of experience conducting workplace investigations, employee relations, compliance, or related work.
Demonstrated experience working in mixed union and non-union environments.
Proven ability to interview employees, analyze evidence, and prepare investigative reports.
Working knowledge of employment laws, labor relations principles, anti-retaliation requirements, and HR/compliance best practices.
Strong judgment, discretion, and professionalism in handling sensitive matters.
Excellent written, analytical, and organizational skills.
Proficiency with HRIS and case management systems.

Nice To Haves

Professional certifications such as CFE, CIA, SHRM-SCP/SPHR, or other ethics, compliance, or investigative credentials.
Experience supporting unionized environments and grievance-related matters.
Experience responding to DOL, DOJ, NLRB, OFCCP, or similar agency inquiries.

Responsibilities

Serve as a partner to Human Resources in managing employee relations matters involving workplace conduct, performance issues, and employee complaints, including collaboration with the Labor Relations Manager when matters involve employees covered under collective bargaining agreements, while also supporting non-represented employee populations in a consistent and equitable manner.
Conduct investigations related to harassment, discrimination, retaliation, inappropriate workplace behavior, performance-related misconduct, and violations of Chugach Government Solutions policies and standards.
Advise HR leadership on employee relations risk, consistency of policy application, and appropriate resolution strategies.
Conduct employee interviews; collect testimonial, documentary, and electronic evidence; and assess credibility in a fair, objective, and impartial manner.
Provide clear factual findings, risk assessments, and documentation to support corrective and disciplinary actions.
Support the Human Resource team in sensitive actions including performance counseling, discipline, and separations through preparation of investigation summaries and supporting materials, coordinating with the Labor Relations Manager as required to ensure compliance with applicable collective bargaining agreements and established employee relations practices.
Identify and escalate potential retaliation concerns and reinforce non-retaliation expectations with managers and employees throughout the investigative process.
Maintain accurate and confidential investigation files in accordance with records retention, privacy, and legal hold requirements.
Conduct medium- to complex-level compliance investigations involving fraud, theft, time mischarging, safety concerns, quality issues, conflicts of interest, and regulatory or policy noncompliance.
Develop and execute investigative plans by defining scope, identifying issues, and coordinating with Legal, Compliance, IT, Security, and other subject matter experts as needed.
Analyze facts, assess credibility, and identify relevant employment law, regulatory, contractual, and policy considerations.
Prepare clear, accurate, and defensible investigation reports, findings, and recommendations for HR and Legal leadership.
Support intake, triage, tracking, and documentation of concerns received through ethics hotlines, management referrals, and internal reporting channels.
Assist with responses to subpoenas, audits, agency inquiries, and internal or external investigations related to employee conduct and compliance matters.
Provide guidance to HR, and managers on investigative processes, documentation standards, employee relations best practices, while partnering with Labor Relations on collective bargaining agreement considerations.
Identify trends and recurring themes and partner with HR leadership and HR Compliance on training, prevention, and continuous improvement initiatives.