Employee Relations Manager

Philz Coffee•Los Angeles, CA

8d•$90,000 - $105,000•Remote

About The Position

Do you care deeply about creating an environment that Betters Days for others? As Philz continues to grow, Bettering Days for our Team Members remains at the core of what we do, and we’re looking for an individual to join us in a newly created role: Employee Relations Manager. The ideal candidate has an extensive background in the retail or hospitality industry, is knowledgeable of California and Federal employment laws, and has strong experience in conducting workplace investigations. Reporting to the VP of People & Culture, you’ll work with team members, leaders, and the People & Culture team to address workplace concerns, conduct careful and well-documented investigations, and help maintain a fair, respectful, and compliant work environment that’s in line with Philz Core Values of Obsess About Customers & Team, In Pursuit of Better, and Be Kind & Keep it Real. This role is currently remote and must be based within the Greater Los Angeles area. Our teams will return to a hybrid office environment in late 2026.

Requirements

2+ years as an employee relations manager in a fast-paced, non-exempt industry, preferably hospitality, retail, and/or food service.
3+ years of previous human resources and/or investigations experience.
2+ years conducting thorough, confidential, and fair investigations on complex issues.
Strong knowledge of current Federal and California employment laws, other states a plus.
Excellent interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, and verbal/written communications skills with the ability to communicate with various roles within the organization.
Proven experience building and implementing team member relations/engagement programs and infrastructure for using technology, writing policies, and analyzing data.
Excellent verbal and written English language skills.
Visual acuity.
Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to others.
Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
Sitting for extended periods of time.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience interacting with legal counsel is a plus.
Additional languages, specifically Spanish are a plus.

Responsibilities

Partner with the People & Culture team to thoroughly and consistently address team member/leadership concerns, policy violations, and workplace allegations in a fair, ethical, and legally-compliant manner.
Provide recommendations on best practices for giving feedback, documenting performance issues, and handling sensitive team member situations.
Partner with People & Culture leadership to build scalable team member relations processes and training, including but not limited to case intake, documentation standards, and investigation workflows.
Develop templates, playbooks, policies, and documented resources that enable leaders to address team member issues more effectively, consistently, and ensure appropriate transparency and fairness.
Assist in the preparation and/or review of documentation and recommendations for disciplinary actions, performance management, and terminations.
Conduct workplace investigations related to team member complaints, misconduct, and policy violations in line with our company values and legally compliant.
Document findings and prepare investigation summaries and recommendations.
In conjunction with P&C Leadership, ensure all workplace investigations, practices, and documentation are legally-compliant, consistent, and in line Philz standards and values.
Work with internal or external legal counsel on complex workplace matters and potential risk situations.
Track and manage team member relations cases using P&C systems and case management tools.
Analyze trends in team member concerns, complaints, turnover, and disciplinary actions to identify potential risks or opportunities for improvement.
Build reports and dashboards to identify patterns across teams and departments.
Use data insights to recommend proactive solutions, including but not limited to training, policy clarification, and culture initiatives.
Support analysis of team member feedback from engagement surveys, exit interviews, and team member feedback programs.
Ensure data integrity and process efficiency within the case management technology.