Employee Relations Specialist
About The Position
The Employee Relations Specialist will support SMBC Americas as part of its expanding Employee Relations team, partnering with HR Business Partners and Legal to address serious and high-risk employment concerns with fairness, consistency, and discretion. The role has principal responsibility for a portfolio of workplace investigations and may also contribute to Americas Division and global Employee Relations initiatives. The specialist conducts complex, sensitive, and time-critical investigations; interviews employees across organizational levels; collects and analyzes evidence; documents investigative processes and outcomes; and prepares clear, concise, legally defensible summaries. The role also manages a dynamic caseload, advises stakeholders objectively, recommends remedial measures, collaborates with HR and control functions, analyzes ER data for trends and risks, and helps maintain relevant legal, regulatory, policy, and process knowledge. Additional project work may include policies and programs, HR tools, benchmarking, employee handbook reviews, and training.
Requirements
- 5–8 years of experience in investigations, employee relations, and/or employment law.
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Excellent strategic and tactical investigation skills.
- Strong influencing, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to work effectively in a complex, matrixed environment and with multiple partner groups, including Legal and Compliance professionals.
- Advanced writing, analytical, and relationship management skills.
- Solutions-driven and customer-service-oriented approach.
- High standards of ethics, integrity, honesty, and discretion.
- High emotional intelligence and ability to work effectively across cultures, communication styles, and organizational levels.
- Ability to manage hands-on, complex employee relations cases and use systems and data insights in the work.
Nice To Haves
- Juris Doctor (JD).
- Experience with the financial services business model.
Responsibilities
- Conduct and facilitate complex, sensitive, and time-critical workplace investigations, consulting with Legal and HR Business Partners as needed.
- Independently interview employees at all levels and identify, collect, and analyze relevant documents and other evidence.
- Maintain clear documentation of investigative processes, findings, recommendations, and resolutions.
- Prepare thorough investigative summaries that are clear, concise, and legally defensible.
- Manage a dynamic investigative caseload, balance competing priorities, and adapt to changing business needs, risks, and case developments.
- Serve as an objective third party, engage relevant stakeholders, provide trusted advice, and recommend remedial measures based on findings.
- Partner with HR colleagues, business stakeholders, and control functions such as IT Security, Risk, Compliance, Audit, and Legal.
- Contribute to Employee Relations projects and initiatives, which may include policies and programs, HR tools, benchmarking, handbook reviews, and training creation, delivery, or vendor management.
- Analyze investigation and employee relations data to identify trends, emerging risks, and opportunities for preventive or remedial action.
- Maintain current knowledge of relevant legal and regulatory requirements and contribute to related policy and process updates.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
