Engagement Consultant

Vanderbilt University • Nashville, TN

7h

About The Position

Serve as the primary people consultant and trusted advisor for an assigned portfolio, connecting leaders and employees with the appropriate People, Culture and Belonging expertise. Lead high-level engagement and workforce initiatives, including stakeholder analysis, cross-functional coordination, targeted communication, and measurable action plans aligned with institutional priorities. Advise leaders on workforce planning, restructures, role clarity, succession, talent development, performance management, manager capability, and change adoption. Provide employee relations consultation on performance and conduct concerns, conflict resolution, documentation, policy application, and early risk identification; partner with Employee Relations, Investigations, Legal, Compliance, and other experts when escalation is appropriate. Use quantitative and qualitative data, including workforce dashboards, survey results, case trends, benchmarks, and employee feedback, to diagnose issues, identify patterns, and recommend practical solutions. Apply AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve research, analysis, drafting, knowledge access, and workflow efficiency while exercising human judgment and safeguarding accuracy, privacy, confidentiality, and fairness. Coach managers to strengthen performance, engagement, accountability, difficult conversations, and consistent people practices. Evaluate practices, recommend improvements, establish consistent processes, and lead or participate in committees, projects, and cross-functional initiatives that improve employee experience and organizational effectiveness.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience required; master’s degree preferred.
• Eight or more years of progressively responsible HR, HR consulting/business partnership, employee engagement, employee relations, organizational development, or workforce strategy experience.
• Demonstrated recency in employee relations experience building and maintaining positive, fair, and legally compliant relationships between an organization and its employees, including manager coaching, performance and conduct matters, conflict resolution, policy application, documentation, and risk escalation.
• Strong business acumen and working knowledge of employment laws, policies, and HR practices; multi-state or global employment experience preferred.
• Strong consulting, influencing, facilitation, negotiation, communication, active listening, and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to work effectively across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated data literacy and practical AI literacy, including the ability to interpret workforce evidence, use AI-enabled tools appropriately, and critically assess outputs for accuracy, bias, privacy, confidentiality, and appropriate human review.

Nice To Haves

• master’s degree preferred
• multi-state or global employment experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary people consultant and trusted advisor for an assigned portfolio, connecting leaders and employees with the appropriate People, Culture and Belonging expertise.
• Lead high-level engagement and workforce initiatives, including stakeholder analysis, cross-functional coordination, targeted communication, and measurable action plans aligned with institutional priorities.
• Advise leaders on workforce planning, restructures, role clarity, succession, talent development, performance management, manager capability, and change adoption.
• Provide employee relations consultation on performance and conduct concerns, conflict resolution, documentation, policy application, and early risk identification; partner with Employee Relations, Investigations, Legal, Compliance, and other experts when escalation is appropriate.
• Use quantitative and qualitative data, including workforce dashboards, survey results, case trends, benchmarks, and employee feedback, to diagnose issues, identify patterns, and recommend practical solutions.
• Apply AI-enabled tools responsibly to improve research, analysis, drafting, knowledge access, and workflow efficiency while exercising human judgment and safeguarding accuracy, privacy, confidentiality, and fairness.
• Coach managers to strengthen performance, engagement, accountability, difficult conversations, and consistent people practices.
• Evaluate practices, recommend improvements, establish consistent processes, and lead or participate in committees, projects, and cross-functional initiatives that improve employee experience and organizational effectiveness.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level