Lead, Employee Relations (Investigations)

Save the Children International•Lebanon, PA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Employee Relations team provides expert guidance, leads high-quality investigations and complex case management, and builds organisational capability to prevent and resolve workplace concerns fairly, consistently and at the right level. Through data, insights and lessons from cases, the team identifies systemic issues, strengthens leadership and management practice, and drives continuous improvement in the employee experience and organisational culture across SCI. This role will lead and manage a team of specialist investigators, ensuring high-quality, timely and consistent investigations into complex and sensitive workplace grievances across SCI. The role provides expert oversight and quality assurance throughout the investigation lifecycle, ensuring investigations are fair, impartial, evidence-based and aligned with SCI’s policies, values and legal obligations. It builds the capability and effectiveness of the investigations team, maintains rigorous professional standards, and uses learning and insights from investigations to strengthen organisational practice and help create a safe, respectful and accountable working environment.

Requirements

Substantial experience overseeing and/or conducting complex and sensitive investigations into grievances and employee relations concerns across multiple countries in which SCI operates.
Demonstrable expertise and experience advising on relevant employment law and its application to case management in SCI’s operating contexts.
Proven ability to lead, manage and develop a team, setting clear expectations for quality, timeliness and professional standards and providing effective technical supervision, coaching and quality assurance.
Demonstrable experience managing a complex investigation caseload, effectively prioritising high-risk and sensitive concerns, monitoring progress against agreed timelines and proactively addressing barriers, delays and capacity constraints.
Ability to exercise independent and balanced judgement when dealing with sensitive employee relations concerns, including navigating conflicting evidence, complex stakeholder dynamics and matters involving significant organisational, legal or reputational risk.
Highly developed interpersonal, listening and questioning skills, with the ability to build trust and engage sensitively and effectively with reporters, subjects of concern, witnesses and other stakeholders throughout the investigation process.
Ability to critically assess complex and sometimes conflicting information, identify relevant evidence, reach well-reasoned findings and produce clear, concise and defensible investigation reports.
Experience developing investigation frameworks, methodologies, guidance, training or quality assurance processes.

Nice To Haves

Experience of investigations within an international, federated, humanitarian or similarly complex organisation.
Professional proficiency in French, Spanish or Arabic would be highly desirable, supporting effective engagement and investigation activity across SCI’s diverse global contexts.
Professional training, qualification or accreditation in workplace investigations, employee relations, HR, law or another relevant discipline.

Responsibilities

Lead the delivery of high-quality and timely formal investigations into grievances and other employee relations concerns, ensuring they are addressed fairly, consistently and in accordance with the Safe and Respectful Working Environment Policy and relevant SCI procedures.
Lead, manage and develop a team of specialist investigators, setting clear expectations for quality, timeliness and accountability, and providing expert guidance and oversight throughout the formal investigation process.
Maintain effective oversight of the grievance investigation caseload, ensuring concerns are handled swiftly and compliantly, cases are appropriately prioritised and allocated, agreed timelines are met, and delays, risks or barriers to progression are proactively addressed or escalated.
Ensure a person-centred approach throughout the investigation process, recognising the wellbeing, needs and rights of individuals affected by a concern and ensuring all parties are treated with dignity, fairness and respect.
Act as the senior technical expert on complex grievance and employee relations investigations, providing guidance on investigation scope, allegations, evidence and findings, and supporting the appropriate escalation of particularly complex, sensitive or high-risk concerns.
Analyse investigation data, outcomes and recurring themes to identify systemic issues, areas of organisational risk and opportunities for improvement, providing actionable insights that strengthen SCI’s approach to maintaining a safe and respectful working environment.
Build and maintain investigation capability across SCI, developing appropriate tools, resources, guidance and training to strengthen the quality and consistency of grievance investigations and the wider pool of investigators.