Principal, Employee Relations Advisor

AMN Healthcare•San Diego, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Principal HR Advisor is a highly experienced HR professional who serves as a trusted consultant and case manager for complex employee relations matters, employee experience processes, and elevated metrics and trend analysis. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, this role is responsible for providing strategic guidance, conducting investigations, and advising leaders on performance, conduct, and compliance issues. This individual will serve as a central point of contact for escalated workplace concerns and partner closely with HR Business Partners, Legal, C-Suite, and business leaders to drive consistent, compliant, and equitable outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field
3 or more years in a prior leadership/managerial role
10 years of progressive HR experience with at least 8 years focused in employee relations and investigations
5 years of proven experience influencing all levels of the organization
Employee relations experience in a clinical setting
In-depth knowledge of employment laws and HR compliance practices (e.g., Title VII, FMLA, ADA, FLSA)
Demonstrated ability to operate with adaptability and influence to achieve optimized outcomes
Demonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive matters with discretion, sound judgment, and objectivity
Strong communication, documentation, and stakeholder management skills
Analytical thinker comfortable with data reporting, trend identification, and translating insights into action

Responsibilities

Employee Relations Case Management & Investigations Serve as lead investigator for complex or high-risk employee relations cases, including harassment, discrimination, misconduct, and retaliation concerns.
Conduct objective and thorough investigations, including interviews, documentation review, and findings reports.
Make recommendations for resolution and partner with Legal and HRBPs to ensure alignment, consistency, and mitigation of organizational risk.
Establishes and maintains proactive consultative relationships as a trusted advisor to the C-suite and most senior levels of leadership on employee relations issues.
Policy Interpretation & Compliance Advisory Provide subject matter expertise on HR policies, procedures, and federal/state employment law to guide leader decision-making.
Support leaders with disciplinary actions, performance improvement plans, and separations to ensure fairness, legal compliance, and organizational consistency.
Partner with Legal on nuanced or sensitive employee matters requiring risk mitigation.
Proactive ER Support & Risk Mitigation Monitor employee sentiment and emerging ER trends through surveys, exit interviews, and informal feedback channels.
Identify patterns or hotspots and make proactive recommendations to address root causes.
Coach leaders on effective employee communication and conflict resolution strategies.
Leave of absence and accommodation oversight Assist leader with LOA and accommodation decisions as team members request LOA/accommodation and transition
Assess performance component of LOA as needed
Assist leader with team member return and any needed actions
Employee Experience Processes Serve as a subject matter expert in performance management, including our performance rating process, and employee engagement
Lead and influence people leaders to drive the best outcomes, elevating engagement and performance to best in class results, through effective goal and expectation setting, feedback, and performance evaluation and strong engagement actions
Metrics, Reporting & Analytics Track employee relations activity using case management systems and generate trend analysis for HR and business leaders.
Create executive-ready reports to inform business decisions and track follow-up actions.
Cross-Functional Collaboration Partner closely with HR Business Partners to align on talent strategies, organizational health, and leader coaching.
Escalate systemic concerns or repeated leader behaviors with potential enterprise risk implications.
Support return-to-work and LOA-related challenges where ER concerns intersect with accommodations or performance.
On-going monitoring of key indicators of team member and team health, proactively collaborating with leaders and HR Business Partners to mitigate regrettable turnover and increase engagement.