Senior Compliance Partner

REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.)•Seattle, WA

About The Position

The Senior Compliance Partner, Employee Compliance plays a critical role in strengthening REI’s enterprise employee compliance capabilities. This role is responsible for designing, operationalizing, and monitoring compliance programs that support adherence to federal, state, and local employment laws and internal policies. Working in close partnership with the Director of Compliance & Employee Relations, Legal, HR Business Partners, and Operations, this role focuses on prevention, consistency, and risk intelligence rather than case execution. The Senior Compliance Partner enables scalable compliance practices that support a fair, equitable, and legally compliant workplace as REI continues to grow in complexity and geographic reach. The role operates independently within established compliance frameworks and escalation protocols, exercising judgment in identifying, analyzing, and escalating compliance risks to the Director. It does not routinely conduct employee relations investigations or serve as a primary case handler, influencing outcomes through expertise, data, and partnership rather than direct authority.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Legal Studies, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
7+ years of progressive experience in employee compliance, employee relations, HR, or a related field.
Strong working knowledge of U.S. employment laws and regulatory requirements.
Experience operating in a multistate, multisite, or retail environment.
Demonstrated ability to translate legal or regulatory requirements into practical, scalable solutions.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting or partnering closely with Employee Relations or Legal teams.
Background in compliance audits, risk assessments, or regulatory response.
Proven analytical skills with experience using data to identify trends and inform decisions.
Comfort working in ambiguity and influencing without formal authority.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain enterprise employee compliance programs aligned with applicable employment laws and regulations (e.g., EEO, ADA, FMLA, wage & hour, OSHA, I9).
Establish and manage compliance calendars, required reviews, audits, and documentation standards.
Support audit readiness by maintaining accurate records, controls, and evidence of compliance activities.
Partner with Legal and the Director to monitor legislative and regulatory changes and assess organizational impact.
Analyze trends across employee relations cases, investigations, complaints, and audits to identify systemic compliance risks.
Develop early warning indicators and dashboards to surface emerging risk areas and recurring issues.
Provide regular insights and recommendations to the Director of Compliance & Employee Relations to inform prioritization and decision making.
Support preparation of materials and reporting for senior leadership and governance forums as needed.
Conduct compliance reviews of employment policies and practices to ensure alignment with legal requirements and enterprise standards.
Partner with HR COEs and Legal to recommend updates to policies, guidelines, and practices based on regulatory changes or risk trends.
Define compliance-related training requirements and partner with Learning & Development to support delivery and tracking.
Create tools, templates, and guidance that enable HRBPs and leaders to operate compliantly and consistently.
Serve as a key compliance subject matter partner to HRBPs, Employee Relations, Operations, and Legal.
Provide consultation and guidance on compliance considerations related to workforce actions, programs, and initiatives.
Support the Director of Compliance & Employee Relations in interactions with regulatory agencies, audits, or inquiries, as needed.
Contribute to enterprise initiatives focused on workforce stability, equity, and risk mitigation.