Senior Director, Employee Relations & Compliance

Okta•Chicago, IL

1d•$232,000 - $325,000

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and highly experienced Senior Director of Employee Relations and Compliance (ER&C) to lead our global Employee Relations and Compliance function. This role is pivotal in defining how we build and maintain trust, ensure fairness, mitigate risk, and provide employee support across the organization. You will be responsible for scaling ER&C operations, navigating complex and high-visibility employee matters, and partnering with Legal, Senior Leaders, and HR partners to strengthen the organizational culture and enhance the workplace experience. This leader will balance strategic influence with hands-on operational excellence, build and mentor a global team of ER&C professionals, drive data-informed improvements, and ensure our practices are not only consistent and equitable but also agile enough to support a rapidly scaling, global technology company.

Requirements

10+ years progressive experience in employee relations, employment law, or HR leadership in a global, fast-paced tech or similar environment.
Proven track record leading global ER&C functions, scaling global processes, and leveraging metrics for large, complex global organizations.
Deep proficiency in investigations, conflict resolution, risk mitigation, global compliance, and performance management.
Exceptional judgment with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
Ability to translate data and trends into action.
Strong coach and mentor with demonstrated ability to develop ER&C talent.
High emotional intelligence and empathy balanced with sound business judgment.
Credibility as a partner to senior stakeholders.
Comfort navigating ambiguity and change with urgency and care.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading ER&C across global, hybrid, and distributed environments.
Familiarity with employment law and compliance frameworks across key jurisdictions.
Background in technology, software, or high-growth industries.
JD or relevant legal expertise.

Responsibilities

Define and evolve the global ER strategy, frameworks, and policies to align with our high-growth trajectory.
Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing global team, fostering a culture of trusted partnership and expert issue management.
Drive key strategic initiatives, including the integration of ER&C processes into HR systems such as ServiceNow and Workday, and ensure compliance with emerging regulations, such as the EU Pay Transparency Directive.
Serve as the lead escalation point for the most complex and sensitive ER&C matters, including large-scale organizational changes and crisis situations.
Oversee complex investigations, ensuring outcomes are consistent, legally sound, and reinforce our company values.
Proactively identify and mitigate ER&C risks by analyzing trends and anticipating systemic issues before they impact the business.
Partner with Legal and Security on any escalations and mitigate active risk while assessing root cause and developing remediation plans.
Champion the use of ER&C analytics to deliver insights that inform business decisions, shape policy, and improve the employee experience.
Translate complex data into clear, strategic recommendations for senior leadership that drive proactive organizational and process changes.
Evolve our reporting capabilities to measure the impact and efficiency of ER&C programs and services.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, People Business Partners, and COEs on organizational design, leadership effectiveness, and critical ER&C decisions.
Partner with Legal, Compliance, Security, and HR COEs to design and implement robust policies, training, and incident response protocols.
Enhance manager capability and accountability in handling complex workplace concerns through targeted, data-informed enablement.