Senior HR Advisor, Americas

Cognite • Phoenix, AZ

10d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior HR Advisor, Americas serves as the regional center of excellence for employment compliance, independent investigations, and policy architecture. This senior individual contributor is the technical authority across Cognite’s Americas footprint, partnering with People Operations on day-to-day workflows and collaborating with People Business Partners, global colleagues, and the VP, P&O Operations & Rewards. The role is based at Cognite’s headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, with a hybrid schedule requiring three days per week in the office.

The role owns and modernizes US employee policies and handbooks, maintains audit-ready policies across the states where Cognite employs people, translates legal developments into practical guidance, and supports policy harmonization during Cognite’s integration with Schneider Electric. It also handles complex employee relations matters and investigations, escalates specialized matters to Legal, and provides senior compliance support for complex leaves, accommodations, and US immigration cases.

The Senior HR Advisor coaches managers, identifies workplace trends and systemic risks, and collaborates with PBPs and P&O leadership to address root causes. The role also helps advance AI-first ways of working by using HiBob, AI tools, and automation to improve policy access, HR delivery, and insights, while retaining human judgment and working closely with teams in the US, Norway, and India.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of progressive HR advisory, employee relations, generalist, or HRBP experience, including hands-on US case and leave experience across multiple states.
• Command of FMLA, ADA, Title VII, state paid leave, and wage-and-hour rules, with sound judgment about when to involve Legal or outside counsel.
• Track record of independently leading sensitive investigations and reaching clear, defensible outcomes.
• Demonstrated success reviewing, drafting, and implementing handbooks and policies, with emphasis on clarity, accessibility, and multi-state compliance.
• Experience in a scaling technology, SaaS, or software company; ideally including acquisition or integration work and policy and benefits harmonization.
• Ability to work as a senior individual contributor, driving initiatives from strategy through delivery, owning outcomes, and influencing managers and PBPs.
• Confident, articulate, proactive communication, executive presence, and excellent written communication.
• Calm, discreet, and fair approach under pressure.
• Experience collaborating across a global matrix and with local People Operations teams, including working across time zones with colleagues in Norway and India.
• Curiosity and a point of view on AI, with current or anticipated use of tools such as Claude and automation to scale advisory work while keeping human judgment in the loop.

Nice To Haves

• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent certification, or a law degree.
• Experience with HiBob or a comparable HRIS and a ticketing tool such as Jira Service Management.
• Experience building or running AI-assisted HR workflows, such as knowledge bases, case summaries, or first-line answers.
• Experience with an ethics hotline or speak-up program and audit readiness (SOX or similar).
• Experience with benefits vendors, brokers, or a PEO, and with immigration vendors.
• Direct experience supporting HR due diligence, integration, or post-merger organizational transitions.
• Experience with multi-state employment.

Responsibilities

• Own, review, assess, modernize, and implement the US Employee Handbook and regional policies, prioritizing clarity and practical usability.
• Use lessons from real employee cases to recommend policy improvements and drive their implementation.
• Maintain policies across the states where Cognite employs people, ensuring they are current and ready for audit and governance reviews, including SOX-style controls.
• Monitor relevant laws and regulations and translate them into accessible guidance for managers and employees across the multi-state workforce.
• Partner with the VP, P&O Operations & Rewards and the M&A working group to evaluate, align, and draft harmonized policy frameworks during integration with Schneider Electric.
• Partner on challenging employee relations matters involving conflict, complaints, conduct, and performance.
• Work with internal and external counsel on specialized employment matters, litigation prevention, and regulatory updates.
• Provide Tier-3 compliance and escalation support for complex or disputed leaves, including FMLA, medical, and parental leave, and lead high-risk ADA interactive accommodation processes.
• Coordinate with Global Mobility and external immigration counsel on specialized US immigration cases and Department of Homeland Security compliance requirements.
• Coach managers, with PBPs, on objective disciplinary documentation, fair employment practices, workplace conduct, and difficult policy conversations.
• Identify regional workplace themes and systemic trends, and provide data to PBPs and P&O leadership to address root causes.
• Use AI tools responsibly in everyday advisory work, retaining accountability for decisions.
• Use HiBob and automation to simplify policy lookup, improve delivery speed, and strengthen HR insights.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Norway, India, and the US, including participation in weekly case reviews with People Operations and PBPs.
• Bridge global subject matter expertise and local execution, adapting global frameworks to US standards.
• Navigate ambiguous and fast-changing situations with agility, resilience, and a hands-on builder mindset.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Competitive health, dental, vision, and disability coverage for employees and dependents
• Unlimited PTO
• Paid Parental Leave Program
• Employee Referral Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed