Sr. Manager, Associate Relations Operations & Governance

GEICO•Bethesda, MD

5d•$115,825 - $189,625

About The Position

This role is responsible for translating Associate Relations strategy into consistent, high‑quality execution across the enterprise. You will lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of workflows, governance standards, and quality mechanisms that ensure fair, consistent, and defensible outcomes in the delivery of associate relations work. The focus is on strengthening the operational backbone of the function—establishing clear expectations, standardizing processes, improving decision consistency, and enabling teams through tools, templates, documentation, and training. This role partners closely with Associate Relations leadership, HR, Legal, and Compliance to ensure execution aligns with enterprise standards and risk requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field; relevant certifications preferred.
8–10 years of experience in Associate Relations, Employee Relations, HR Operations, or a related field.
Strong experience designing and improving processes, workflows, or operating procedures in complex organizations.
Working knowledge of employment law, investigations processes, and employee relations risk.
Experience building or leading quality assurance, audit, or governance programs.
Proven ability to translate strategy into practical tools, processes, and standards.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on operational rigor and continuous improvement.
Excellent communication skills with the ability to drive clarity, consistency, and adoption across teams.
High attention to detail, sound judgment, and commitment to fairness and consistency.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and continuously improve end-to-end Associate Relations workflows, including case intake, triage, investigation, escalation, and resolution.
Standardize processes across teams to drive consistency, efficiency, and scalability.
Define and operationalize service expectations (e.g., SLAs, case handling standards, documentation requirements).
Identify process gaps and inefficiencies; lead initiatives to streamline workflows and reduce variability in execution.
Establish and maintain governance frameworks that ensure consistent, fair, and defensible decision-making across cases.
Develop and enforce standards for investigations, corrective actions, and policy interpretation.
Partner with Legal and Compliance to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements and risk mitigation strategies.
Conduct structured reviews of complex or high-risk cases to ensure adherence to standards and sound judgment.
Build and lead a formal quality assurance program, including audits, case reviews, and calibration sessions.
Define quality metrics and monitor adherence to standards across the function.
Identify trends in decision variability, documentation quality, and investigative rigor; drive targeted improvements.
Partner with leadership to implement corrective actions and elevate overall function maturity.
Develop, standardize, and maintain core tools and templates (e.g., investigation plans, interview guides, case summaries, decision frameworks).
Ensure clear, consistent documentation standards that support defensibility and transparency.
Partner with technology teams (e.g., HR systems, HR Acuity) to optimize system workflows, data capture, and reporting.
Design and deliver training programs for Associate Relations team members and HR partners on processes, tools, and expectations.
Establish onboarding and continuous learning frameworks to build consistency in investigative approach and decision-making.
Lead calibration forums to align on standards, judgment, and interpretation of policies.
Reinforce expectations for documentation quality, case management discipline, and consistency in execution.
Track and analyze operational and quality metrics (e.g., cycle times, adherence to SLAs, quality scores, rework rates).
Identify systemic issues affecting consistency, efficiency, or risk.
Provide regular reporting and insights to Associate Relations leadership to inform improvements and decision-making.