Employee Relations Investigator

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity…YOU!!!

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description

The City of Richmond is seeking a dedicated and experienced Employee Relations Investigator to join its Human Resources Department. This critical role is responsible for conducting workplace investigations, ensuring compliance with employment laws and policies, and fostering a fair and equitable work environment. Preferred experience includes working with public safety agencies such as police, fire, and emergency services.

The Employee Relations Investigator will be responsible for handling complex workplace investigations related to employee misconduct, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and policy violations. This position requires strong analytical and investigative skills, sound judgment, and the ability to manage sensitive matters with confidentiality and professionalism.

Duties include but are not limited to

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS/RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES:

• Lead thorough and impartial investigations into workplace complaints, including interviews, evidence collection, and report preparation.
• Ensure investigations align with city policies, employment laws (EEO, ADA, FMLA, Title VII), and best practices.
• Prepare detailed investigative reports with factual findings and recommendations.
• Advise management and HR on appropriate corrective actions and workplace resolutions.
• Work closely with police, fire, and emergency services leadership to handle employee relations matters within public safety agencies.
• Assist in developing training programs to prevent workplace misconduct and promote a culture of respect and accountability.
• Serve as a liaison between HR, legal counsel, labor representatives, and department heads to resolve workplace disputes.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion and impartiality.
• Excellent report-writing, documentation, and analytical skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to interact with diverse employee groups.
• Experience conducting interviews, gathering evidence, and analyzing case findings.
• Ability to work independently while maintaining a collaborative approach with city leadership.

• Bachelor’s degree Disciplines Preferred: Human Resources; Business; Public Administration
• Minimum of 5 years of employee relations, HR investigations, or labor relations experience.
• Preferred experience working in or investigating cases within public safety organizations (law enforcement, fire, EMS, corrections).
• Experience handling workplace grievances, conducting disciplinary investigations, and mediating disputes.
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (approved by the department) maybe used to meet the minimum experience qualification of this classification.

• HRCI HR Certification (PHR/SPHR) or SHRM HR Certification (SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP) is required upon hire or obtained within 6 months after initial hire date
• Certification in Human Resources: SPHR, PHR, SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, or equivalent in HR field preferred

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. The essential duties of this classification may require the ability to regularly finger, talk, hear, see, and perform repetitive motions; frequently walk; and occasionally stoop, reach, stand, push, pull, lift, grasp, and feel. The working conditions may contain environmental hazards. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Jessica McKenzie, Human Resources Manager by email at Jessica.McKenzie@RVA.GOV.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.

With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".

The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.