Employee Relations Director

Unified Women’s Healthcare is a leading care management platform focused on the highly fragmented $55bn women’s health market. Founded in 2009 as a single specialty management services organization to support OBGYN practices, Unified has since grown to a market-leading platform, affiliated with over 2,500 physicians across 18 states.

Unified offers comprehensive clinical, operational, and data-intensive infrastructure to support all non-clinical business functions, allowing providers to focus on high-quality care and trusting relationships with their patients. Additionally, Unified is a leader in value-based care, with partnerships across national payers and high-profile Blues plans.

As the Employee Relations Director, you will play a crucial role in fostering a positive work environment by managing and resolving workplace issues, conflicts, and concerns for both corporate staff as well as staff aligned with our affiliated practices. You will collaborate with various stakeholders to implement strategies that promote employee engagement, satisfaction, and adherence to company policies. This role requires a seasoned business-driven HR professional with a strong background in employee relations, conflict resolution, mediation, and a deep understanding of employment laws.

Responsible for creating an ER Center of Excellence and oversee Employee Relations programs, policies and procedures across Unified’s corporate staff and clinical and non-clinical staff with affiliated markets. Helps council employees and business leaders on issues related to EEO, ADA, performance and termination guidelines.

This role reports to the SVP of HR and will manage a team of 4-5 Employee Relations professionals.

Build ER Center of Excellence:

• Build ER COE organization including defining roles and responsibilities, hiring / transferring talent to the team and managing the change with business leaders, market leaders and the broader HR team
• Lead the development/refinement and implementation of employee relations policies, procedures, and best practices that align with organizational values, legal requirements, and industry standards
• Ensure policies are communicated effectively across HR and with key stakeholders – including managers and practice administrators – and provide guidance on their interpretation and application

Employee Relations Investigations:

• Investigate and resolve complex employee relations issues, including workplace conflicts, complaints, and grievances in a fair and timely manner that is aligned with the Employee Handbook.
• Advise and guide management on employee relations matters to ensure fair and consistent application of policies and procedures and negotiate recommended actions with customers to mitigate risks.
• Partner with Legal as needed to mitigate risk on complex employee relations issues.

Conflict Resolution:

• Mediate and facilitate resolution of conflicts between employees, teams, or departments.
• Provide coaching and counseling to managers and employees on conflict resolution techniques and effective communication strategies.

Policy Development and Compliance:

• Stay current with employment laws and regulations, ensuring company policies and procedures are in compliance. Presents to affiliated Clinical Governance Boards to gain approval on ER-related policy and procedure updates as needed.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders – including legal counsel, compliance and other policy committees to develop, review, and update relevant HR policies and procedures.

Training and Development:

• Develop and deliver training programs on employee relations topics for managers and employees.
• Provide guidance on performance management and disciplinary actions to ensure consistency and fairness.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate and thorough documentation of employee relations cases.
• Prepare regular reports on employee relations metrics, trends, and recommendations for improvement with HR leadership on a regular (e.g., weekly) cadence.
• Partners with Legal, Compliance and HR leaders to implement technology, tools and systems for ER-related case management and documentation.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field. Master’s degree or relevant certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR, employment law) is a plus.
• 10 years of progressive experience in employee relations roles, with a focus on conflict resolution and HR compliance.
• In-depth knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and best practices.
• Strong communication, collaboration, interpersonal, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing employee engagement initiatives.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Experience managing a specialized team of HR/Employee Relations professionals.
• Knowledge of SalesForce
• Ability to demonstrate initiative, critical thinking