Sr. Employee Relations Specialist

Overview

The Senior Employee Relations leads the ER agenda for their market and oversees the local ER team (ER Specialist and Senior ER Specialist) within a global ER framework. This role is responsible for delivering the full range of ER services, including policy guidance, consultation, conflict and grievance resolution, performance management support, change management, investigations, corrective actions, and ER training.The Senior Employee Relations Specialist is accountable for ensuring ER support is high‑quality, consistent, and timely, while also providing strong leadership to the local ER team. A key part of the role is applying global standards in a way that aligns with local labor law and reflects local cultural norms

 

HOW YOU’LL MAKE AN IMPACT:

 

Investigations•    Lead the most complex, high- risk, and high- visibility investigation in the market, including conducting interviews, analyzing evidence, and preparing clear, well supported findings and recommendations. •    Assign and oversee investigation handled by the junior ER team. Review investigation plans, interviews, and reports to endure quality, objectivity and partner closely with Legal and Compliance teams to ensure legal defensibility•    Oversee fact finding for moderate complexity matters and guide junior team members on approach and best practices.•    Oversee and coach the ER Specialist on lower complexity investigations, providing feedback on approach, documentation, and reporting.•    Partner with the Manager and Legal/Compliance on investigations with elevated legal or reputational risk.•    Ensure all investigative work follows established protocols, maintains strict confidentiality, and is documented accurately in HR systems.

Policy Guidance & ER Support•    Serve as the primary advisor on HR and ER policy questions in the market, providing nuanced guidance that aligns with local labor law and global frameworks.•    Shape and maintain local SOPs, templates, and ER resources, ensuring consistency and continuous improvement.•    Partner with HR and business leaders to interpret policy, assess risk, and support sound decision making.•    Lead or co‑lead the localization and governance of global policies for the market, partnering with Global ER, Legal, and Compliance to develop country‑specific guidance and governance practices.•    Oversee monitoring of changes in local employment law and ensure timely updates to policies, processes, and training.

Grievance & Conflict Resolution•    Lead the most complex and high risk grievances and workplace complaints in the market, while guiding and supervising the ER team on other conflict and grievance cases.•    Lead mediation and dispute‑resolution efforts and coach the ER Specialist and HRBPs on effective conflict‑management approaches.•     Lead the most complex and high risk grievances and workplace complaints in the market, while guiding and supervising the ER team on other conflict and grievance cases.•    Facilitate mediation and alternative dispute resolution processes for multi party, senior level, or highly sensitive matters; coach the ER team on handling standard and moderately complex mediations.•    Set expectations for documentation quality and review grievance records to ensure confidentiality, accuracy, and completeness

Performance Management •    Provide expert guidance on complex performance management situations, including senior level roles, repeated issues, or cases with potential legal risk.•    Oversee the design and quality of performance improvement plans (PIPs) developed by the ER team, ensuring they are fair, rigorous, and compliant.•    Partner with business leaders and HRBPs to identify broader performance trends and assign ER team members to support targeted interventions•    Coach people leaders on navigating sensitive and complex performance conversations.

Change Management

•    Serve as the ER workstream owner for major change initiatives in the market (e.g., restructures, site changes, policy rollouts), with the ER team supporting specific workstreams.•    Ensure change initiatives are implemented fairly, transparently, and in compliance with local legal requirements, with consistent execution across the ER team.•    Oversee ER contributions to change communications, manager toolkits, FAQs, and employee support resources.

Corrective Action •    Provide authoritative recommendations on corrective and disciplinary actions in complex or high stakes matters and validate corrective action decisions proposed by the ER team.•    Ensure all corrective actions—whether handled directly or through the ER team—are fair, consistent, and compliant with local labor law and global policy.•    Analyze corrective action trends to identify root causes and lead or sponsor initiatives that strengthen manager capability and improve practices.

 

Training & Education•    Set the ER learning strategy for the market and oversee the design and delivery of ER‑related training by the ER team.•    Personally deliver training for high‑impact audiences (e.g., senior leaders) while coaching the ER team to facilitate sessions for managers, HR, and employees.•    Ensure the team develops and maintains market‑specific ER resources (playbooks, guidelines, templates, FAQs) that support self‑service and consistent practice.•    Represent the market in global ER learning and best‑practice forums, sharing insights and trends from local ER work.

 

ER Team Management    •    Directly manage the Employee Relations Specialist and Employee Relations Coordinator, including:•    Assigning workload and cases across the team•    Setting clear goals and managing performance•    Providing coaching, feedback, and development planning•    Supporting career growth aligned with ER career paths and organizational needs•    Foster a collaborative, learning‑focused team culture that emphasizes high standards, continuous improvement, and a strong employee experience.

 

Additional duties as assigned

TEAM DYNAMICS:

 

We’re building our Global Employee Relations team from the ground up, which means you’ll be part of shaping how ER shows up across the company for years to come. This is a truly global effort—supporting employees and leaders in different regions, cultures, and regulatory environments.

We partner closely with our HR Business Partners, Ethics & Compliance, and Legal teams to ensure we’re approaching situations with consistency, fairness, and a shared commitment to our values. It’s a highly collaborative space where thoughtful problem‑solving and strong relationships really matter. If you enjoy meaningful work that helps create a positive, trusted employee experience, this is a team where you can make a real impact.

 

Job Qualifications

QUALIFICATIONS FOR SUCCESS:

 

Education•    Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Law, Business, Psychology, or a related field, or equivalent experience. Advanced degree or professional certification preferred.

 

Experience•    5+ years of progressive HR or Employee Relations experience, with substantial experience managing complex investigations, grievances, and high risk cases, plus prior experience influencing or leading others (directly or indirectly).

 

Technical and professional skills•    Strong, practical knowledge of local labor and employment law basics and strong motivation to deepen ER knowledge. •    Deep expertise in conducting investigations and ER case management.•    Proven ability in designing and delivering ER related training and communicating complex issues to non experts. •    Strong written and verbal communication skills in local language; working English proficiency is required.•    Proficiency of HRIS and case management tools; comfortable with basic ER data and trend analysis.•    Exceptional integrity, discretion, and sound judgment when handling confidential, sensitive and high- stakes matters. •    Advanced conflict resolution, mediation, and interpersonal skills; able to manage emotionally charged situations calmly and constructively. Ability to coach others in these skills.•    High emotional intelligence and cultural sensitivity, able to build trust and influence across levels and cultures. •    Strong people leadership and coaching capabilities, with a track record of developing others and raising standards. •    Strong business acumen and strategic thinking, aligning ER approaches and team priorities with business objectives. •    Comfortable working in a matrixed, global environment, balancing global standards with local needs and representing Mexico in global ER discussions.