Our client, a top bank, is looking for a junior to midlevel employment law associate with harassment and discrimination investigation experience. Please note this is not a role in the Legal Department.
Role
Employee Relations role serves as a partner to our HR Business Partner function as well as to internal counsel with regard to matters of employee relations. The individual in this role would leverage a combined expert knowledge of U.S. HR policies/procedures, employment law, and knowledge of the Bank’s various business lines (and subsidiary companies), day-to-day operations, systems and technology to provides timely, efficient, innovative, and value-added solutions tailored specifically to a business line’s operational needs on serious and high risk employment related issues and concerns; and acts as a subject matter expert for all U.S. ER needs. This role would lead strategic and tactical efforts for all aspects of Employee Relations at the combined U.S. Operations level.
Responsibilities:
- Consults with HR Business Partners and the Legal Department concerning employee relations issues.
- As a non-practicing attorney role, use of sensitivity and subject matter expertise as to US employment laws and regulations, with a specific awareness and facility over issues of attorney-client privilege, confidentiality rules, and the separation of the investigator and counsel. Requires working closely with our in-house employment counsel, referring matters to such counsel for legal analysis, interpretation, and advice to HR and the business.
- Conducts and facilitates complex, sensitive and time-critical ER investigations. Sources and reviews related documents. Documents investigative path, recommendations, and resolution. Writes investigative summaries in a clear, concise and legally defensible manner.
- Serves as objective third party in reviewing terminations and disciplinary actions.
- Engages relevant stakeholders and provides trusted advice and recommends remedial measures, as appropriate.
- Works closely with cross-functional HR partners as well as partners in the business, i.e. IT security, risk, compliance, audit and legal as needed.
- Ensures fair and consistent employment practices are in place and being followed; may provide large scale or 1:1 training as appropriate.
- Designs, delivers and executes large-scale projects or initiatives that involve reductions, integrations, new policy/programs, HR tools and training to promote positive management practices across the enterprise.
- Conducts research and benchmarking related to projects, initiatives, and process improvements to drive positive employee relations and management practice.
- Creates and tracks data to identify trends; recommends remedial actions.
- Keeps abreast of legal and regulatory requirements; communicates and updates related policies according.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 5 years of HR and employment law/legal experience
- Specialized employee relations and employment law experience in the financial services industry
- Bachelor and JD degree required
- Ideal candidate is a non-practicing employment attorney
- Excellent strategic and tactical investigation skills
- High influencing, negotiation and conflict resolution skills
- Works well in a complex, matrixed environment. Experience working with multiple partner groups including but not limited to Legal Counsel & Compliance professionals
- Advanced relationship management skills
- Solutions driven and customer service oriented
- Understanding of financial services business model
- Demonstrate the highest of standards of ethics, integrity, honesty, diversity and discretion
- Leadership capability
- Emotional intelligence and the ability to adapt to different cultures
