CNA Financial Corporation

Employee Relations Director

CNA Financial Corporation • $97K — $189K *
Chicago, IL 60629In-Person
Business Services
8 - 10 years of experience
2 months ago
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree required
  • Minimum of ten years in employee relations
  • At least five years in a management role
  • Deep knowledge of federal and state employment laws
  • Strong problem-solving and communication skills
  • Proven leadership and team-building capabilities
  • Data-driven mindset for identifying trends

Responsibilities

  • Lead and coach a high-performing Employee Relations team
  • Oversee the intake and assessment of Employee Relations matters
  • Conduct complex investigations and ensure resolution
  • Ensure quality and consistency in team investigations and reporting
  • Monitor case documentation and use analytics for continuous improvement
  • Act as a subject matter expert on employee relations strategies and conflict resolution
  • Lead special projects to enhance Employee Relations practices

Benefits

  • Hybrid work arrangement
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Focus on inclusive team culture
  • Engagement in shaping Employee Relations practices
  • Access to cross-departmental partnerships
  • Involvement in high-impact organizational initiatives
Full Job Description
The Employee Relations Director is a high-impact enterprise leader responsible for shaping how Employee Relations drives trust, fairness, and risk mitigation across the organization. This role leads and coaches a high-performing team while setting the standard for thoughtful, data-informed investigations and consistent case management practices.

As a strategic advisor to HR and business leaders, this individual brings strong judgment and a forward-looking lens to varied ER matters. Combining hands-on expertise with a continuous improvement mindset, the Employee Relations Director elevates ER practices, enables better decision-making, and delivers clear, people-centered solutions that strengthen culture and support business performance. The successful candidate brings proven ER leadership, strong investigative and analytical acumen, and a track record of influencing stakeholders to deliver consistent, risk-informed outcomes.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Performs a combination of leadership and individual-contributor responsibilities in accordance with departmental guidelines:
  • Provides day-to-day leadership for a team of Employee Relations professionals, including hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, development planning, and employee engagement.
  • Establishes team priorities and manages intake, triage, and assignment of Employee Relations matters; provides escalation support, ensures appropriate resourcing, and drives timely and effective case progression.
  • Personally leads complex and sensitive investigations from intake through resolution, including investigation planning, evidence gathering, interviews, documentation, findings, recommendations, alignment on outcomes, and communication of results.
  • Provides oversight and quality review of team-managed investigations and casework, coaching on investigative techniques, report writing, policy application, and recommendation development to ensure consistency and defensibility.
  • Ensures accurate, timely documentation and reporting of all cases within the case management system; establishes expectations, monitors data quality, and uses case trends and metrics to inform priorities and continuous improvement.
  • Serves as a subject matter expert, providing consultation to leaders, HR Business Partners, and HR COEs on employee relations strategy, conflict resolution, performance management, and risk mitigation; aligns approach across their team and supports complex escalations.
  • Conducts or oversees additional investigatory and employee relations matters as assigned; ensuring all investigative work is completed professionally, impartially, and in alignment with corporate guidelines and industry standards.
  • Leads special projects and initiatives to enhance Employee Relations practices and capabilities (e.g., process design, playbooks, training, and continuous improvement), partnering across HR COEs and the business.

May perform additional duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities
  • Proven people leadership capability, including coaching, delegation, feedback, and talent development, with a demonstrated ability to build and sustain a high-performing, inclusive team culture.
  • Strong operational leadership skills, including the ability to establish and maintain an effective operating cadence (intake/triage, case reviews, workload management) and drive consistent, high-quality ER practices across a team.
  • Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust and effectively engage with leadership, HR partners, and employees at all levels of the organization.
  • Advanced investigative and analytical expertise, including the ability to synthesize complex evidence, assess credibility, identify patterns and themes, and translate findings into clear, practical, and actionable recommendations.
  • Sound judgment and decision-making ability, including the capacity to navigate ambiguity, manage high sensitivity matters, and balance business, legal and employee considerations.
  • Deep knowledge of federal and state employment laws, HR policies, and employee relations best practices, with the ability to translate requirements into practical guidance for leaders and the ER team.
  • Strong time management and organizational skills with the ability to balance team leadership responsibilities and an individual caseload while managing multiple matters with appropriate urgency and follow-through.
  • Data-driven mindset, with the ability to leverage case data to identify trends, communicate insights, and drive preventive actions (e.g., training, leader guidance, policy clarification, and process improvements).
  • High level of integrity, professionalism and discretion, with the ability to maintain confidentiality, build credibility, and trusted partnerships with customers, peers, direct reports, and company leadership.
  • Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage and resolve complex, sensitive situations with balanced, practical solutions.


Education & Experience
  • Bachelor's degree required
  • A minimum of ten years related work experience in the employee relations field.
  • At least five years' management experience


#LI-MR1

#LI-Hybrid

About CNA Financial Corporation

CNA Financial Corporation provides commercial property and casualty insurance products primarily in the United States. It offers professional liability coverages and risk management services to various professional firms, including architects, real estate agents, and accounting and law firms; directors and officers, employment practices, fiduciary, and fidelity coverages to small and mid-size firms, public and privately held firms, and not-for-profit organizations; and commercial property, general liability, cyber liability, umbrella, and excess liability, as well as various other property and casualty coverages for healthcare institutions, professional services firms, and other specialized industries. The company also provides warranty and service contracts for consumer goods, and extended service contracts for consumer automobiles and recreational vehicles; and accident and health, and group life insurance products. In addition, it offers management and professional liability insurance and risk management services, as well as other specialized property and casualty coverages to various healthcare organizations, including hospitals, physician groups, and nursing homes. The company markets its products through independent agents, brokers, and general underwriters to various customers, including small, medium, and large businesses; insurance companies; associations; and other industry groups. CNA Financial Corporation was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Learn more about CNA Financial Corporation
Size
5,600 employees
Market Cap
$11.2 billion
Industry
Finance & Insurance
Net Income
$690 million
Founded
1973
5 Year Trend
+4.7%
Revenue
$10.8 billion
NASDAQ
CNA
* Ladders Estimates

Similar Jobs

Ad banner background

Get Ready For Your
Next Interview

More Jobs at CNA Financial Corporation

More Business Services Jobs

Find similar Employee Relations Director jobs:

NationwideChicago, IL