Job TitleEmployee Relations Lead
Job DescriptionPosition SummaryWe are seeking an experienced and proactive Employee Relations Lead to support Vanderlande's North American operations. This role will serve as the Regional Employee Relations subject matter expert and Centre of Excellence lead, ensuring that Vanderlande excels in employee relations best practices, case governance, manager capability, documentation standards, and consistent application of policies and processes.
The Employee Relations Lead will manage and advise on complex employee relations matters, while also building scalable tools, training, frameworks, and best practices that strengthen the way employee relations is handled across North America.
Essential Functions / Responsibilities- Serve as the regional Employee Relations Lead and subject matter expert for North America, providing guidance and escalation support within the HR Partner Team.
- Lead, advise on, and support complex employee relations matters, including workplace concerns, complaints, investigations, conflict resolution, policy violations, performance issues, and corrective action processes.
- Conduct or guide objective and timely investigations, ensuring appropriate documentation, confidentiality, consistency, and follow-through.
- Design, implement, and continuously improve ER best practices, governance, tools, templates, playbooks, investigation protocols, documentation standards, and escalation criteria.
- Drive consistent and high-quality case handling across locations and business groups, balancing employee experience, compliance, risk, and business needs.
- Recommend, design, and deliver training on critical ER topics.
- Build practical manager and HR resources, including checklists, guides, scripts, and toolkits that strengthen manager capability and promote proactive issue resolution.
- Coach People Managers & HR Partners colleagues through sensitive employee situations while building long-term self-sufficiency.
- Analyze ER trends, case themes, root causes, and risks; provide recommendations to HR leadership on preventive actions, policy/process improvements, and capability-building priorities.
- Partner with Legal, HR leadership, global HR teams, and business leaders on high-risk matters and continuous improvement initiatives that help Vanderlande North America excel in ER best practice.
Required Qualifications and Experience- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, Employment Law, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may also be considered.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive HR experience, including significant employee relations experience.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations cases and conducting or advising on workplace investigations.
- Strong knowledge of U.S. employment practices and employee relations best practices; multi-state experience is preferred.
- Experience developing or improving ER processes, governance models, playbooks or templates.
- Experience designing, recommending, or facilitating manager training on HR or employee relations topics.
- Excellent judgment, curiosity, discretion, confidentiality, and professional integrity.
- Strong conflict resolution, coaching, facilitation, and influencing skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document complex matters clearly and objectively.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, with the ability to identify trends, root causes, and practical recommendations.
- Experience with Workday or a similar HRIS/case management system is an asset.
Preferred Qualifications- SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, PHR, or another relevant HR certification.
- Experience supporting manufacturing, technology, engineering, service, logistics, airport, or operational environments.
- Experience supporting employees and managers across multiple North American locations.
- Familiarity with Canadian employee relations practices is considered an asset.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills
What We Are Looking For- A trusted Employee Relations expert who can build credibility with employees, managers, HR partners, and leaders.
- A best-practice oriented lead who can create structure, governance, tools, and standards that raise the quality of ER work across the region.
- A practical coach who helps managers navigate sensitive employee situations while building their long-term capability.
- A collaborative partner who can influence without direct authority and create a consistent service experience.
- A continuous improvement mindset with the ability to translate ER trends into meaningful action.
- A professional with strong accountability, sound judgment, discretion, and a passion for fair and positive workplace practices.
- Vanderlande North America is positioned as a model of Employee Relations best practice within the broader organization.
Travel:- This role requires up to 25% travel domestically and internationally.
Other Duties:- Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
