Employee Relations Consultant

About the Role:
The Employee Relations Consultant serves as an enterprise-level advisor and subject matter expert, providing independent, consultative guidance on complex and high-risk employee relations matters. This role operates with significant autonomy and judgment, advising leaders, HR partners, and cross-functional stakeholders on sensitive workforce issues that require a balance of legal risk mitigation, business outcomes, and employee experience. The ER consultant is accountable for end-to-end leadership of employee relations investigations.
The ER Consultant leads and influences outcomes in situations involving elevated complexity, ambiguity, or reputational risk, and plays a key role in building organizational and HR capability through coaching, consultation, and continuous improvement.
What You'll Do:

• Enterprise ER Consulting & Risk Management
• Serve as a trusted consultant on medium- to high-risk employee relations matters, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, workplace misconduct, and complex performance or behavioral concerns.
• Provide strategic, defensible guidance to leaders and HR partners on risk mitigation, corrective action, and disciplinary decisions, ensuring alignment with employment law, company policy, and enterprise values.
• Exercise independent judgment in navigating situations where legal exposure, business priorities, and employee experience intersect.
• Labor Relations
• Participates in formulating labor relations strategies, policies, and practices to support employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
• Represents the Company during contract negotiations as part of the team; helps shape negotiation strategy, prioritize issues, and draft proposals/counterproposals that advance business objectives.
• Serves as day-to-day liaison with the Union to administer and interpret the CBA consistently; monitors trends, practices, and internal policies to ensure aligned application.
• Leads cross-functional teams to design or improve labor-related programs, policies, and processes in alignment with our employee experience.
• Acts as a labor relations subject-matter expert (SME); partners with HR leadership, legal, and other key stakeholders to assess risk and determine approaches for complex labor matters.
• Investigations & Issue Resolution
• Lead or contribute to end-to-end, complex workplace investigations, including matters involving senior leaders, sensitive allegations, or potential legal, financial, or reputational risk.
• Conduct advanced interviews, assess credibility, analyze evidence, and produce clear, well-reasoned findings and recommendations suitable for executive and legal review.
• Consultative Enablement & Capability Building
• Coach, guide, and influence HR Advisors and less-experienced ER team members, strengthening ER capability and decision quality across the HR ecosystem.
• Strategic Projects & Continuous Improvement
• Lead or participate in employee relations projects and enterprise priorities, including policy development, training design, and process improvements.
• Identify emerging ER trends and risks, translating insights into proactive recommendations that improve leader effectiveness, employee experience, and organizational resilience.
• Enterprise Partnership & Change Support
• Provide ER expertise during organizational change, reductions in force, or other high-impact employee events, partnering closely with Business HR, Legal, Compliance, and HR leadership.
• Act as a key advisor on high-visibility or escalated matters, influencing outcomes without direct authority.
• Review and provide oversight on ER recommendations developed by others for higher-risk or escalated cases, ensuring consistency, quality, and sound risk judgment.

What You'll Bring to the Role:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
• 5+ years of progressive experience in employee relations, HR consulting and conducting workplace investigations, including regular exposure to high-risk or complex matters.
• Demonstrated labor relations experience, including experience leading or participating in negotiations of Collective Bargaining Agreements, handling grievances, and/or resolving unfair labor practice claims.
• Strong working knowledge of employment laws and regulations (e.g., Title VII, NLRA, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, OSHA and applicable state and local laws).
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex cases and investigations with minimal oversight.
• Proven success operating in ambiguous environments where judgment, influence, and enterprise perspective are critical.
• Ability to influence leaders and stakeholders without direct authority, using sound reasoning and credibility.
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and risk-assessment skills.
• Advanced written communication skills, including drafting investigation reports, executive-level summaries, and risk assessments.
• High level of discretion, confidentiality, emotional intelligence, and resilience when handling sensitive or contentious matters.
• Strong prioritization and case-management capability in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, consultative mindset with the ability to identify and assess any emerging risks or trends
• PHR, SPHR strongly preferred
• Master's degree in Human Resources or Labor Relations preferred

Skills:
Customer Centricity
Applies a customer first mindset to design and continuously improve solutions, systems, processes, and services that support enterprise strategy, impact critical business outcomes, and drive organizational success.
HR Ethics
Demonstrates commitment to ethical practice of HR by navigating situations ranging from managing private employee information to protecting the organization reputation and fostering a culture of trust and loyalty. Practices transparency, accountability, and empathy in decision-making processes.
Dispute Resolution
Resolves conflicts or disagreements between parties. Identifies the issues at hand, understands the perspectives of all parties involved, and uses effective communication and negotiation skills to find a mutually acceptable solution.
Organizational Dynamics
Understands human behavior, motivations, and cognition to effectively manage employee relations, recruitment, and training and development. Applies psychological principles in areas such as performance management, conflict resolution, and organizational culture to foster a positive and productive work environment.
Policy & Procedure
Analyzes current policies and procedures, identifies gaps or areas for improvement, and develops and implements new policies and procedures to address those gaps. Ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and industry standards, as well as effectively communicates policies and procedures to employees and stakeholders. Understands the various components of a workflow, identifies bottlenecks, and implements improvements to increase productivity, reduce costs, and streamline operations.
Risk Management
Identifies risks and conducts risk analysis, prioritizes risks based on level of severity, ensures appropriate reporting, monitoring and control of risks. Drives recommendations and consulting to work towards a resolution. Provides transparency around risks and communicates status and outcomes to appropriate stakeholders.
#LI-Hybrid, #LI-Onsite
Compensation Range:
Pay Range - Start:
$81,280.00
Pay Range - End:
$121,920.00
Geographic Specific Pay Structure:
Structure 110:
$89,440.00 USD - $134,160.00 USD
Structure 115:
$93,440.00 USD - $140,160.00 USD
We believe in fairness and transparency. It's why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you're living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.
Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!
Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer who welcomes and encourages diversity in the workforce. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.
Skills
Dispute Resolution (NM) - Advanced, Risk Management (NM) - Advanced, Customer Centricity (NM) - Advanced, Prioritization (NM) - Intermediate, Technical & Digital Acumen (NM) - Intermediate, Investigation Acumen (NM) - Intermediate, Emotional Intelligence (NM) - Intermediate, Strategic Thinking (NM) - Beginner, Cross Functional Partnering & Planning (NM) - Intermediate, Organizational & Political Savvy (NM) - Intermediate, Policy & Procedure (NM) - Advanced, Project Management (NM) - Intermediate, Adaptive Communication (NM) - Intermediate, HR Ethics (NM) - Advanced, Learning Agility & Critical Thinking (NM) - Intermediate, Crisis Management (NM) - Intermediate, Negotiation & Managing Objection (NM) - Intermediate, Statutes & Regulation (NM) - Intermediate, Data Collection & Analysis (NM) - Intermediate, Organizational Dynamics (NM) - Advanced
FIND YOUR FUTURE
We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and our commitment to a culture of belonging.

• Flexible work schedules
• Concierge service
• Comprehensive benefits
• Employee resource groups