Senior Employee Relations Advisor

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) is a leader in the environmental services industry. We provide customers with the most complete set of products and services, including recycling, waste, special waste, hazardous waste and field services. Our industry-leading commitments to advance circularity and support decarbonization are helping deliver on our vision to partner with customers to create a more sustainable world.

In 2023, Republic’s total company revenue was $14.9 billion, and adjusted EBITDA was $4.4 billion. We serve 13 million customers and operate more than 1,000 locations, including collection and transfer stations, recycling and polymer centers, treatment facilities, and landfills.

Although we operate across North America, the collection, recycling, treatment, or disposal of materials is a local business, and the dynamics and opportunities differ in each market we serve. By combining local operational management with standardized business practices, we drive greater operating efficiencies across the company while maintaining day-to-day operational decisions at the local level, closest to the customer.

Our customers, including small businesses, major corporations and municipalities, want a partner with the expertise and capabilities to effectively manage their multiple recycling and waste streams. They choose Republic Services because we are committed to exceeding their expectations and helping them achieve their sustainability goals. Our 41,000 team members understand that it's not just what we do that matters, but how we do it.

Our company values guide our daily actions:

• Safe: We protect the livelihoods of our colleagues and communities.
• Committed to Serve: We go above and beyond to exceed our customers’ expectations.
• Environmentally Responsible: We take action to improve our environment.
• Driven: We deliver results in the right way.
• Human-Centered: We respect the dignity and unique potential of every person.

We are proud of our high employee engagement score of 86. We have an inclusive and diverse culture where every voice counts. In addition, our team positively impacted 4.6 million people in 2023 through the Republic Services Charitable Foundation and local community grants. These projects are designed to meet the specific needs of the communities we serve, with a focus on building sustainable neighborhoods.

STRATEGY

Republic Services’ strategy is designed to generate profitable growth. Through acquisitions and industry advancements, we safely and sustainably manage our customers’ multiple waste streams through a North American footprint of vertically integrated assets.

We focus on three areas of growth to meet the increasing needs of our customers: recycling and waste, environmental solutions and sustainability innovation.

With our integrated approach, strengthening our position in one area advances other areas of our business. For example, as we grow volume in recycling and waste, we collect additional material to bolster our circularity capabilities. And as we expand environmental solutions, we drive additional opportunities to provide these services to our existing recycling and waste customers.

Recycling and Waste

We continue to expand our recycling and waste business footprint throughout North America through organic growth and targeted acquisitions. The 13 million customers we serve and our more than 5 million pick-ups per day provide us with a distinct advantage. We aggregate materials at scale, unlocking new opportunities for advanced recycling. In addition, we are cross-selling new products and services to better meet our customers’ specific needs.

Environmental Solutions

Our comprehensive environmental solutions capabilities help customers safely manage their most technical waste streams. We are expanding both our capabilities and our geographic footprint. We see strong growth opportunities for our offerings, including PFAS remediation, an increasing customer need. 

SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATION

Republic’s recent innovations to advance circularity and decarbonization demonstrate our unique ability to leverage sustainability as a platform for growth.

The Republic Services Polymer Center is the nation’s first integrated plastics recycling facility. This innovative site processes rigid plastics from our recycling centers, producing recycled materials that promote true bottle-to-bottle circularity. We also formed Blue Polymers, a joint venture with Ravago, to develop facilities that will further process plastic material from our Polymer Centers to help meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging. We are building a network of Polymer Centers and Blue Polymer facilities across North America.

We continue to advance decarbonization at our landfills. As demand for renewable energy continues to grow, we have 70 landfill gas-to-energy projects in operation and plan to expand our portfolio to 115 projects by 2028.

RECENT RECOGNITION

• Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies
• CDP Discloser
• Dow Jones Sustainability Indices
• Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies
• Fortune World’s Most Admired Companies
• Great Place to Work
• Sustainability Yearbook S&P Global

POSITION SUMMARY: The Senior Employee Relations Advisor is responsible for implementing proactive programs and procedures to maintain a positive work environment. The incumbent develops strategic communication resources and training for HR, managers, and employees to address conflict resolution, policy enforcement, and compliance with employment laws and regulations. Acting as a trusted partner, the Senior Employee Relations Advisor helps minimize liability by providing expert advice on work-related issues. The incumbent's responsibilities include conducting investigations, advising and guiding managers on disciplinary actions such as performance improvement plans, preparing detailed documentation, and ensuring timely case resolution from start to finish. The Senior Employee Relations Advisor collaborates with corporate HR partners to develop and implement diverse, company-wide employee relations policies and procedures.

PRINCIPLE RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Conducts thorough and impartial investigations into employee complaints, allegations of misconduct or violations of company policies; recommends follow up actions, as necessary, and ensures all appropriate next steps are followed.

• Serves as a primary point of contact to investigate workplace issues and conflicts providing guidance, support, and resolution strategies.

• Coaches and advises leaders through the performance management process to enhance engagement and employee performance. Partners with leaders to develop and monitor the implementation of a performance improvement process (PIP) for non-performing employees, and reviews, guides, and approves management recommendations for employment terminations.

• Ensures company policies and practices adhere to federal, state and local employment laws and regulations. Develops and implements employee relations policies, procedures, and training programs to promote a culture of respect, fairness, and professionalism.

• Educates and trains HR, managers and supervisors on best practices for handling employee relations matters, such as performance management, disciplinary actions, and terminations. Advises on best practices and provides policies to ensure compliance with company policies and legal regulations, mitigating risk to the organization.

• Leads Employee Relation projects and initiatives aimed at improving HR practices and employee engagement. Collaborates with other HR team members and Centers of Excellent (COE) on various HR-related projects.

• Utilizes HR metrics and data to analyze trends and patterns in employee relations issues; identify areas for improvement and recommend proactive measures to address root causes. Supports HR planning and strategy development with data-driven recommendations. 

• Maintains accurate records and documentation related to employee relations activities, ensuring confidentiality and data privacy.

• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Advanced knowledge of employment laws, HR practices and HR policy administration with the ability to interpret and apply them to resolve a variety of issues.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and trust with diverse stakeholders.

• Keen attention to detail, sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy. 

• Ability to handle sensitive information with confidentiality and professionalism. 

• Organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment with minimal direction and supervision. 

• Ability to interpret HR data and analytics.

• Proficiency in HRIS (Workday preferred) and MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

• Ability to determines a course of action based on guidelines and modifies processes and methods as required.

• Ability to influence others with knowledge of facts, policies, and practices.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• 4 years' experience in employee relations, performance management, conflict resolution and conducting investigations preferably in a large field operations environment.

Rewarding Compensation and Benefits

Eligible employees can elect to participate in:
• Comprehensive medical benefits coverage, dental plans and vision coverage.
• Health care and dependent care spending accounts. 
• Short- and long-term disability.
• Life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment insurance.
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employee discount programs.
• Retirement plan with a generous company match.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).

The statements used herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by an employee in this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties and skills required by an incumbent so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the Company.

EEO STATEMENT:Republic Services is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, relationship or association with a protected veteran (spouses or other family members), genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.