Senior Employee Relations Partner

About the Job:

The Senior Employee Relations Partner serves as a trusted advisor to leaders, managers, and employees on complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, performance management, organizational change, and employment risk issues. This role is responsible for managing sensitive and high-impact employee relations matters from intake through resolution while promoting fair, consistent, and legally compliant employment practices and maintaining confidentiality and high trust with the business.

The Senior Employee Relations Partner reports to Employment Counsel and partners closely with People Team partners and centers of excellence, business leaders, Legal, Compliance, and other stakeholders to resolve workplace concerns, mitigate organizational risk, improve manager effectiveness, and strengthen Foundation Medicine's culture and employee experience. This role also identifies trends and opportunities to proactively address employee relations risks through policy development, training, data analysis and organizational interventions.

Key Responsibilities:

Employee Relations & Workplace Investigations

• Serve as the primary point of contact for complex and escalated employee relations matters, managing cases from intake through resolution to ensure timely, fair, and consistent outcomes.
• Conduct prompt, thorough, objective, and well-documented workplace investigations and maintain case records consistent with company standards and applicable legal requirements.
• Partner with Legal on high-risk, legally sensitive, executive-level, or litigation-related matters.
• Maintain investigation and case documentation consistent with company standards and applicable legal requirements.
• Partner with Benefits on complex disability accommodation and interactive process matters. 
• Maintains confidentiality and high trust throughout partnerships. 

Manager Consulting & Performance Management

• Coach and consult with leaders and managers on performance management, employee development, team effectiveness, documentation, difficult conversations, workplace conflict, conduct issues, and consistent application of performance management expectations.
• Advise managers and leaders on risk mitigation, corrective action, disciplinary matters, performance improvement plans, final warnings, involuntary separations, and other complex employee situations while balancing employee experience and organizational risk.
• Partner with People Strategy Leaders and HR Business Partners to develop and implement employee relations strategies aligned with business objectives.

Employment Risk Management & Compliance

• Assess employee relations issues and identify legal, compliance, employee experience, and reputational risks.
• Provide employee relations guidance, risk assessment, and change support for organizational restructures, workforce transitions, reductions in force, and other organizational change initiatives.
• Maintain and monitor employee complaint database. 
• Partner with Legal to address employment law issues and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Ensure consistent interpretation and application of company policies and procedures, while helping identify policy gaps, systemic concerns, and opportunities to improve People Team practices.

Organizational Insights & Continuous Improvement

• Create and deliver employee relations training, playbooks, guidance materials, and manager resources to build management capability and promote consistent practices.
• Analyze employee relations case data and workforce trends to identify recurring issues and organizational risks.
• Partner with People Strategy Leaders, HR Business Partners, and People Team Centers of Excellence to develop employee relations strategies, recommendations, and action plans that address workforce trends, improve manager capability, and enhance employee and manager experiences.
• Comply with FMI's attendance policies

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive HR experience including 5+ years' experience working on complex employee relations issues

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree or other advanced degree
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience including 7+ years' experience working on complex employee relations issues
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose and develop appropriate solutions to complex issues
• Demonstrated ability to identify and escalate issues when needed, and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and with colleagues
• Demonstrated experience in providing employee relations training to large and complex workforces
• Expertise in risk assessment as well as a strong foundation in the application of employment law in business situations
• Ability to read, analyze and interpret relevant business and statistical data
• Strong analytical ability and demonstrated use of independent judgment and problem-solving skills
• Unquestioned integrity and credibility
• Commitment to reflect FMI’s values: Integrity, Courage, and Passion

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Boston, MA is $125,200 - $156,500 per year. The salary range is commensurate with Foundation Medicine’s compensation practice and considers factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, external market conditions, criticality of role, and internal equity. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for Foundation Medicine's benefits.

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