Senior Manager, Employee Relations & Performance

Toast creates technology to help restaurants and local businesses succeed in a digital world, helping business owners operate, increase sales, engage customers, and keep employees happy. We're looking for a Senior Manager, Employee Relations & Performance Management to lead our Employee Relations & Performance Management team for the US and Canada within our dedicated COE.  Reporting to the Senior Director, Employee Relations & Performance Management, you'll make sure employee relations matters and performance management cases are handled fairly, consistently, and in line with policy and local law.

You'll lead a team focusing on employee relations and performance management that supports leaders below the Senior Director level across Toast. This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll guide your team's day to day case work regarding performance management consulting, conflict resolution and policy violations, personally handle a caseload, including escalations and sensitive matters, and improve the processes that help us support Toasters well as we grow.

Location note to applicants: We’re prioritizing candidates in our Boston or NYC hubs, but we’re open to remote candidates on the East Coast. If you live within commuting distance of a Toast office, the role is hybrid and the in-office expectation is 2 days per week. 

A day in the life

• Lead, coach, and develop a team focused on employee relations and performance  management, setting priorities and reviewing case work for quality and consistency.
• Guide performance management case work, supporting leaders with documented coaching, PIPs, and separations in line with Toast policy and legal standards.
• Oversee US and Canada ER cases from intake to resolution, managing workplace concerns, policy violations, and conflict resolution disputes.
• Conduct and oversee thorough, impartial, and timely workplace investigations for harassment, discrimination, and misconduct, personally leading complex or high-risk matters below the Senior Director level.
• Model interviewing best practices and manage risk proactively in high-visibility cases.
• Provide objective guidance and support to employees and managers throughout the ER and performance management process and post-investigation.
• Partner cross-functionally with Legal, HRBPs, Compliance, and other stakeholders on escalations, separations, and employment law questions.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders (below the Senior Director level) and HRBPs, offering risk-aware, balanced guidance.
• Maintain and refine regional ER and performance management standards, including optimizing performance management standards and investigation protocols, workflows, and manager resources.
• Analyze case data to identify trends, share insights with People leadership, and recommend preventive updates or training.
• Leverage AI tools and technology to optimize efficiency while preserving decision quality and confidentiality.
• Draft documentation independently, including executive summaries, written warnings, and leader talking points.
• Ensure accurate and timely logging of cases in the ER database and handle agency complaint responses as needed.

What you'll need to thrive

• 8-10+ years of employee relations experience, including significant experience conducting workplace investigations 
• 5-8+ years of people leadership, ideally including managing a manager
• Hands-on experience handling performance management cases, from early coaching, through PIPs and terminations
• Strong knowledge of US employment and HR related laws, regulations, policies, principles, concepts and best practices, including Title VII, wage and hour, ADA, ADAA, and FMLA.
• Sound judgment and discretion with highly confidential, sensitive information
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including clear, well-supported investigation reports and analyses/findings
• Workplace investigations training or certification
• Ability to influence and coach leaders with confidence and empathy
• Comfort using case management systems and data to track volume, trends, and outcomes
• Experience in a fast-growing or matrixed organization

Nice to have:

• A law degree (JD or equivalent) or formal employment law background
• Experience in technology, restaurant, or hospitality environments
• Working knowledge of Canadian employment law, including provincial differences

AI at Toast

At Toast, one of our company values is that we're hungry to build and learn. We believe learning new AI tools empowers us to build for our customers faster, more independently, and with higher quality. We provide these tools across all disciplines, from Engineering and Product to Sales and Support, and are inspired by how our Toasters are already driving real value with them. The people who thrive here are those who embrace changes that let us build more for our customers; it’s a core part of our culture.

Our Total Rewards Philosophy

We strive to provide competitive compensation and benefits programs that help to attract, retain, and motivate the best and brightest people in our industry. Our total rewards package goes beyond great earnings potential and provides the means to a healthy lifestyle with the flexibility to meet Toasters’ changing needs. Learn more about our benefits at https://careers.toasttab.com/toast-benefits.