Employee Relations Specialist

Job Posting Title: Employee Relations Specialist Hiring Department: Office of Human Resources Position Open To: All Applicants Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 FLSA Status: To Be Determined at Offer Earliest Start Date: Ongoing Position Duration: Expected to Continue Location: AUSTIN, TX Job Details General Notes The University's Office of Human Resources serves as a strategic campus partner by providing solutions that attract, engage, develop, and retain employees. This position provides human resource consultation to HR professionals, managers, and employees within the Colleges, Schools, and Units (CSUs) of UT Austin. Purpose Provide employee relations support to multiple administrative and operational units, manage corrective action processes, and support compliance with university policies and workplace practices. Responsibilities Serve as the primary point of contact for employees, managers, and leaders seeking guidance on workplace concerns, policy interpretation, attendance issues, conduct concerns, and departmental procedures. Analyze facts, assess risk, and recommend appropriate next steps consistent with university policies and established employee relations practices. Conduct investigations related to employee conduct, performance management, interpersonal conflicts, and HR policy compliance, including conducting interviews, evidence gathering, documentation review, and reporting of findings. Escalate complex or high-risk matters to senior HR staff as appropriate. Manage the end-to-end corrective action process, including writing, reviewing, and editing corrective action documentation to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with university policies and established documentation standards. Partner with managers to develop clear, factual, and well-supported documentation, provide coaching on documentation expectations, and ensure consistency across employee groups. Coordinate the review and approval process with HR and key stakeholders, track progress through completion, and ensure timely delivery and communication of corrective actions to employees. Coordinate with campus partners including ADA, Legal Affairs, and offices within central Human Resources to ensure concerns are routed appropriately and handled in compliance with university policies and procedures. Deliver employee relations training on workplace expectations, respectful workplace practices, corrective action processes, and related topics. Assist with development of training materials, communications, and employee feedback initiatives. Serve as final approver of recruitment and compensation actions in Workday, ensuring adherence to best practices. Manage dual state employment, unemployment claims, and other audit reporting for assigned units. Required Qualifications Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources or related field and two years of experience in employee relations. Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing. Ability to manage multiple priorities and support a portfolio of clients in a fast-paced environment. Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to influence and build effective working relationships with various stakeholders. Demonstrated discretion and ability to handle sensitive and confidential information. Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate. Preferred Qualifications Experience using Workday. Fluent in Spanish and able to translate between Spanish and English to provide support to a Spanish-speaking employee population. Experience in a higher education, public sector, or similarly complex organizational environment. Salary Range $60,000+ depending on qualifications Working Conditions Work-life balance within a typical 40-hour work week Work performed in the Austin, TX office location three days per week, with an option to work remotely two days per week from an approved location. May change due to business need. Work around standard office conditions. Repetitive use of keyboard at workstation. Required Materials Resume/CV 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor Letter of interest #J-18808-Ljbffr