Director of Employee Relations

The Director of Employee Relations serves as Democracy Prep’s lead employee relations expert, responsible for overseeing workplace investigations, performance management, corrective action, employee separations, and organizational risk mitigation across the network. Reporting to the Managing Director of Human Resources, this role partners closely with school leaders, network managers, legal counsel, and People Team stakeholders to ensure employee matters are handled fairly, consistently, and in compliance with organizational policies and employment law. The Director of Employee Relations plays a critical role in fostering a professional, accountable, and supportive workplace culture by coaching leaders through complex people matters, conducting sensitive investigations, advising on high‑stakes employee situations, and driving consistent people management practices across the organization. This role requires exceptional judgment, strong written and verbal communication skills, the ability to influence leaders at all levels, and a highly organized, solutions‑oriented approach to navigating complex employee relations challenges. Who You Are This role requires a proactive and detail‑oriented individual who can effectively navigate complex people issues and drive positive employee relations within the organization. It also requires a determination to work through gray and sometimes ambiguous people‑challenges with informed determination, ingenuity, and solutions‑oriented mindset. If you have a passion for supporting employees and ensuring a fair and inclusive work environment, we encourage you to apply. Strategic Leader: You are a visionary leader with a passion for driving positive change and enhancing the employee experience within our charter school network. Culture Champion: You are dedicated to fostering a culture of engagement, growth, and well‑being among our faculty and staff, serving as a champion of our organizational values. HR Policy Expert: You possess a deep understanding of HR policies and procedures, ensuring their consistent and fair application throughout the organization. Problem Solver: You excel in providing guidance and support on complex and sensitive HR matters, conducting thorough investigations and implementing effective solutions. Collaborative Partner: You thrive in collaborating with leaders and stakeholders across the organization, working together to navigate disciplinary actions, performance improvement plans, and other HR challenges. Coach and Mentor: You are committed to providing consultation, coaching, and mentorship to leaders and employees, empowering them to succeed and thrive within our organization. On-the-Ground Advocate and Engager: You are willing to dedicate a significant portion of your time to local travel, engaging directly with employees across our various school locations to understand their needs and drive meaningful change. Expert Communicator: Skillfully convey subtle or complex messages clearly, as appropriate for the topic and audience. What You’ll Do Partner with key leaders such as the Deputy Superintendents, the Director of Scholar Support, and the Talent Development team as needed to advance strategic priorities around engagement, leader development, and staff well‑being. Provide coaching and consultation to school leaders to strengthen leadership capacity, school culture, and adult team health as it relates to people management and employee relations. Support leaders with performance management, including coaching through difficult conversations, disciplinary actions, and performance improvement plans. In collaboration with the Managing Director of Human Resources, advise CMO managers and investigate employee relations matters, as needed. Design and deliver high‑impact professional development for school leaders and school‑based staff, and network managers. Provide end‑to‑end support on complex employee relations matters, including investigations and sensitive employee issues. Engage in strategic planning, program development, and on‑the‑ground engagement to support employee experience initiatives. Report to the Managing Director of Human Resources and collaborate closely with the other people team departments (Talent Acquisition, People Ops, and Total Rewards) to ensure that people team initiatives meet regional needs. Oversee the application, interpretation and implementation of network policies and procedures ensuring fair and consistent application across all employees. Conduct exit interviews and annual People Team check‑ins with employees. Dedicate a significant percentage of time to local travel to various school locations within the network. Collaborate closely with the People Operations and Total Rewards Team to ensure correct implementation of people‑related systems and procedures including but not limited to PTO, vacation, leaves, and other assigned processes. Additional responsibilities and projects as assigned. Key Responsibilities Develop Communication and Training Materials: proactively and annually develop materials to communicate messages, policies, and data. Skillfully organize information so that it is clear, digestible, and with the most important information communicated (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint presentations, termination letters, reprimands, and other correspondence). Suggest and Collaboratively Implement Strategic Interventions: Identify root causes and conduct relevant data analysis in order to propose both short‑term and long‑term interventions and solutions. Policy Implementation and Administration: Ensure people team policies and procedures are applied consistently and fairly to all employees. Work with leaders to implement disciplinary actions and performance improvement plans. Investigations and Issue Resolution: Investigate and resolve complex or sensitive complaints, issues, and concerns in a responsive and fair manner. Fully document findings and recommendations. Compliance and Legal Support: Promote compliance with relevant employment laws and school policies. Strategize with General Counsel to limit organizational liability in employment issues, as needed. Employee Relations: Oversee all aspects of separations, manage unemployment insurance claims, and represent the organization at hearings in partnership with the Sr. Manager of People Experience. Performance Management and Training: Work with leaders to develop and implement performance improvement plans. Provide training on the Employee Management Cycle and other HR processes. Strategy: Align HR strategies with organizational goal and translate them into actionable plans for implementation, monitoring, and adjustment. Evaluate current HR performance by establishing and tracking metrics, analyzing data, and gathering employee feedback. Employee Accommodations and Workers' Compensation: Lead the interactive process to respond to accommodation requests in compliance with the ADA. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; Master's degree preferred. Minimum of 6‑8 years of experience in human resources, with a focus on employee relations and compliance. Strong understanding of employment laws and regulations. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and problem‑solving skills. Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion. SHRM or HRCI certification is a plus. Compensation Salary range is $140,000‑$155,000, commensurate with your experience. Democracy Prep employees are provided with a benefits package that includes medical, vision, and dental insurance, 403B matching, and parental leave. Democracy Prep is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, or ancestry, sex, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. Democracy Prep embraces a diverse team and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr