Employee Relations Business Partner (East Bay Oakland)

Employee Relations Business Partner

The Employee Relations Business Partner serves as the dedicated employee relations expert within MidPen's People Team. This role is responsible for managing all employee relations matters across the organization, partnering closely with other People Business Partners (PBPs), People Operations, and business leaders to resolve workplace issues, mitigate organizational risk, ensure legal compliance, and identify trends that inform proactive people strategies. This role brings deep expertise in employment law, investigations, conflict resolution, and workplace culture to help create a fair, respectful, and legally compliant work environment.

Responsibilities

Employee Relations Management:

• Act as the primary employee relations lead, managing investigations and advising employees and leaders on conflict resolution, performance management, corrective action, terminations, accommodations, and compliance with applicable laws.
• Partner with PBPs, business leaders, People Operations, legal counsel, and workers' compensation providers to develop ER documentation, guide separations, and support return-to-work and modified duty programs.

PBP Partnership & Collaboration:

• Partner with PBPs and business leaders to address ER matters, ensuring consistent practices across client groups, identifying trends, and driving targeted interventions related to team dynamics and culture.
• Serve as a trusted ER resource and coach to PBPs, providing guidance on complex or sensitive situations and aligning on ER strategy through ongoing collaboration and team forums.

Risk Mitigation & Compliance:

• Proactively identify and mitigate employee relations risks, ensuring compliance with federal, California, and local employment laws; partner with legal counsel on complex or high‑risk matters.
• Maintain confidential ER documentation, stay current on employment law and HR best practices, and communicate key updates to People Team and business leaders.

Trend Identification & Reporting:

• Analyze and report ER case data to identify trends and root causes, providing actionable insights and partnering with People Operations and L&D to recommend policy, training, and management improvements.

Strategy Development & Trend Analysis:

• Develop and execute proactive Employee Relations strategies aligned with MidPen's people priorities, leveraging ER data and cross‑PBP insights to anticipate risk, identify systemic issues, and ensure a consistent, equitable employee experience across the organization.
• Partner with Learning & Development and PBPs to translate ER trends into targeted training and capability‑building programs that address root causes and strengthen manager and employee effectiveness (e.g., respectful workplace, performance management, conflict resolution).

Policy Development & Administration:

• Review, update, interpret, and develop ER policies to ensure legal compliance, consistent application, and alignment with evolving organizational needs; perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the education, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Deep knowledge of California employment law (FEHA, FMLA/CFRA, ADA, FLSA) and the ability to apply it in day‑to‑day employee relations matters.
• Proven experience conducting thorough, objective, and legally defensible investigations, including documentation and disciplinary outcomes.
• Strong communication, analytical, and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to navigate complex and high‑risk situations.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential matters with discretion, build trust across all organizational levels, and collaborate effectively with HR partners.
• Commitment to fair and equitable employee treatment, alignment with MidPen's Mission and Values, and ability to travel to worksites as needed.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 5-7 years of progressive HR experience with a strong focus on employee relations, including conducting workplace investigations.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex ER cases, including those involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and misconduct.
• 2+ years of workers compensation experience such as claim coordination, return-to-work programs, etc.
• Certification in HR strongly preferred (e.g., SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR).
• Experience working in a multi-site or field-based organization preferred.
• Non-profit or affordable housing sector experience a plus.

Pay Range

$140,000 - $157,500 Annual Salary - Pay based on applicable experience and qualifications

Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred

Benefits and Compensation

• Health Insurance
• Dental, Vision, Life & Disability Insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Investment
• Employee Education Reimbursement Program
• Paid Parental Leave
• FSA for Childcare, Medical, and Commuter Benefits
• EAP Program
• Pet Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Company Holidays
• Wellness Days

Equal Opportunity Employer

MidPen Housing Corp. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring process. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please notify your recruiter. Consistent with its obligations under the law, MidPen Housing Corp. will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of his or her job.