Employee Relations People Partner

Positively disrupting an industry that has not seen any innovation in over 50 years, Tekion has challenged the paradigm with the first and fastest cloud-native automotive platform that includes the revolutionary Automotive Retail Cloud (ARC) for retailers, Automotive Enterprise Cloud (AEC) for manufacturers and other large automotive enterprises and Automotive Partner Cloud (APC) for technology and industry partners. Tekion connects the entire spectrum of the automotive retail ecosystem through one seamless platform. The transformative platform uses cutting‑edge technology, big data, machine learning, and AI to seamlessly bring together OEMs, retailers/dealers and consumers. With its highly configurable integration and greater customer engagement capabilities, Tekion is enabling the best automotive retail experiences ever. Tekion employs close to 3,000 people across North America, Asia and Europe. The Role People do their best work when they feel heard, treated fairly and supported through difficulty. As our Employee Relations Manager (US/CAN/EMEA) known internally as our People Success Partner, you are the person who makes that possible. This full-spectrum employee relations role gives you real ownership and meaningful scope: run complex investigations, coach managers, design compliance training, and own the employee handbook. You are a strategic partner, not a support function. What You Will Own Manager Coaching & Proactive Performance Documentation Coach people managers to full success across all client groups, ensuring managers hold employees accountable and set clear expectations. Deliver regular brown‑bag sessions and manager enablement workshops on hiring, feedback, documentation, performance improvement plans and difficult conversations. Identify managers who are not meeting expectations and implement targeted actions to improve outcomes. Identify employees at risk and conduct deep‑dip assessments to address underlying issues. Analyze survey data, exit feedback and related insights to identify management gaps and partner on data‑driven action plans. Assess capability gaps and determine where additional coaching, training and enablement are needed to strengthen leadership effectiveness. Build a repeatable manager coaching playbook that People Business Partners can use across all client groups. Track manager participation in coaching sessions and surface patterns to leadership where additional support is needed. Employee Relations & Investigations Own all workplace investigations end to end – intake, investigation plan, interviews, findings documentation, and resolution – for all countries operated (US, Canada, UK, and Germany). Maintain an active case tracker with status, risk level, timeline and resolution for every open matter. Partner closely with People Business Partners for business context and own the process and documentation. Work with employment counsel on matters with legal exposure – knowing when to involve counsel and when to handle independently. Escalate complex or high‑risk matters to the Sr. Director with a well‑packaged summary of facts, risk assessment and recommended next steps. Performance Improvement Plan Lifecycle Own the PIP lifecycle across all client groups – documentation, timeline management, manager coaching support and resolution tracking. Partner with PBPs and managers to ensure performance actions are documented consistently and protect both employee and company. Identify patterns in performance management data and surface recommendations to the People team and business leaders. Ensure 100 % of active PIPs have clear documentation, follow‑up actions and tracked resolution – no case left without a next step. Compliance Training Design & Delivery Design and own Tekion’s compliance training program covering all federal and state‑mandated topics: sexual harassment prevention (California AB 1825 / SB 1343), workplace violence prevention, and professional conduct standards. Deliver training across all employee populations via the Emtrain platform – ensuring content is engaging, current and legally compliant in every jurisdiction. Track mandatory training completion by department, role and country – flag gaps proactively and ensure 100 % completion of all legally required programs. Stay current on federal and state law changes that affect compliance training requirements and update programs accordingly. Build a training calendar that anticipates recurring compliance requirements. Employee Handbook & Policy Ownership Own the Tekion Employee Handbook and all associated policies – initial build, annual review cycle, policy updates and multistate and multination compliance (US, Canada, UK, Germany). Ensure the handbook reflects current law and best practices across all countries – partnering with employment counsel for country‑specific nuance. Translate legal and policy updates into clear, plain‑language content for employees. Build a policy review cadence so the handbook never becomes outdated – owning the schedule, process and communication to employees when changes are made. Maintain supplemental policies consistent with the handbook and current law. Who You Are Skills can be taught. Experience is transferable. Culture fit is not. This section matters more than any other in this posting – please read it carefully. You find ER work genuinely satisfying, not draining. You see complexity as an opportunity, not a burden, and are energized by getting the answer right. You are proactive, not reactive, coaching managers before issues arise and building plans ahead of time. You have a growth mindset, you thrive in a full build, you are genuinely and sustainably positive, fiercely loyal to the People team and a strategic owner, not an order taker. What You Bring 5–7 years of employee relations experience with a meaningful investigations portfolio – you have run complex cases involving senior employees and know what it takes. Coached managers on performance documentation and difficult conversations – not just reactively when something goes wrong. Designed or delivered compliance or management training that actually changed behavior – not just checked the box. Deep working knowledge of California employment law and multi‑state requirements – and stay current. Owned a handbook or policy document from creation or full refresh through implementation – not just contributed to a section. Can hold a difficult conversation with a frustrated senior leader and stay grounded. Document everything, miss nothing, and understand that the paper trail is the protection. Fully committed to working in our Pleasanton, CA office five days per week. Experience that makes you stronger for this role SHRM‑CP, PHR or employment law certification. Experience at a high‑growth SaaS or tech startup where ER volume was high and resources were lean. Familiarity with Workday and Emtrain. Multi‑country ER experience across US, Canada, and EMEA. Background supporting a company through rapid headcount growth where policies needed to scale quickly. Experience facilitating manager training or brown‑bag sessions to a mixed‑level audience. Work Style Requirements In‑Office Requirement This role is based in our Pleasanton, CA office and requires 5 days per week in office. ER work is relationship work. The trust this role requires is built in person. In‑office presence is not optional and is not negotiable. Please apply only if you are currently located in or prepared to relocate to the East Bay area. Pace & Workload This is a demanding, high‑ownership role in a company that is growing fast and building constantly. We do not expect perfection. We expect full engagement, sound judgment and a bias toward getting ahead of things rather than responding to them. Why Tekion You will build something that matters. The function does not fully exist yet, and in two years, employees and managers will work differently because of what you built. Competitive base salary of $110,000 – $135,000 depending on experience. Meaningful equity in a $4B company with real growth ahead. Performance‑based bonus. 100 % employer‑paid top‑of‑the‑line medical, dental and vision coverage. Unlimited PTO and parental leave. A People team that takes this work seriously and has your back. The opportunity to build from scratch at a company that is genuinely going somewhere. Perks & Benefits Competitive compensation and generous stock options. 100 % employer‑paid top‑of‑the‑line medical, dental and vision coverage. Great benefits including unlimited PTO, parental leave and free snacks and beverages. Be part of an early‑stage, hyper‑growth start‑up with the opportunity to grow and prosper. Work on the latest and coolest technologies – everything is home‑grown and built from ground‑up. A dynamic work environment with a strong sense of community and collaboration. The open and transparent culture that encourages innovation, rewards performance and discourages hierarchy. Exciting opportunities for career growth and development. Tekion is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, victim of violence or family member who is a victim of violence, the intersectionality of two or more protected categories, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. #J-18808-Ljbffr Tekion Corp