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The Manager, Employee Relations, UNC SOM provides leadership and strategic oversight to the Employee & Management Relations team within the Human Resources Office at the UNC School of Medicine (SOM). This position is responsible for supervising a team of professional-level employee relations consultants, ensuring effective and consistent application of policies, practices, and procedures related to employee and management relations.
The Manager will work closely with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and HR partners to address complex employee relations issues, guide management on best practices, and foster a positive, collaborative work environment. Strong employee relations expertise, including an understanding of the legal implications associated with complex employee relations matters, is essential for success in this role. Experience supporting an academic medical center, healthcare organization, or similarly complex environment is highly preferred.
The Manager provides guidance, coaching, training, and investigation services to ensure the SOM’s compliance with State, campus, SOM, and UNC Health HR policies, protocols and procedures, legal requirements, and state and federal laws. In addition, the Manager provides complex and technical guidance regarding employment law and best practices, as well as objective consultation services to promote productive and positive relationships between employees at all levels of the organization.
Success in this role requires a strong focus on relationship-building, clear communication, and the ability to effectively coordinate complex employee relations matters across multiple central offices and organizational partners.
Employee Relations : Works closely with management and employees to improve working relationships, build morale and increase retention by proactively recommending ideas, training and programs to enhance the employee experience. Provides guidance and education in all areas of employee relations administration in order to improve staff skills, increase self-sufficiency and effectively manage unsatisfactory performance matters in a consistent, prudent and at the highest of professional and practice standards.
Manages a variety of employee relations issues on behalf of the School of medicine to include: employee complaints, harassment allegations (in coordination with the Equal Opportunity and Compliance Office on campus as well as any indicated intersection of UNC Health, code of ethics violations and civil rights complaints, policy interpretation, personnel practices, corrective action procedures and performance management, Disruptive Behavior Complaint (DBC) investigations, high level analysis of workplace climate issues, etc.
Provides resources and guidance when complex workplace issues arise among employees or between employees and managers, across multiple entities (owned, managed, contracted, etc.) especially at key points of the employee life cycle for academic and non-academic personnel, professional staff (up to and including MD/PhD), such as performance management, leave, job changes and end of employment/management of academic contracts as well as tenure/non-tenure track appointments.
Provides direction, oversight and management for all SOM employee relations activities and delivers outstanding customer support to SOM leaders and managers through personal service and direction and coordination of that of assigned senior employee relations consultants. Leadership : Supervises and mentors a team of professional-level employee relations Consultants. Provides guidance, feedback, and support to consultants in handling complex employee and management relations issues.
Conducts performance evaluations and offers professional development opportunities for team members. Ensures the team adheres to HR policies and best practices while managing employee and management relations issues. Manages day-to-day work of SOM-HR employee relations staff to the point of consistently ensuring a high degree of productivity and service.
Serves as the primary resource for the Office of Human Resources and SOM leadership regarding employee relations issues, including discipline, performance management, and conflict resolution. Analyzes trends in employee relations issues and recommends preventive measures. Contributes to the development, review, and revision of HR policies and procedures related to employee relations.
Stays updated, and ensure the employee relations team is updated, on relevant labor laws, regulations, and best practices to ensure compliance in all employee relations activities. Monitors and reports on key employee relations metrics, including employee relations case volume, outcomes, and trends. Other Human Resources
Provides non-routine HR policy consultation, guidance and interpretation. Assists with the internal communication of HR initiatives in coordination with other SOM HR Leaders/Managers. Provides courteous and professional service to both external clients and internal (SOM) clients regarding all employee and management relations issues.
Consistently demonstrates a sense of urgency with all issues as appropriate, honors confidentiality of personnel data, and assures clients of our commitment to confidentiality through all actions. Other Information Other information: Education
• Bachelor's degree in a related field. Licensure/Certification
• None required. Professional Experience
• Requires five (5) years of progressively responsible human resources experience. Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities
- Strong judgment and decision-making.
- Effective communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to build trust and influence leaders.
- Knowledge of HR policies and employment practices.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. Job Details Legal Employer: STATE Entity: UNC Faculty Physicians Organization Unit: UNC SOM Human Resources Work Type: Full Time Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00 Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity Work Assignment Type: Hybrid Work
Day Job Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.
UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.