Description
Work. Serve. Thrive.
Imagine a place where your talent can make a meaningful difference in peoples’ lives. Working at Feeding America is a uniquely rewarding experience in which our employees work together as vital parts of a much larger mission. We are innovative, mission-focused, diverse, collaborative, values-driven and focused on results.
Feeding America is the nation’s second largest charity and the leading domestic hunger-relief charity in the United States. Our mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.
Learn more about Feeding America here.
This position is based out of Feeding America’s Chicago office. At Feeding America, we believe in offering a flexible work environment. Employees can be in the office an average of 2 days a week (when not travelling for work) and work from home on other days. Employees also have access to a 30-day “work anywhere” program during the course of each calendar year that can be combined with PTO and/or holidays.
The Opportunity
The Director, Employee Relations develops, designs, and leads the implementation of, policies, processes and tools focused on fostering employee engagement and a culture aligned with Feeding America’s values, promoting effective feedback and coaching, addressing conflict in a healthy manner and promptly responding to employee concerns and formal complaints. They lead Feeding America’s Employee Engagement survey and associated feedback processes. The Director, Employee Relations, also serves as an HR Partner for assigned departments to provide consultation and guidance across the full spectrum of human resources processes and programs working to provide a safe space for employees and leaders to brainstorm and receive counsel living into the values and culture of the organization.
Compensation
Here at Feeding America national organization, equity is central to our mission and is an integral part of our compensation policies and structures. Historically, systemic racism and sexism in all aspects of our society, including compensation practices, has led to pay inequities that negatively impact people of color, women, and especially women of color. These practices include basing salary offers on previous compensation and negotiating salary offers. As such, we maintain transparent salary ranges and clearly defined practices for how our team, including new hire salary offers, moves through these ranges. You can expect us to offer the best salary up front based on these clearly defined pay practices with little room for negotiation. The salary range listed below represents the starting to mid-point salaries for positions and comparable roles at this level at our organization and candidates should expect to be offered a salary near the starting point of the range that is listed on the job posting. We make exceptions for highly experienced (multiple years of at-level experience) new hires in accordance with our pay practices. Once hired, employees have the opportunity to progress through salary ranges via regular merit increases and step promotions.
Salary Range: $104,000 to $130,000+ Based on ExperienceResponsibilities:
- Provide guidance, consultation and support to leadership on employee relations matters including providing/receiving feedback, addressing employee complaints, providing performance coaching with the end goal of providing a healthy and productive work environment.
- Provide a safe space for employees to share concerns, role play situations, brainstorm action plans, and receive counsel to support a healthy work environment.
- Lead the annual employee engagement survey and any pulse surveys throughout the year. This includes project managing the development, execution, and action planning informed by the survey.
- Develop and lead a comprehensive progressive disciplinary policy and corresponding process that provides both employees and management equitable participation in the process.
- Investigate complicated work conflicts, grievances, or allegations of policy or value violations that HR Partners escalate.
- Partner with the Director, Talent Management to provide comprehensive leader and employee training and associated coaching support on a broad range of leadership competencies and skills including conflict resolution, delivering and receiving feedback, as well as compliance with EEO, harassment, discipline, and performance management compliance.
- Partners with the Director, Talent Management and HR Business Partners to provide support staff with 90-day reviews, mid-year reviews, annual evaluations, step promotion process, and Performance Improvement Plans. This can include, but is not limited to, review of documented materials and consultation on discussions.
- Manages all American with Disability Act accommodation requests including leading an active dialogue with employees and managers regarding reasonable accommodations.
- Provide human resources consulting and support to assigned departments to ensure the effective implementation of HR processes and programs, equitable resolution of employee relations issues and effective delivery of HR solutions.
- In partnership with HR Business Partners, provide guidance and support for all significant discipline situations including suspensions and terminations serving as the primary contact with internal and external legal counsel when needed.
- Provide human resources consulting and support to assigned departments and be a Business Partner to ensure the effective implementation of HR processes and programs, equitable resolution of employee relations issues and effective delivery of HR solutions.
- Partners with Legal department on any employee legal actions.
Required Experience and Qualifications:
- 8+ years progressive human resources and/or customer service experience with at least 4 years focused specifically on employee relations and/or conflict management.
- Hands on experience working with leaders and teams to improve effectiveness and build positive work culture that continuously provides feedback and resolve conflict including coaching both leaders, employees and teams for improvement and effectiveness.
- Experience providing direct human resources support to senior leaders including employee relations and HR solutions implementation.
- In-depth knowledge of employment law and regulations with practical experience in the application of these principles.
- Working knowledge of the full life cycle of HR talent focused practices, including onboarding, performance management, rewards and recognition, employee engagement, coaching and feedback and voluntary/involuntary transition out of the organization.
Foundational Requirements:
- Mission Focused – Demonstrates a commitment to Feeding America’s mission through work and action. Is committed to people keep people facing hunger at the center of our work and strives to translate this commitment into action on a daily basis. Willing to advocate for people facing hunger and serve as an ambassador for Feeding America inside and outside of work.
- Embraces Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – Demonstrates a personal commitment to valuing different background and life experiences through word and action. Takes personal actions to build an inclusive culture that ensures everyone can fully contribute based on their unique talents, skills and perspectives and feels welcomed and valued. Commits to driving equitable solutions to address root cause issues by incorporating an equity framework in their daily work. Committed to continuous personal EDI development.
Required Leadership Competencies:
- Operates with Integrity: Cultivates trust through consistent leadership, ethics, and calm demeanor, even under stress. Anchors actions and decisions in our mission and values. Consistently treats others with fairness, dignity, compassion, and respect. Voices concerns/opinions appropriately and in advance of decisions and, once made, conveys full support of decisions, regardless of original position on the issue. Openly takes responsibility for mistakes, corrects them, and apologizes when appropriate and necessary.
- Collaborates Internally and Externally: Leads cross-functional work groups and is regularly sought out to work collaboratively on problem-solving teams. Networks and fosters relationships with external partners to achieve long-term mutually beneficial outcomes. Promotes constructive conversations that challenge ideas and consider alternative points of view about issues and options. Models positive engagement in resolving conflict and elevates a focus on mission and what is best for the people we serve. Avoids finger-pointing and preserves others’ reputations, even in challenging situations.
- Translates Strategy to Operational Goals: Develops projects that support the execution of strategic initiatives. Translates department strategy into SMART project goals and deliverables for teams and individuals. Cascades strategies and goals to all team members.
- Manages Risk: Protects Feeding America’s reputation and credibility by exercising sound judgment and considering risks in all operational decisions. Advocates the importance and value of organizational processes for mitigating risks. Ensures resources are used in alignment with the organization’s priorities and mission. Provides regular, safe opportunities for people to share concerns or observations of potentially questionable practices.
- Communicates Effectively: Conveys clear and effective messages using verbal and written communication to individuals, small groups, and large audiences. Shares timely, relevant project/operating priorities and updates to key stakeholder audiences that may include staff, network food bank members, donors, and other groups. Reads audiences, asks questions, and uses feedback to adjust messages and style as necessary to make positive impact. Seeks first to understand before voicing own opinions. Shares difficult or negative messages in a tactful manner.
Feeding America recognizes and values diversity. Our goal is to attract, develop, retain, and promote a talented diverse workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging and contribute to a culture that values differences, ideas, and experiences. We intentionally seek out diverse perspectives and skills on our teams, knowing that it makes us stronger as an organization and better equipped to serve our neighbors in need. We encourage individuals from historically under-represented communities and individuals with lived experience of hunger to apply.