Employee Relations Specialist

SUMMARY:  The Employee Relations Specialist is responsible for ensuring South University policies, procedures and training efforts support an environment that is free from harassment and discrimination and in compliance with all federal, state and local employment laws and regulations, including Title VII, Title IX, the ADA, ADEA, NLRA, FMLA and FLSA.  Under the supervision of the Director of Human Resources, the Employee Relations Specialist is responsible for assisting in proactive measures to maintain a positive employment relations climate at all campus locations and online.  This position is also responsible for assisting with the ethics hotline investigations and other internal complaints of discrimination, harassment, etc.   This position ensures compliance with training initiatives for faculty and staff on a range of employment law topics.   The position also monitors HR policy compliance and supports the ongoing revision and development of South University HR policies. Incumbent must assure that the South University philosophy: quality services to clients; development, growth, involvement, and recognition of employees; sound economic principles; and environment which is conducive to innovation, positive thinking and expansion is considered in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of this position.  This position is hybrid after 2 months.  The first 2 months required to be on campus Monday - Friday.    KEY JOB ELEMENTS: Assist with efforts to develop and maintain positive employee relations/practices. Assist with the maintenance of the employee ethics hotline and internet site to ensure that all inquiries are appropriately investigated and resolved in compliance with internal procedures. More complex investigations may require oversight and direction by the Director of Human Resources. Assist with the implementation of ethics and compliance training, process development and reporting initiatives - including leading cross-functional project teams - partnering with legal, compliance, and talent development departments. Lead and/or assist with investigations of internal employee relations complaints. Provide advice and direction to HR professionals and hiring managers for the timely resolution of any internal complaints of discrimination, harassment and other employee issues. Become point of contact for employees with concerns about employee relations matters. Ensure HR policies are reviewed and amended as needed based on changes to legislation and/or internal processes and practices. Ensure full accountability for all HR policies consistency and compliance in application of all HR policies. Monitor the implementation of ethics and compliance training; track completion statistics and update content; develop leadership reports showing trends and highlighting opportunities for improvement. Facilitate proactive trainings and mentoring activities to ensure managers understand and comply with all employment laws and South University’s Code of Conduct. Provide advice and counsel to South University leaders and HR on employee terminations and difficult corrective action situations. Other Duties as assigned. REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s degree in Business or Industrial Relations or related field required. 3 years’ experience in labor and employee relations, preferably in a post-secondary education environment or other field with large multi-state employee base and strong external customer service requirements (e.g., health care, retail, financial or mortgage services, etc.). SHRM or HRCI Certification preferred  Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong interpersonal skills with both faculty and staff population. Superior organization, prioritization, and self-motivation skills. Strong computer literacy skills with the MS Office suite as well as HRIS applications ENVIRONMENT:                                                                               The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The term "qualified individual with a disability" means an individual with a disability who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the position.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate professionally in person, over the telephone, through email, video conference, and other electronic means, move about the office or school, handle various types of media and equipment, and visually or otherwise identify, observe and assess.                                                                            South University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and embraces diversity as a critical step in ensuring employee, student and graduate success. We are committed to building and developing a diverse environment where a variety of ideas, cultures and perspectives can thrive.