Lead Associate Principal, Employee Relations

Summary 

The Lead Associate Principal, Employee Relations at OCC serves as a trusted advisor to leaders and employees, ensuring fair, consistent, and values-based resolution of workplace concerns. This role partners closely with HR Business Partners and business leaders to proactively manage risk, support performance conversations, and reinforce a culture of accountability, empathy, and inclusion. This is a hands-on, mid-level individual contributor role responsible for managing employee relations matters from intake through resolution while identifying patterns and trends that inform broader people strategy. 

Key Responsibilities 

Manager & Employee Support 

• Coach managers on effective performance management, documentation, and difficult conversations. 

• Provide guidance on corrective action, conflict resolution, and behavioral expectations. 

• Support employees and managers in navigating workplace concerns with clarity and professionalism and acts as a neutral, trusted resource for employees and people managers. 

• Assist employees and managers with questions about company policies; identify trends, and work with internal stakeholders to improve communication and education. 

Case Management & Investigations 

• Manage employee relations cases including performance concerns, policy violations, workplace conflict, misconduct allegations, and involuntary separations. 

• Conduct prompt, fair, and thorough investigations; Maintain accurate and confidential case documentation and recommend appropriate actions. 

• Partner with managers and legal counsel to prepare separation paperwork and conduct termination meetings as needed. 

• Manage multiple concurrent cases and projects while maintaining organization and meeting deadlines. 

• Review fingerprint reports for employees and work with legal counsel to obtain appropriate documentation to address findings. 

Compliance & Policy 

• Ensure consistency in application of policies and employment practices to minimize organizational risk. 

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations. 

• Partner with Legal on complex or high-risk matters. 

Data, Reporting & Continuous Improvement 

• Conduct exit interviews; analyze data and make recommendations to senior leadership for corrective action and continuous improvement. 

• Analyze ER trends and employee feedback to identify root causes and systemic themes to inform recommendations that increase engagement and retention. 

• Partner with HR leadership to recommend policy, training, or process enhancements, including proactive manager education on performance management and respectful workplace practices. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field. 

• 7 years of progressive HR experience, including 5+ years focused on employee relations. 

• Demonstrated experience conducting investigations and managing complex ER cases. 

• Demonstrated knowledge of employment law and HR best practices. 

• Excellent written documentation and verbal communication skills. 

• Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion and sound judgment. 

• Experience in a regulated or financial services environment. 

• HR certification preferred (e.g., SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR). 

• Experience supporting organizational transformation or high-growth environments. 

Core Competencies 

• Ownership & Accountability — Take initiative, drive problems to resolution, proactively communicate status, identify risks with proposed solutions, and accept full accountability for outcomes. 

• Prioritization, Agility & Composure — Rapidly triage and reprioritize multiple concurrent requests in a fast-changing environment, execute quickly without sacrificing quality, and maintain composure under pressure and ambiguity. 

• Judgment & Self-Direction — Work independently to research issues and develop solutions, exercise sound judgment on when to escalate, and come prepared with recommendations rather than seeking direction. 

• Emotional Intelligence & Empathy — Demonstrate strong self-awareness, empathy, and courageous communication; model a culture of fairness and inclusion. 

• Coaching & Consultative Approach — Ask clarifying questions, provide options with trade-offs, anticipate needs, and coach managers through difficult situations with influence rather than authority. 

• Communication & Stakeholder Management — Build credibility with demanding stakeholders, communicate concisely in written and verbal form, push back diplomatically, and adapt style to audience. 

• Analytical Thinking & Data — Analyze ER data and employee feedback, track key metrics, identify root causes and systemic patterns, and translate findings into actionable business recommendations.