Director, Employee Relations

Aboutthe Opportunity

AsaDirector,Employee Relations, you are a trustedexpert and enterprise thought partner who ensures fairness, equity, and consistency in how the organization managesperformance, conduct, and conflict.As the primaryexecutorofEmployeeRelations(ER)work, youadvisecomplex and sensitive workplace situations. You partner closely with Talent and Legal to investigate concerns, advise on performance and conduct issues, and ensure fair, consistent, and compliant outcomes. You serve as a trusted resource and a key advisor to internal partners, strengthening organizational health through effective issue resolution and clear communication.You bring deepexpertisein investigations, performance accountability,mediation,andrisk mitigation, and you elevate the function fromsimplecase resolution tobuilding healthy cultureandrecognizing patterns we should disrupt.In partnership with a team of Talent Business Partners, you will lead the ER agenda across the enterprise toenablehigh-performance, mitigate risk, and create strong cultures aligned with our Operating Principles and Manager Expectations.

In this role, you willpartnerwith Talent Business Partners and othersto:

Guideand ExecuteOrganizational Approach toEmployee Relations & Risk Management (60%)

• Serve as the enterprise owner of ER standards, ensuring consistency, fairness, and compliance across the organization.

• Assess and manage elevated employeerelationsrisk across teams (e.g., performance, conduct, conflict, compliance).

• Lead improvement plan processes across theenterpriseensuring strong execution andmanager development along the way

• Create standards for and guide managers through improvement planprocessesand other performance documentation to ensure clarity, quality, and consistency.

• Hold managers accountabletostrong execution of performance plans, includingquality offeedback, documentation, and follow-through.

• Monitor active cases and plans, ensuringtimelyprogress,appropriate escalation, and closure.

• Conduct thorough, objective, andtimelyinvestigations and resolution of complex ER matters, delivering actionable outcomes and monitoring follow-up.

• Draft high- quality investigation summaries and documentation in alignment with legal and executive standards

• Provideexpert guidance on disciplinary decisions, policy interpretation, andfairapplications across business units.

• Act as a neutral third-party mediator in complex interpersonal or team conflicts, ensuring objective assessment and clear, documented outcomes.

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Support Infrastructure, Talent Systems & Continuous Improvement (20%)

• Design and implement standardized frameworks, templates, investigation tools, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance across the organization.

• Analyze case data, trends, and team-level metrics to surface patterns (e.g., repeat off-boarding causes, manager escalation hotspots, engagement dips) and present risks and recommendations to senior Talent leaders.

• Build manager pre-escalation coaching practices (e.g., “early-stagemanager check-in” triggers) to reduce reactive case volume and embed stronger accountability.

• Provide input into performance management, onboarding/offboarding, andtalentsystems(e.g., Workday)to ensure consistency with ER strategy and mitigate emerging risks.

• Lead special projects to streamline ER case management processes (e.g., digital case tracking, manager self-service pre-escalation interventions).

• Stay current on employment law, regulatory developments, industry benchmarks, and best practices; translate these into organizational policy, training, and manager guidance.

Enable Manager Capability & Team Culture (20%)

• Partner with Talent Business Partners to build manager capability in performance management, feedback, and difficult conversations

• Provide hands-on coaching to managers navigating real-time employee issues, reinforcing expectations for quality and accountability

• Contribute ERexpertiseto the development of practical toolkits, templates, and training grounded in real casework

• Reinforce a culture where managers are expected to address issues early, document effectively, and follow through consistently

• Provide subject matterexpertiseto Talent colleagues for the development of manager toolkits, training modules, and just-in-time resources focused on feedback, performance issues, difficult conversations, and ER risk awareness.

About You

You have:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in employee relations / human resources, including managing complex investigations, performance accountability, and manager advisoryon complex issues such as reorganizations

• Expertiseinperformance management,investigatory best practices,discipline frameworks, and HR policy development.

• Advanced, practical knowledge of employment law with the ability to partner effectively with Legal

• Proven ability toeffectivelyanalyzedata andderive insights that influence leadership decisions.

• SPHR or similar credentials a plus.

• Ability to travel as needed.

About Our Process

• Application review will beginimmediatelyand will continue until the position is filled.This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

• While the hiring processmay vary, it generallyincludes:resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.

What We Offer

AtCollegeBoard, we offer more than a paycheck- we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive.We’rea self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market.

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation

• The hiring range for this role is $96,000 - $140,000.

• Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar rolesatthe College Board.

• We aim to make our best offer upfront, rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data.

• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live.

You’llhave open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and whatit islike to workatCollegeBoard throughout your hiring process. Check outourcareers pagefor more.