[Hiring] Senior Employee Relations Consultant @City of Richmond

Role Description

The Senior Employee Relations Consultant serves as a strategic partner providing expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, and policy interpretation. This role is responsible for ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant resolution of employee issues while fostering a respectful and productive work environment across City departments. This position plays a critical role in mitigating organizational risk, promoting accountability, and supporting a culture aligned with the City of Richmond’s values and administrative regulations.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to department directors, managers, and supervisors on employee relations matters.
• Provide guidance on disciplinary actions, performance management, conflict resolution, and workplace concerns.
• Ensure consistent application of City policies, administrative regulations, and employment laws.
• Lead and conduct complex, high-risk, and sensitive workplace investigations.
• Prepare detailed investigative reports, including findings of facts and recommendations.
• Ensure investigations are conducted in a timely, impartial, and legally defensible manner.
• Interpret City Administrative Regulations, and applicable federal/state laws (e.g., FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII).
• Partner with HR leadership to recommend policy updates and enhancements based on trends and case outcomes.
• Advise leadership on progressive discipline and corrective action strategies.
• Review and recommend disciplinary actions to ensure consistency and equity across departments.
• Assist with drafting disciplinary documentation.
• Provide support during audits, litigation, and external agency inquiries.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of best practice procedures used to investigate and resolve employee or workplace concerns including best practices as they relate to reducing bias during the investigation process.
• Extensive experience ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations such as ADA, FMLA, etc.
• Sound judgment, high integrity and the ability to handle complex, highly sensitive and confidential information relating to HR.
• Experience conducting fact-finding and tracking/reporting employee relations grievances using a case management system.
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written).
• Flexibility and ability to balance conflicting priorities.
• Works with a high degree of confidentiality, autonomy and accountability for decisions.
• Collaborative team player.
• Advanced Microsoft Office experience, including virtual team platforms for meetings, shared team documents, and instant messaging communications.

Requirements

• 5+ years of progressive experience in one or more of the following fields: Human Resources, Behavioral or Social Science or Organizational Psychology.
• Bachelor’s degree (equivalency not accepted in place of a required degree).
• Disciplines Preferred: Human Resources; Business; Public Administration.
• Required Certifications/Licenses: HRCI HR Certification (PHR/SPHR) or SHRM HR Certification (SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP) is required upon hire or obtained within 12 months after initial hire date.
• Preferred: Certification in Human Resources: SPHR, PHR, SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, or equivalent in HR field preferred.

Benefits

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program