[Hiring] People and Culture Specialist III @Modern Family Law

Role Description

The People & Culture Specialist leads day-to-day employee relations, leave, and accommodation work for the Firm’s multi-state workforce. The role is a primary partner to managers, Managing Attorneys (MAs), and employees on workplace concerns, performance and conduct matters, and leave or accommodation requests. The specialist owns assigned matters from intake through resolution, communicates clear recommendations, documents decisions and follow-up, and leads approved People & Culture initiatives through implementation. The role works independently within established policies and guidance and promptly brings significant legal, employee, or policy risk to People & Culture leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day employee relations process for assigned matters, including intake, issue assessment, fact-finding, interviews, investigations, findings, recommendations, communication, documentation, and follow-up.
• Serve as a trusted People & Culture partner to MAs, managers, and employees. Lead consultations and meetings, clarify the concern, coach managers on fair and consistent next steps, and confirm agreed actions are completed.
• Advise managers on performance, conduct, attendance, workplace conflict, retention, and other employee concerns. Promote coaching and development where appropriate and partner with P&C leadership on formal corrective action or separation decisions.
• Use sound judgment to resolve routine matters within Firm policy. Escalate promptly to P&C leadership any allegation or circumstance involving significant legal or employee risk, potential retaliation or discrimination, safety concerns, policy interpretation or exceptions, or a proposed high-impact employment decision.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential case records, including relevant facts, analysis, recommendations, decisions, communications, and assigned follow-up. Track open actions and deadlines through completion.
• Own assigned leave and accommodation matters, including applicable ADA, FMLA, state and local leave laws, and religious accommodations. Coordinate the interactive process, required documentation, employee and manager communication, and timely case milestones.
• Partner with employees, managers, payroll, benefits, and other stakeholders to coordinate leave administration and workplace accommodations while protecting confidential medical information and limiting access to those with a business need.
• Monitor changes in employment and leave requirements across the Firm’s jurisdictions. Research questions, identify operational impacts, recommend updates, and support implementation of policies, procedures, handbook materials, and manager guidance.
• Lead approved employee relations, leave, accommodation, and employee experience initiatives from planning through completion. Define deliverables and milestones, coordinate owners, communicate status and risks, resolve routine blockers, and confirm adoption and follow-through.
• Develop, document, and maintain practical procedures, templates, and process guides that improve consistency, timely handling, compliance, and scalability across the Firm.
• Review case and leave data, recurring themes, and manager feedback to identify trends and recommend specific actions to P&C leadership. Track agreed actions and report progress and outcomes.
• Partner with P&C leadership to plan and deliver manager education and resources on employee relations, performance conversations, leave, accommodations, and effective partnership with P&C. Follow up on questions and reinforce key practices.
• Work with cross-functional partners to resolve employee matters and implement People & Culture processes. Keep stakeholders informed of their responsibilities, timelines, and next steps.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support People & Culture and Firm needs.

Qualifications

• At least six (5) years of progressively responsible experience in employee relations, human resources, leave administration, accommodations, employment compliance, or a closely related field, including independent ownership of complex matters and projects.
• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, or a related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience will be considered.
• Demonstrated experience conducting employee relations reviews or investigations and advising managers on performance, conduct, workplace concerns, and appropriate follow-up.
• Hands-on experience administering leave and accommodation processes, including the ADA, FMLA, and applicable state and local requirements.
• Working knowledge of employment practices and multi-state requirements, including California, Colorado, Texas, Washington, Virginia and Georgia; ability to research and apply requirements in additional jurisdictions as the Firm expands.
• Experience in a law firm, professional services, or a rapidly growing multi-state organization is preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Outlook, SharePoint, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as Adobe, Slack, and Zoom.
• Reliable remote work setup, including high-speed internet and a functional workstation.

Skills and Competencies

• Takes initiative and follows work through to completion; translates broad goals into clear deliverables, milestones, ownership, and regular updates.
• Exercises sound judgment, balances employee care with consistent policy application, and knows when to consult or escalate.
• Demonstrates strong written and verbal communication skills, interacting with employees, MAs, managers, and leaders at all levels with professionalism, empathy, and clarity through phone, video, email, and messaging platforms.
• Organizes multiple sensitive matters effectively, prioritizes deadlines, and maintains reliable documentation and follow-up.
• Builds trust while handling confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
• Uses facts and available data to identify patterns, explain options, and make practical recommendations.
• Works independently with minimal supervision while collaborating effectively across teams and adapting to changing business needs.

Requirements

• Mandatory Notices for Applicants:
• ADA Compliance: Candidates must be able to perform the role’s duties with or without reasonable accommodations. Requests for accommodations should be made to the Director of People Operations in advance.
• Compensation and Benefits: Salary Range for California and Washington: $95,000-$105,000. This range is a reasonably reliable estimate of the base salary that this role is expected to receive. Actual pay will be adjusted based on experience, location, and other job-related factors permitted by law.
• Comprehensive benefits package includes health insurance, HSA/FSA options, short-term and long-term disability, dental and vision care, life insurance, 401(k), vacation, sick time, and access to an employee assistance program. Additional voluntary benefits include accident insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, critical illness insurance, long-term care insurance, and pet insurance. Commuter and transit benefits may be available in some locations.
• Pursuant to the local Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Modern Family Law is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.