Employee Relations Partner

Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania and North Central West Virginia is a nonprofit organization that funds job training, education, and other community programs by selling donated clothing and household items in Goodwill stores and online. We offer life-changing work on a mission-minded team. We are 1,000 working as one and each of us is essential to helping our community thrive. For three years running, Goodwill has been named to Forbes’ list of America’s “Most Inspiring Companies”.

We offer a wide range of career opportunities ranging from entry-level to management in retail, human services, and administrative fields. Learn more about working at Goodwill. You can help. We can show you how.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW:

At Goodwill SWPA, we have transformed our Human Resources Department into People Services, reflecting our mission to help others through a People-First culture lens. People Services supports the actualization of Goodwill SWPA's mission by ensuring agency wide compliance with regulations our work is beholden to, at Federal, State, Local, and specific contractual levels. People Services serves as a vital resource for all agency supervisors and employees in the areas of benefits, training, recruiting, performance management, employee relations, and concerns and questions staff may have during the course of their employment.

POSITION SUMMARY:

With oversight from the Chief People Officer and General Counsel, the Employee Relations Partner serves as the organization's subject matter expert in employee relations, workplace investigations, policy administration, and corrective actions. This role partners with leaders to foster a respectful, equitable, and high-performing workplace by balancing organizational accountability with a People First approach.

The Employee Relations Partner initiates the development, review, and continuous improvement of Human Resources policies, including the Employee Handbook, ensuring policies remain legally compliant, operationally effective, and aligned with the organization's mission, values, and culture.

This position is responsible for conducting complex workplace investigations, managing ethics and compliance concerns submitted through the organization's EthicsPoint reporting system, advising other People Services staff and organization leaders through the corrective action process, through promoting fair, consistent, and compassionate employment practices that strengthen employee trust and organizational effectiveness.

Status: Regular, Exempt, Full-time. 

Location: Workforce Development Center - 118 52nd St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201.

External Hiring Range: $68,000 - $72,000.

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM or 9 AM to 5 PM.

Travel: Travel within Goodwill SWPA territories may be required. 

RESPONSIBILITIES:
Included but not limited to:

Employee Relations:

• Serve as the organization's primary resource for employee relations matters, providing guidance to leaders and employees on workplace concerns, conflict resolution, and policy interpretation.
• Promote a People First culture by balancing accountability, fairness, employee dignity, and organizational needs in all employee relations decisions.
• Partner with leaders to resolve workplace issues through coaching, problem-solving, and proactive intervention whenever appropriate.
• Develop and maintain employee relations dashboards and reports, analyzing complaint trends, investigation outcomes, corrective actions, and organizational risk indicators.
• Identify trends in employee relations and recommend strategies that improve employee engagement, retention, and workplace culture.
• Identify and maintain workplace service level agreements for team and divisional leaders.

Governance:

• Lead the development, revision, implementation, and communication of Human Resources policies and procedures.
•  Maintain ownership of the Employee Handbook, ensuring content remains current, legally compliant, and reflective of organizational values and operational practices.
• Collaborate with leadership and subject matter experts to develop policies that support operational excellence while enhancing the employee experience.

Performance Support:

• Guide leaders through performance management and corrective action processes using a coaching-focused, People First philosophy.
• Review disciplinary recommendations to ensure consistency, fairness, documentation quality, and compliance with organizational policies and employme