Senior Employee Relations Partner (Contractor)

About the role:

Samara’s Employee Relations team is part of the broader People organization focused on fostering a high-trust, high-performance culture across the company. Reporting to the Director of Employee Relations, the Sr. Employee Relations Partner will be aligned with a specific pillar of the business, providing strategic guidance on sensitive employee relations matters, including performance management, misconduct, interpersonal conflict, complex leaves/accommodations, company policies, processes, and procedures. We are looking for a candidate who has deep employee relations expertise, investigations skills, and excellent judgment to manage sensitive employee issues while maintaining a positive employee experience, minimizing risk, and staying in alignment with our company values and business needs.  Must be available to work Pacific Time Zone.
 
This role is open to candidates residing in the US except the San Francisco Bay Area (125 mi. radius from 1 De Haro St, San Francisco) and NYC Metro Area (50 mi. radius from 131 W 55th St, New York).

This is a 6 month contract position. 

You should apply if:

• You want to impact the industries that run our world: Your efforts will result in real-world impact—helping to keep the lights on, get food into grocery stores, reduce emissions, and most importantly, ensure workers return home safely.
• You are the architect of your own career: If you put in the work, this role won’t be your last at Samsara. We set up our employees for success and have built a culture that encourages rapid career development, countless opportunities to experiment and master your craft in a hyper growth environment.
• You’re energized by our opportunity: The vision we have to digitize large sectors of the global economy requires your full focus and best efforts to bring forth creative, ambitious ideas for our customers.
• You want to be with the best: At Samsara, we win together, celebrate together and support each other. You will be surrounded by a high-calibre team that will encourage you to do your best. 
  
  

In this role, you will: 

• Advise, coach, and guide all levels of management around complex employee relations decisions such as business conduct, performance management, terminations, people policies, guidelines, and practices
• Work with the People Partners and Legal to ensure that employee relations issues are addressed in a robust and consistent manner, adhering to legal expectations and guidelines
• Evolve how we address employee relations matters across the company, by looking at principles, people, processes, and technology
• Support business leaders to handle workplace concerns and co-create action plans and provide intervention as necessary
• Ensure oversight and governance of policies and practices globally, including interpreting and applying understanding of corporate policies and practices, employment laws, and other regulations to provide guidance or recommendations for Employee Relations inquiries
• Ensure that effective and robust documentation techniques are used and maintain accurate, confidential records regarding all reported matters and fact-finding documentation
• Maintain the highest level of integrity when managing employee relations issues and managing reported matters
• Use HR analytics and data to identify trends, diagnose root cause issues, and make data-driven recommendations to the business and People teams to drive strategic programs and change
• Advocate for an inclusive workplace as part of our broader DEI programs
• Drive accountability and operational excellence in everything we do from case management to delivering on priorities and projects
• Stay attuned to organizational and operational changes across the company to identify potential employee relations risks and develop plans to address proactively
• Partner closely with Talent Development, DEI, People Operations, and other internal departments to bring an employee experience lens to the programs, policies, and processes
• Support training initiatives and the continual development of management toolkits for leaders
• Participate and direct projects as an integral member of the People team
• Champion, role model, and embed Samsara’s cultural values (Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, Win as a Team) as we scale globally and across new offices
  
  

Minimum requirements for the role:

• 8+ years of relevant work experience; including deep domain experience in the areas of employee relations, workplace conflict, and performance management 
• This role is eligible to be fully remote. However, we are looking for someone who is able to work and operate during the Pacific Time Zone and includes occasional work at a Samsara office or offsite events as needed
• Strong business and people acumen, as well as consulting, conflict resolution, and facilitation skills
• Strong analytical, interpersonal, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• In depth understanding of all aspects of US employment and human resources related laws, regulations, policies, principles, concepts, and practices
• Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply the appropriate sections of applicable laws, guidelines, regulations, and policies
• Ability to work collaboratively, spearhead  and influence at all levels within the organization, and make judgments while keeping all partners and leaders informed
• Strong attention to detail in the documentation of employee relations issues
• Ability to remain tactful, calm, and persuasive in controversial and/or confrontational situations
• Demonstrated solid judgment and experience assessing risk relative to the business
• Ability to work well in a fast-paced and iterative environment with a propensity to thrive in ambiguity 
• Strong bias for action, process orientation, and not afraid to “roll up your sleeves”
• In depth understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion issues and how they apply to employee relations
• BS/BA and JD degree preferred 

An ideal candidate also has:

• Knowledge of and experience with international labor practices in countries where we operate strongly preferred 
• Experience working in a technology environment