Director of Employee Relations

About Covenant House New York

Join a Legacy of Hope and Empowerment at Covenant House New York!

For over 50 years, Covenant House New York (CHNY) has been at the forefront of transforming lives by providing comprehensive shelter, housing, and wrap-around support services for vulnerable homeless, runaway, and exploited youth. As the largest provider of these essential services in New York City, CHNY impacts the lives of over 1,500 young people aged 16-24 every year.

At CHNY, our doors are open to all young people in need, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. Our dedicated team offers various services, including shelter, housing, education, employment, health, mental health support, youth development, and anti-human trafficking initiatives. We operate with harm reduction and trauma-informed principles to ensure the best care for our youth.

But our mission goes beyond immediate support. We are passionate advocates for systemic change, influencing public policy, and raising awareness of the critical issues surrounding youth homelessness. Our ultimate goal is to provide a safe refuge and empower young people to build a brighter future founded on compassion, unconditional love, and absolute respect.

Join us in making a difference in the lives of countless young people. Join a team that inspires long-term transformation and hope.

About the role

The Director of Employee Relations leads the day-to-day employee relations function and promotes a fair, respectful, consistent, and accountable workplace across Covenant House New York. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of People & Culture, the Director serves as a trusted advisor to leaders and managers on complex employee relations matters, workplace investigations, performance management, policy interpretation, and conflict resolution.

The Director works closely with organizational leadership and the People & Culture team to identify and address workplace concerns early, strengthen management practices, mitigate organizational risk, and ensure that employee relations matters are handled consistently, thoroughly, and in accordance with organizational policies and applicable employment and labor laws. The Director also partners closely with the Compliance Team on workplace investigations and internal and external audits requiring People & Culture participation.

The Director exercises sound judgment in managing employee relations matters and ensures that significant, sensitive, high-risk, or precedent-setting matters are appropriately escalated to the Senior Vice President of People & Culture.

What you'll do

Employee Relations

• Serve as the primary day-to-day People & Culture resource for employee relations matters across the organization.

• Provide guidance to managers and leaders regarding employee concerns, workplace conflict, performance issues, attendance concerns, and policy application.

• Assess employee relations concerns and recommend appropriate courses of action based on organizational policy, past practice, applicable law, and the circumstances of each matter.

• Coach managers on effective employee communication, documentation, conflict resolution, performance management, and difficult workplace conversations.

• Prepare employee relations reports and analyze trends to support organizational decision-making.

Workplace Investigations

• Lead and independently conduct prompt, thorough, objective, and well-documented workplace investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, policy violations, workplace conflict, and other employee concerns.

• Develop investigation plans, conduct interviews, review relevant records and evidence, assess credibility, and prepare written investigation findings and reports.

• Partner with the Compliance Team on workplace investigations involving compliance-related concerns or matters requiring coordination between People & Culture and Compliance.

• Maintain confidential investigation records and partner with the Senior Vice President of People & Culture and legal counsel, as appropriate, on complex, sensitive, high-risk, or precedent-setting matters.

Performance Management and Workplace Support

• Lead the organization’s annual Performance Review process, including timelines, communications, support, and completion tracking.

• Advise managers on performance improvement, coaching, documentation, and appropriate responses to performance or workplace concerns.

• Review performance-related documentation and help managers address concerns early, establish clear expectations, and apply organizational policy consistently.

• Use performance review outcomes and trends to identify opportunities for manager coaching, employee development, and broader organizational improvement.

Labor Relations

• Support the day-to-day administration of collective bargaining agreements and employee matters involving represented employees.

• Advise managers regarding contract interpretation, grievances, attendance, and other labor-related matters.

• Assist in preparing grievance responses, gathering documentation, and maintaining appropriate labor relations records.

• Escalate significant labor strategy, collective bargaining matters, arbitration matters, and other high-risk issues to the Senior Vice President of People & Culture.

Policy Compliance and Administration

• Interpret and apply People & Culture policies consistently across programs and departments.

• Lead the development, review, revision, and implementation of People & Culture policies and procedures in partnership with the Senior Vice President of People & Culture and other key stakeholders.

• Administer the electronic Employee Handbook through AirMason, including updates, distribution, acknowledgment tracking, and follow-up.

• Manage unemployment benefits administration with the external vendor, including timely submission of requested documentation and follow-up.

• Monitor changes in employment laws and workplace practices, recommend policy updates, communicate approved changes, and support consistent implementation.

Internal and External Audits

• Serve as the primary People & Culture partner for internal and external audits requiring People & Culture documentation.

• Partner closely with the Compliance Team to coordinate People & Culture participation in internal and external audits, reviews, and monitoring activities.

• Coordinate the timely collection, review, and submission of complete and accurate records.

• Track audit findings, remediation plans, and recommendations through completion; identify recurring issues or documentation gaps and recommend process, policy, or control improvements to the Senior Vice President of People & Culture.

Training and Organizational Support

• Develop and facilitate manager training on employee relations topics, including documentation, performance management, investigations, respectful workplace expectations, and conflict resolution.

• Strengthen managers’ ability to address employee concerns effectively and consistently.

• Collaborate with People & Culture colleagues on organizational initiatives affecting employee experience, retention, engagement, and workplace culture.

Performs other duties as assigned or needed

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Business Administration, or a related field required; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive Human Resources or Employee Relations experience, including substantial responsibility for complex employee relations matters and workplace investigations.

• Experience advising managers and senior leaders on performance management, policy interpretation, and workplace conflict.

• Demonstrated experience conducting and documenting workplace investigations.

• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing employment policies and managing organizational performance management or performance review processes.

• Working knowledge of federal, New York State, and New York City employment laws and regulations.

• Experience working in a unionized environment strongly preferred.

• Experience in nonprofit, social services, healthcare, behavioral health, residential services, or another highly regulated environment preferred.

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or workplace investigations certification preferred.

• Strong judgment and ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters.

• Excellent investigative, interviewing, analytical, and documentation skills.

• Strong knowledge of employee relations principles and employment practices.

• Ability to interpret policies and collective bargaining agreements and apply them consistently.

• Ability to remain objective and appropriately neutral when assessing workplace concerns.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to coach and influence managers at varying levels of management experience.

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple active employee relations matters simultaneously.

• Ability to recognize when matters require escalation to senior People & Culture leadership or legal counsel.

• Demonstrated commitment to fairness, accountability, dignity, respect, and Covenant House New York’s mission and values.