Senior Specialist, Employee Relations

Ford Motor Company

Nov 1, 2024

Applications are closed

Job
Full-time
Junior & Mid Level
People, HR & Administration
Business, Operations & Strategy
Sterling Heights

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Organizational Development, or any other related discipline or commensurate work experience required.
Minimum 2-4 years of relevant HR and labor work experience with a bachelor’s degree, preferably in a manufacturing setting.
PHR or SHRM-CP certification.
This role requires onsite presence at the manufacturing plant to fulfill job responsibilities.
Involves occasional (defined as one-third or less of the time) lifting of no more than 10 pounds at a time.
Work is performed primarily in a seated position and entails no significant stooping, climbing, etc.
Role does require time walking and standing on plant manufacturing floor at least 20% of the time.
Many sedentary jobs require good use of the hands and fingers for repetitive hand-finger actions.
Working conditions occur within low to moderate noise levels related to the use of standard office or classroom equipment.

Responsibilities

Employee Relations and Business Partnership
Business Acumen: Leverages knowledge of the business to develop rapport and relationships within their customer group (ie: Team Managers) to identify solutions that drive sustainable cultural change and support the achievement of business objectives.
Talent Management: Supports customer group with the strategic execution of talent management responsibilities, including performance management, talent development, succession planning, PDC activities, compensation planning, recruitment, pay decisions, and other personnel actions. Conducts new hire onboarding and orientation activities.
HR Service Delivery: Supports the execution of Labor COE and HRBO designed products and services within their customer group to positively impact both the hourly and salaried employee life cycles.
Employee Engagement: Fosters a positive and inclusive hourly and salary employee experience through proactive initiatives based on feedback through employee opinion surveys, suggestions, and open-door policies and DEI initiatives, to boost engagement and address areas for improvement, and engages in employee recognition events, planning, etc. Conducts daily floor walks in designated customer area to build positive relationships with employees, ensure HR availability, and develop ability to detect early warning indicators.
Lean Methodology: Leverages lean methodology in collaboration with internal departments, external vendors, auditors, and consultants to make decisions, problem solve and drive effective change management programs.
Employee Communication: Partners with local communications staff to implement roll out and execute relevant communications to foster an informed employee population and 2-way communication across all shifts.
Compliance: Ensures compliance with employment laws, regulations, and company policies.
Community Engagement: Supports interactions with local governmental agencies and coordinates charitable activities to support the plant's community engagement efforts. Data Storytelling: Understand the organizations structure and composition. Monitors key workforce metrics to identify potential risks and mitigating actions. Develops insights and recommendations for operating leaders that drive people decisions.
Labor Relations
Union Relations: Resolves union issues such as conflicts, disputes, and disciplinary matters, with fairness and consistency in a timely manner. Actively participates in collective bargaining process and negotiations where support is needed. Ensures rep comp is completed accurately and timely within the constraints of the contractual agreement.
Case Management: Effectively manages assigned cases and grievances within their customer group. Monitors volume for workload and emerging trends, Responds to ethics and compliance hotline as necessary.
Payroll, Time and Attendance: Executes payroll and attendance tracking processes including attendance hearings, issuing 10-day quit letters, updating system codes, vacation usage, and running necessary reports. Applies knowledge of leaves of absences policies, rules and regulations include the Family and Medical Leave Act and its interaction with worker’s compensation and Americans with Disabilities Act to administer and track in relevant HRIS systems.
Contract Interpretation: Collaborates closely with customer group and relevant union representatives to ensure correct implementation and accurate interpretation of the contract terms, addressing inquiries, grievances, and other union-related issues for consistent application. Resolves employee union issues, such as conflicts, disputes, and disciplinary matters, ensuring fairness, consistency, and timeliness.
Investigations: Conducts investigations within their assigned customer group, ensuring that all disciplinary issues, grievances, and arbitration matters are handled in a timely and effective manner. Assesses the severity of each case and escalates significant concerns to the Manager, HR Generalist as required. Escalates all types of discrimination charges and complaints in partnership with legal counsel on lawsuit discovery and litigation preparation. Leverages conflict resolution and critical thinking skills to conduct investigations.
Manpower Administration: Supports the talent management process for hourly employees within their customer group including: TFT /TPT placement and tracking, support skill trades hiring / apprenticeship program administration, outside contracting, internal and external hourly hiring processes, reskilling, transferring, retirement separation packages, tracking and processing, team leader 30/60/90-day review processes, and manpower reporting.
Health and Safety: Works closely with safety and occupational health leads to address employee health and wellness concerns, support safety audits, wellness programs.

FAQs

What is the location requirement for this position?

This role requires onsite presence at the manufacturing plant to fulfill job responsibilities.

What is the minimum education required for this role?

A Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Organizational Development, or any related discipline, or commensurate work experience is required.

How many years of HR experience are necessary for this position?

A minimum of 2-4 years of relevant HR and labor work experience is required, preferably in a manufacturing setting.

Is certification preferred for this role?

Yes, PHR or SHRM-CP certification is preferred.

What are the primary responsibilities of this position?

Responsibilities include employee relations, talent management, compliance, labor relations, community outreach, and fostering a positive work environment.

Are there physical requirements for this job?

Yes, the role involves occasional lifting of no more than 10 pounds and requires time walking and standing on the plant manufacturing floor at least 20% of the time.

What types of skills are important for this job?

Important skills include business acumen, conflict resolution, critical thinking, compliance knowledge, employee advocacy, and interpersonal communication.

What employee benefits are offered?

Benefits include immediate medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage, flexible family care days, tuition assistance, and paid time off for community service, among others.

Is there a focus on community engagement in this role?

Yes, the position supports interactions with local governmental agencies and coordinates charitable activities to enhance the plant's community engagement efforts.

What type of contract issues will I be involved in?

You will participate in resolving union issues, handling grievances, and ensuring accurate interpretation of contract terms.

Ford Motor Company

Automotive

Industry

10,001+

Employees

1903

Founded Year

Mission & Purpose

We don't just make history -- we make the future. Ford put the world on wheels over a century ago, and our teams are re-inventing icons and creating groundbreaking connected and electric vehicles for the next century. We believe in serving our customers, our communities, and the world. If you do, too, come move the world and make the future with us. Ford is a global company with shared ideals and a deep sense of family. From our earliest days as a pioneer of modern transportation, we have sought to make the world a better place – one that benefits lives, communities and the planet. We are here to provide the means for every person to move and pursue their dreams, serving as a bridge between personal freedom and the future of mobility. In that pursuit, our 186,000 employees around the world help to set the pace of innovation every day.