Director Employee Relations & Compliance

The Michaels Organization is a national leader in residential real estate offering full-service capabilities in development, property management, construction, and investment. At Michaels, our teammates strive to fulfill our promise of creating communities that lift lives – ones that jumpstart housing, education, civic engagement, and neighborhood prosperity. With this passion at the forefront of our business, Michaels teammates can be proud to be a part of the extraordinary, every day. 

The Director of Employee Relations & Compliance will lead the employee relations function, ensuring fair, practical, and legally compliant outcomes for escalated employee matters. In this strategic, hands-on role, you will serve as a collaborative HR partner, guiding compliance across the organization. Responsibilities include investigating and resolving employee relations issues, establishing processes and procedures for investigations, and providing training to HR team members to ensure consistency in handling matters. You will partner closely with HR colleagues, maintain awareness of current legal and regulatory requirements, and analyze trends to recommend solutions that address organizational challenges.

• Serves as a strategic leader of matters pertaining to employee relations and compliance.  Provides hands-on employee relations support.
• Oversees escalated and complex employee relations matters and recommends appropriate employment action to maintain a productive, positive work environment. 
• Empowers cross-functional partners and business leaders to manage employee disciplinary actions to ensure consistent, uniform, and fair application of company policies and procedures and governmental laws. 
• Implements standardized operating procedures for handling employee relations issues, ensuring consistency and fairness.
• Equip managers with tools, coaching, and frameworks to lead effectively and fairly—focusing on prevention, consistency, and early intervention.
• Support managers in becoming stronger leaders—offering guidance on team performance, recognition, communication, and engagement.
• Facilitates effective partnerships with Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Payroll, Benefits, and Legal teams to address issues holistically and proactively, recommends solutions to issues, counsel’s employees, advises managers on discipline process and facilitates dispute resolution. 
• Leverages expert-level, specialized skills to conduct thorough investigations, mitigating risks and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
• Demonstrates a proactive, strategic approach to employee relations by identifying and analyzing ER data/metrics for themes, trends, and root cause identification. Share findings with key partners to develop and deliver an action plan in line with HR strategy.
• Analyze trends in engagement, attrition, leadership effectiveness, and feedback to shape data-driven HR strategies.
•  Collaborate with stakeholders to translate metrics into practical, people-focused improvements.
• Oversees turnover reporting on a quarterly basis. Derives an analysis from the data and translating that into a story, demonstrating an ability to use the data to inform practices and decision making.
• Serves as central owner of information related to compliance, including state-specific onboarding requirements, annual update of Employee Handbook, and implementation of Compliance Program maintaining knowledge of industry best practices and local regulation changes.
• Assists in the development and administration of all other projects, programs, procedures, and guidelines aimed at aligning the workforce with strategic goals of the company.

Required Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in an employee relations-related capacity
• Experience establishing & leading ER function in a multi-unit retail environment; high volume, high-traffic, and high-visibility environments preferred.
• Experience establishing an Employee Relations Center of Excellence is required.
• Experience in luxury retail and/or service-oriented organization; direct retail store experience preferred.
• Strong skills in high volume, complex employee relations matters

Required Education/Training:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources or related field preferred
• PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional relationship-building skills to create long-lasting impact to client group.
• Expert in conducting investigations from intake to resolution.
• Expert-level understanding of HR policies and procedures, Federal and State employment laws, compliance and reporting requirements.
• Strong counselling approach and proven ability to influence others and support where needed.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable with public speaking
• Strong interpersonal skills with a focus on internal customer service; ability to coach and empower others.
• Strong active listening skills
• Demonstrated ability to use technology (i.e., Excel, PowerPoint, Word, HRIS systems) to gather, interpret, organize, and present data.
• Sound judgment and critical thinking skills; successful management of multiple projects and competing priorities while balancing the needs for quality with meeting deadlines.
• Detail oriented with strong organizational skills; evidence of self-motivation; demonstrated ability to plan, schedule and work both independently and in teams within a service-oriented organization.
• Possess business acumen and are operationally sound.
• Kind, but effective leadership style.  Demonstrates humility, compassion, and approachability in all interactions.
• Comfortable with fast paced environment; ability to prioritize effectively and independently.

Salary Range Information

The range displayed on each job posting reflects the targeted base salary for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Rewards & Benefits

We know Michaels’ promise of lifting lives starts with our teammates, so making sure every single teammate is happy, healthy, and set up for a successful future is important to us.  As part of our team, you will enjoy a competitive wage, a comprehensive benefit package which includes Medical, Dental, Vision, prescription, etc., generous paid time off, a 401 (k) plan with a company match, and so much more.  We believe in education – and in taking care of our own – so as an added incentive your children will be able to apply for the Michaels Employee Scholarship Program. 

• Help make the world a better place in a team-oriented environment.
• Grow with our organization through various  professional development opportunities.
• Collaborate and thrive in a company culture where all are welcome

Michaels teammates make a difference in the lives of residents, colleagues, and the communities where we live and work every day.  To learn more about the total rewards we offer please visit our website. 

Come join our team. You’re going to love it here!