Job Description
The Senior Employment Compliance Specialist serves as a high-level consultant and subject-matter expert on complex and sensitive employment matters across the organization. This role provides advanced analysis, strategic recommendations, and expert guidance to management, HR Business Partners, and cross-functional stakeholders. The Senior Specialist is responsible for overseeing and advising on employee complaints, workplace investigations, progressive discipline, adverse employment actions, workforce reduction strategies, wage & hour compliance, and ADA compliance. This position requires expert-level knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and the ability to navigate nuanced, high-risk situations with sound judgment.
Senior Employment Compliance Specialist responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Serve as a senior-level consultant and trusted advisor to HR Business Partners and organizational leaders on complex employee relations, workplace behavior concerns, and employment compliance matters.
- Lead, conduct and oversee comprehensive and impartial workplace investigations, including allegations involving misconduct, policy violations, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage & hour issues, or ADA-related concerns.
- Provide strategic, risk-mitigating recommendations regarding corrective actions, performance management, progressive discipline, high-risk terminations, and workforce reduction strategies.
- Advise leadership on wage & hour compliance under FLSA and relevant state laws, including classification reviews, overtime practices, recordkeeping requirements, and scheduling concerns.
- Serve as subject-matter expert on ADA compliance, guiding interactive process reviews, reasonable accommodations evaluations, and fitness-for-duty considerations.
- Analyze complex fact patterns and interpret federal, state and local employment laws, regulations, and internal policies to support consistent compliant decision-making.
- Partner with in‑house counsel, providing first‑level review and assessment of complex employment matters and contributing to the development of legally sound strategies.
- Support legal counsel by drafting, refining, and providing detailed factual summaries for position statement responses and other legal documentation.
- Prepare high-quality investigation reports, including clear findings, analytical reasoning, and recommended actions.
- Identify trends and systemic issues, advising leadership on opportunities for policy improvements, process enhancements, and proactive risk mitigation.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Legal, HRBPs, and other stakeholders to resolve multifaceted employee relations challenges and maintain alignment with evolving regulations.
- Develop, deliver and continuously improve training programs on employment compliance topics such as investigations, workforce reductions, wage & hour laws, ADA requirements, and best practices.
- Lead or contribute to cross-functional initiatives, applying advanced project management and analytical skills to plan, organize, and execute new or enhanced programs and processes.
- Coach and mentor to HR team members providing guidance on investigation methodology, documentation standards, and employment law considerations, and compliance best practices.
