Director, Employee Relations

Director, Employee Relations College Board - Global Strategy & Talent Location:     This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the   option   of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). Type:   This is a full-time position     About the Team At College Board, the Talent team is the engine behind our people, who in turn power our mission to positively impact millions of students worldwide. We are a dynamic, close-knit group, as passionate about supporting our ~2,000 employees as we are about shaping the future of education. Our impact as a mission-driven organization is clear, yet in a rapidly changing world the challenges ahead are more complex than ever. That is why our work in Talent matters. We are not simply supporting employees; we are empowering them to rise to these challenges and do the most meaningful, high-impact work of their careers. Guided by a clear philosophy, we focus on the end user, use data to solve problems, innovate boldly, and communicate directly and honestly while having fun along the way. Our aim is to build high-performing teams, foster strong and accountable leadership, and create the conditions for every employee to thrive. Together, we help every employee do what matters most with clarity, consistency, and purpose. About   the Opportunity       As   a   Director,   Employee Relations, you are a trusted   expert and enterprise thought partner who ensures fairness, equity, and consistency in how the organization manage s   performance, conduct, and conflict.   As the primary   executor   of   E mployee   R elations   (ER)   work, you   advise   complex and sensitive workplace situations. You partner closely with Talent and Legal to investigate concerns, advise on performance and conduct issues, and ensure fair, consistent, and compliant outcomes. You serve as a trusted resource and a key advisor to internal partners, strengthening organizational health through effective issue resolution and clear communication.   You bring deep   expertise   in investigations, performance accountability,   mediation,   and   risk mitigation, and you elevate the function from   simple   case resolution to   building healthy culture   and   recognizing patterns we should disrupt.   In partnership with a team of Talent Business Partners, y ou will lead the ER agenda across the enterprise to   enable   high-performance , mitigate risk, and c reate strong cultures aligned with our Operating Principles and Manager Expectations.    In this role, you will   partner   with Talent Business Partners and others   to :   Guide   and Execute   Organizational Approach to   Employee Relations & Risk Management ( 6 0%)   Serve as the enterprise owner of ER standards, ensuring consistency, fairness, and compliance across the organization.   A ssess and manage elevated employee   relations   risk across teams (e.g., performance, conduct, conflict, compliance).   Lead improvement plan processes across the   enterprise   ensuring strong execution and   manager development along the way    Create standards for and guide managers through improvement plan   processes   and other performance documentation to ensure clarity, quality, and consistency.   Hold managers accountable   to   strong execution of performance plans, including   quality of   feedback, documentation, and follow-through.   Monitor active cases and plans, ensuring   timely   progress,   appropriate escalation , and closure.   Conduct thorough, objective, and   timely   investigations and resolution of complex ER matters, delivering actionable outcomes and monitoring follow-up.   Draft high- quality investigation summaries and documentation in alignment with legal and executive standards   Pr ovide   expert guidance on disciplinary decisions, policy interpretation, and   fair   applications across business units.   Act as a neutral third-party mediator in complex interpersonal or team conflicts, ensuring objective assessment and clear, documented outcomes.   ​ Support Infrastructure, Talent Systems & Continuous Improvement (20%)   Design and implement standardized frameworks, templates, investigation tools, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms to ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance across the organization.   Analyze case data, trends, and team-level metrics to surface patterns (e.g., repeat off-boarding causes, manager escalation hotspots, engagement dips) and present risks and recommendations to senior Talent leaders.   Build manager pre-escalation coaching practices (e.g., “ early-stage   manager check-in” triggers) to reduce reactive case volume and embed stronger accountability.   Provide input into performance management, onboarding/offboarding, and   talent   systems   (e.g., Workday)   to ensure consistency with ER strategy and mitigate emerging risks.   Lead special projects to streamline ER case management processes (e.g., digital case tracking, manager self-service pre-escalation interventions).   Stay current on employment law, regulatory developments, industry benchmarks, and best practices; translate these into organizational policy, training, and manager guidance.   Enable Manager Capability & Team Culture ( 2 0 %)   Partner with Talent Business Partners to build manager capability in performance management, feedback, and difficult conversations    Provide hands-on coaching to managers navigating real-time employee issues, reinforcing expectations for quality and accountability    Contribute ER   expertise   to the development of practical toolkits, templates, and training grounded in real casework    Reinforce a culture where managers are expected to address issues early, document effectively, and follow through consistently   Provide subject matter   expertise   to Talent colleagues for the development of manager toolkits, training modules, and just-in-time resources focus