If you are looking for a dynamic and challenging role, consider joining UTHealth Houston as a Senior Employee Relations Advisor. You will provide comprehensive and consultative human resources support to our clinical and research teams. You will also uphold integrity and accountability while effectively applying organizational policies and procedures. To succeed in this role, you need to embrace change, seek knowledge, and find solutions to complex matters. You also need to build and maintain positive and productive relationships with colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders. 

We prefer candidates who have experience as an HR Business Partner in healthcare or higher education. We also prefer candidates who are proficient in using tools such as PeopleSoft, Excel, and other Microsoft Suite products and who can adapt to new emerging technology. Previous experience with facilitating Family Medical Leave and ADA processes is also preferred. 

The position offered is a hybrid, full-time role with a salaried, exempt status. When working onsite, you will be based in the central hub of the Texas Medical Center but may travel to other locations across the greater Houston area. Remote work is allowed within the greater Houston vicinity. All human resources employees attend certain on-site meetings or events periodically as needed. This role comes with eligibility for all UTHealth benefits, which encompasses healthcare coverage and enrollment in the pension plan managed by the State of Texas.   

What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.

Once you join us, you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:  

100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees   Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave days, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)  The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!  Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)  Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan! 

We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ well-being is important to us. We offer work/life services such as... 

Free financial and legal counseling  Free mental health counseling services  Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs  Other employee discounts include entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.  Resources for child and elder care  Plus, many more! 

Position Key Accountabilities: 

1. Maintains expert-level knowledge of UTHealth human resources policies. Proactively recommends changes to policy based on legislative changes, Board of Regents rules, human resources best practices, or changes in the organization's business needs. Discusses and explains UTHealth human resources policies with employees and people managers.   

2. Provide advice, counsel, and recommendations to managers and employees regarding employee relations issues. Discusses appropriate actions and alternatives and facilitates compliance with UTHealth policy. Identifies opportunities to provide proactive consultative services to people managers related to employee relations issues. 

3. Continually look for opportunities to improve work processes and the value of delivered services. May initiate and lead projects to meet departmental and university objectives. Provides education and training on employee relations best practices to the Employee Relations team and other HR colleagues and functions as a mentor to employee relations staff. Collaborates with HR Training to develop and deliver training sessions on various human resources policies and procedures to supervisors and employees. 

4. Facilitates pre-disciplinary meetings between employee and manager; serves as a resource to both the employee and manager during the disciplinary process. Facilitates appeals of disciplinary action and provides counsel to involved parties regarding procedural issues and policy.   

5. Conduct effective internal investigations of employee claims and make recommendations as appropriate. Assists departments in reductions in force (RIF) and reorganizations. Review RIF plans and justifications to ensure actions comply with university policy and practice and advise the department of necessary revisions for actions to proceed. Recommends actions to the CHRO or designee. Coordinates outplacement support and monitors reports from external vendors. 

6. Attends unemployment claim hearings. Tracks trends from unemployment claim hearings and recommends process changes as appropriate. 

7. Performs other duties as assigned. 

Certification/Skills: 

Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification is preferred. 

Minimum Education: 

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in business administration, with an emphasis in human resources. 

Minimum Experience: 

Five (5) years of professional human resources experience, two of which must be in Employee Relations. 

Physical Requirements: 

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects. 

Security Sensitive: 

This job class may contain positions that are security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Texas Education Code § 51.215 

Residency Requirement: 

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.