Employee Relations and Experience Manager

Are you passionate about creating an exceptional employee experience and fostering a positive workplace culture? UW Credit Union is seeking a dynamic Employee Relations and Experience Manager (internally known as People Relations & Experience Manager) to lead our efforts in ensuring that our employees feel engaged, valued, and empowered. In this role, you will be at the forefront of shaping the employee journey, overseeing key programs that enhance performance management, employee engagement, and recognition. Your work will directly impact the lives of our employees and contribute to the continued success of our organization.

In this role, you will collaborate with leaders across the company, providing expert guidance on employee relations and legal matters, while also driving our employee voice initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity to lead and innovate in a role that requires both strategic vision and hands-on execution. If you are a seasoned HR professional with a passion for making a difference, we invite you to join our team and help us build a workplace where every employee can thrive.

This is a hybrid position requiring onsite presence at our Administrative Offices in Madison, WI.

This position does not have supervisory duties.

Oversight of Performance Management & Employee Relations- 30%

• Partner with HR Business Partners to administer all stages of the progressive discipline process.
• Partner with internal and external counsel on employment related legal matters.
• Conduct thorough, effective, and unbiased investigations in accordance with company policies and federal/state regulations and procedures.
• Measure and monitor data related to progressive discipline and terminations.
• With guidance from the VP of Talent and Strategic People and Experience Manager, oversees UWCU’s Performance Management & appraisal processes.
• Provides coaching and guidance to leaders and HR Business Partners on UWCUs employment policies.
• With leadership guidance, provide counseling and coaching to managers and HR Business Partners related to employee conflict resolution, disciplinary action and/or termination.

Oversight of UWCU's Employee Experience Programs & Processes- 40%

• Oversee and administer UWCUs rewards & recognition programs.
• Oversee the employee journey mapping process. This includes but is not limited to defining the ideal process, creating recommendations and ensuring people and process improvements are thoroughly executed.
• With guidance from the VP of Talent and Strategic People and Experience Manager, oversee and administer UW Credit Union's listening strategy.
• Measure and monitor data related to the employee voice & experience.
• Ensure leaders are engaged and prepared to positively impact the employee experience.
• Ensure feedback received from employee feedback channels is monitored, tracked, and communicated.
• Use survey data to make recommendations for enhancements to UW Credit Union's employee experience and leadership
• Review and analyze organizational and business unit data to identify trends and recommend solutions to improve performance, retention, and employee experience.

HR Team and UWCU Management Support- 20%

• Develop and maintain a network of external experts and peers to stay informed on Employee Experience, Voice, and Relations best practices.
• Actively participates in the annual HR planning process.
• Collaborates with HR leadership to ensure programs, policies and practices are executed smoothly.
• Advises, counsels, and educates management, HR staff and employees in areas of employee relations, employee experience, engagement planning, and policy administration.
• In partnership with HR functional areas, responsible for the development and maintenance of policies and procedures in the employee handbook.
• Develop, review, and recommend new functionality, methods, and procedures to increase departmental efficiency and/or enhance the employee experience.
• Establish a network of peers within the industry to exchange best practices, trends, and vendor experiences.
• Actively participates and assists with the facilitation of PSS Team meetings.
• Regularly engage in self-development & continuing education to remain abreast of best practices & industry standards in the field.
• Support the development and management of departmental budgets.

Leadership Expectations- 10%

• Personal Responsibility and Accountability – Build trust with the team inspiring growth and development while striving to make a positive impact on the business.
• Effective Communication – Communicate inclusively and transparently, aligning work in a manner that reinforces UWCU’s vision, mission, core values and goals. Uses social and emotional intelligence to navigate conflict, strengthen relationships and solve complex problems.
• Focus on Teamwork – Encourage others to authentically bring their true self and skills to work, aligning them with the strategic goals of the team and organization. Recognize and reward individual and team efforts reinforcing the positive impacts to the team and organization.
• High-Performance Mindset – Committed to operational excellence and improvement in the areas of compliance, organizational processes, and employee experience. Consistently meets or exceeds milestones and deadlines.
• Business Acumen – Is a student of our business by understanding emerging industry trends competitor knowledge and how own functional area contributes to the organization. Uses strategic plan, critical measures, and data to recommend change and to execute plans to achieve organization effectiveness and strategic priorities.
• Inclusive Excellence – Foster a collaborative and innovative team. Set the tone and model behaviors that create an environment where others feel valued, respected, a sense of belonging, and the ability to positively contribute. Creates equitable access to development and career growth.
• Recruitment and Retention – Recruit and retain top talent. Develop diverse talent pipelines, aligning with UWCU’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy. Consistently utilizes coaching and development as an engagement, retention, and inclusion strategy.
• Change Leadership – Views change as a necessary constant and positions it in a way that creates engagement and capitalizes on opportunities for individual and team growth and development.
• Coach Approach – approaches people leadership from a place of curiosity and growth mindset, providing continuous feedback focused on employee development. Invites feedback from all directions; recognizing growth and development are a daily process.

• 6-7 years’ experience in HR leadership or HR Business Partner positions
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organization Development, or Business Administration, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• HRCI (PHR) or SHRM certification 
• Demonstrated ability to effectively navigating conflict.
• Strong interpersonal communication, outstanding ability to influence and build relationships, and creative problem-solving skills.
• Excellent influencing, coaching, and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated agility and sound judgment between strategic, operational, and leadership accountabilities.
• Proven ability to successfully lead change initiatives and manage large scale change.

Why Work for UW Credit Union? 

Join one of Wisconsin’s premier financial institutions, a National Top Workplace and multi-year recipient of Madison Magazine’s Best Places to Work, Wisconsin State Journal’s Top Workplaces, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Top Workplaces to receive:

• 2 weeks paid caregiver leave
• 2 weeks paid new child parental leave
• 2 days paid volunteer time
• 10 paid holidays (includes your birthday!)
• Generous paid time off
• 401k company match of up to 5%, plus approximately 4% discretionary match
• 457 deferred-compensation plan
• Generous variable reward bonus
• Free bus pass
• 3 health plan options, including domestic partner eligibility
• And more!

UW Credit Union is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination of any type without regard to race, color, ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, pregnancy, religion, religion creed, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, citizenship status, national origin, political belief, ancestry, military status, protected veteran status, arrest or conviction record or any other characteristics protected by federal, state or local laws.