Manager, Employee Relations

EMPLOYEE REALTIONS MANAGER

Human Resources Division
1600 West Monroe Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007

Salary: $93,500 Annually 

Grade: 25

Closing Date: 5/24/2026

As a member of Human Resources Employee Relations team, this position is responsible for managing the employee relations function and team which serves as subject matter expert and provides HR service and support to employees and managers on various topics such as engagement, performance, retention, benefits, leaves, complaint resolution and investigations, policies and procedures administration, benefits and HR reporting. This position performs supervisory and management duties over a team of 2 to 4 employees, varying in titles and grades.

This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Supervisory:

• Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with ADOR’s core values, agency policies, applicable standard work, and applicable laws. Responsibilities include:
• Actively participating in the interviewing and hiring processes and ensuring successful functional onboarding of new employees.
• Planning, assigning, coordinating and overseeing daily work of direct reports in alignment with strategic, operational, and tactical priorities of the organization.
• Conducts regular one-on-one meetings providing constructive, balanced, regular performance feedback, coaching and mentoring.
• Setting reasonable stretch performance goals and conducting mid-year and annual performance appraisals
• Recognizing and rewarding performance excellence, culture championship, and continuous improvement efforts
• Communicating and enforcing agency policies and programs.
• Applying corrective action, addressing complaints and resolving problems in a timely fashion, involving and collaborating with leadership and
• Human Resources as appropriate.

  Employee Relations Program Management:

• Ensures effective, value-added delivery of HR/ER support and services to the agency personally and through subordinate staff to include the following:
• Develops, implements, trains, coaches and models for the ER team and agency managers, programs, procedures, best practices, standard work, tools and resources that support nurturing positive employer-employee relations.
• Ensures fair and equitable application of HR policies, procedures, and practices are administered by ER team and agency managers to include, but not limited to performance management, corrective action, leave administration, requests for reasonable accommodations, and disputes/complaint resolution, and investigations.
• Develops, updates, and ensures delivery of Benefits orientation for new hires, leads agency-level benefits open enrollment support plan, and ensures employee needs for assistance with benefits are met by the team who serve as a liaison between staff and the Department of Administration.

  Project Management/Contribution:

• Leads and actively participates in projects with cross-functional teams as assigned to include:
• Developing, maintaining, and coordinating detailed project plans to define roles and assignments, metrics, process documentation, actions, and minutes for internal and external stakeholders.
• Facilitating/attending project meetings.
• Monitors project and audited milestones.
• Prepares written reports for internal/external stakeholders, documents results, KPIs, and quality improvement.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with stakeholders, managing expectations.
• Coordinates and facilities meetings.
• Engages as project business lead and/or SME, as applicable, to ensure the successful execution of all mandated and non-mandated projects.

  Agency/Department Compliance & Continuous Improvement:

• Remains current on all laws, regulations, policies, and best practices related to taxation through regular engagement in activities such as: self-directed research, conferring with other practitioners and technical experts; subscriptions to regulatory/legal/industry newsletters and briefs; membership industry associations and attendance at meetings/events; and or participation in training and others continuing education opportunities.
• Actively contributes to team and individual effectiveness through the following:
• Attends and leads staff meetings and huddles of work unit or district; and may cascade and track information as indicated
• Completes all required training in a timely manner.
• Participates in assigned work teams as appropriate.
• May complete periodic metrics, projects, huddle boards and reports as requested.
• Prepares for and actively participates in 1:1 coaching with supervisor.
• Maximizes work processes and deliverables through lean principles within the Arizona Management System (AMS); and provides recommendations for process improvement, and engages in continuous improvement efforts as assigned.

Knowledge/Understanding:

• Knowledge of human resources/personnel principles and practices
  In depth knowledge of employment laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures pertaining to personnel administration and Employee Relations, FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Risk Management, HIPAA

  Skills:

• Excellent verbal, written, and listening communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demeanor
• Strong organization and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work in high-pressure situations
• Effective project management skills with the ability to lead, direct the work of teams without formal supervisory authority
• Proficient in the use of a PC in a Windows environment; in the use of the Internet; in the use of MS Office Applications such as Outlook, Word and Excel, PowerPoint; and in the use of Google Suite applications such as GMail, Sheets, Docs, and Drive.

  Abilities:

• Ability to clear a comprehensive background and clearance process that includes an Arizona tax compliance verification, and a criminal background check through the FBI via level one fingerprint clearance through the Arizona Department of Public Safety
• Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy and also participate collaboratively as part of a team
• Ability to establish and maintain an inclusive and innovative environment that collaborates and empowers others to be engaged in the mutually beneficial outcome
• Ability to understand and solve problems by applying intermediate analytical skills to include collecting all the relevant information and data needed to address the problem; organizing, classifying and synthesizing the data into fundamental issues; from the information, identifying the most probable causes of the problem; reducing the information down into manageable components; identifying the logical outcomes from the analyses of the data collected; and, identifying the options and solutions for addressing the problems analyzed.
• Willingness and ability to embody ADOR’s core values of Do the Right Thing, Commit to Excellence, and Care About One Another

The ideal candidate for this position will have:

• Any combination that meets the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA); typical ways KSAs are obtained may include but are not limited to: a relevant degree from an accredited college or university such as a Bachelor’s Degree (e.g., B.A.), training, coursework, and work experience relevant to the assignment.
• Minimum of seven years related experience in Human Resources, two of which are in Employee Relations, Leave Administration, and Benefits.
• A Bachelor's degree in business or related field
• Previous supervisory experience
• SHRM CP, or SPHR
• Experience with Continuous Improvement, Six Sigma and/or LEAN

The final candidate will be required to abide by the the following pre-employment checks:

• This position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements. Any employee operating a motor vehicle on State business must possess and retain a current, valid class-appropriate driver’s license, complete all required training, and successfully pass all necessary driver’s license record checks. The license must be current, unexpired, and neither revoked nor suspended. Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver’s license record checks, must maintain acceptable driving records, and must complete all required driver training. An employee who operates a personally owned vehicle on state business shall maintain the statutorily required liability insurance (see Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R2-10-207.11).
  Successfully pass background and reference checks; employment is contingent upon completion of the above-mentioned process and the agency’s ability to reasonably accommodate any restrictions.
• Arizona Tax Filing Records Check
• If applicable, ASEDRA Authorized Driver Identification Check
• All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The State of Arizona provides a world class comprehensive benefits package including:

• Affordable medical, dental, life, and short-term disability insurance plans
• Participation in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and long-term disability plans
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Vacation time accrued at 4.00 hours bi-weekly for the first 3 years
• Sick time accrued at 3.70 hours bi-weekly
• Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
• Deferred compensation plan
• Wellness plans
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Stipend Opportunities
• Infant at Work Program
• Rideshare and Public Transit Subsidy
• Career Advancement & Employee Development Opportunities
• Flexible schedules to create a work/life balance

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

Top ranked Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) provides 100% employer matched contributions (enrollment eligibility will be effective after 27 weeks of State employment). ASRS provides a lifelong benefit based on years of service earned, or worked, and your ending salary. Learn more about ASRS at: https://www.azasrs.gov/content/new-and-prospective-members.

If you have any questions, need assistance, or would like to request a reasonable accommodation, please contact the ADOR Talent Team at [email protected].

*The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.