Senior Employee Relations Advisor for Clinical Practice and Medical Education

UTHealth Houston is looking for a Senior Level Employee Relations Advisor who will concentrate on our clinical, revenue cycle, and medical education areas. This role is responsible for providing expertise and leadership in employee relations by continually looking for opportunities to improve work processes, developing strong relationships throughout the university community, providing advice and counsel to employees and University leadership on employee relations matters, and serving as a peer resource. You will be concentrating on matters that deal with performance management, behavioral issues, attendance, and other concerns that come from client groups that you support. You will need to foster a sense of service to both managers and employees who will come to the advisor often in tandem on the same issue. This role is at the center of almost all of UTHealth’s disciplinary processes and is responsible for conducting investigations, so you will need strong analytical, investigative, and writing skills. Employee Relations Advisors have to be well-versed in employment laws at both local and federal levels. Previous experience with Family Medical Leave or Military Leave is preferred. Applicants must have at least five years working in human resources with an emphasis on employee relations. Individuals with backgrounds working as an HR Business Partner in healthcare or higher education are preferred, and also those who have worked with research staff. You must be proficient in using Excel. 

 

This is a full-time position that is classified as salaried and exempt. Your office will be in the heart of the Texas Medical Center. Currently, employees in this department work a hybrid schedule. Advisors may be required to be onsite at clinics or on UTHealth premises periodically for certain meetings or actions. This role qualifies for all UTHealth benefits, including healthcare coverage and participation in a pension plan administered 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 day, 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 business needs of the organization. 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 VP, HR, 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.