Director, Employee Relations

Sutter Health

. Develop and implement enterprise employee relations strategies and programs aligned with enterprise, patient care, safety, and operational goals .

Posted 10/19/2026full-timeSacramento • California • United StatesLead💰 $181,875 - $291,013 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in developing and implementing employee relations strategies, policies, and practices while ensuring compliance with federal and state employment laws. Proven ability to lead multi-site teams, manage complex workplace issues, and leverage data analytics to enhance organizational effectiveness and employee engagement.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Employee Relations Strategy DevelopmentFederal And State Employment Law ExpertiseCrisis Management And Threat AssessmentExecutive Communication And InfluenceData Analytics For Business Outcomes

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Investigative SkillsPerformance ImprovementConflict ResolutionPolicy DevelopmentWorkplace InvestigationsDocumentation Quality AssuranceMetrics And ReportingBudget ManagementOperational StrategyEmployee Safety Management

Soft Skills

Interpersonal EffectivenessPeople ManagementCultural CompetenceCollaboration SkillsEngagement And Inclusion

Tools & Technologies

DashboardsPredictive AnalyticsCase Management Systems

Industry Keywords

NLRATitle VIIADAFMLACFRAWorkplace ViolenceEmployee AccommodationsLabor RelationsComplianceClinical Practice

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Develop and implement enterprise employee relations strategies and programs aligned with enterprise, patient care, safety, and operational goals
Partner with leaders and HR teams on proactive employee relations strategies using metrics, reporting, and analysis
Develop scalable employee relations practices, policies, catalogs, playbooks, and decision frameworks
Coach leaders on interpersonal effectiveness, accountability, team dynamics, culture building, performance management, corrective actions, improvement plans, discipline, difficult conversations, conflict resolution, and documentation
Advise managers and employees on conflict resolution, communication, inclusion, accommodations, leave, disability, and workers’ compensation matters
Lead or oversee workplace reviews and investigations involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and policy or Code of Conduct violations
Support responses to workplace violence, employee safety, fitness for duty, clinical practice, brand, and reputation matters
Ensure confidentiality, documentation quality, defensibility, chain of custody, and readiness for executive review, audits, litigation, and agency inquiries
Provide crisis leadership, including threat assessment and urgent employee relations response
Use dashboards, trend analysis, predictive analytics, listening strategies, and case management data to identify workforce risks and evaluate interventions
Present insights and recommendations to senior and executive leadership
Support reorganizations, redeployments, reductions in force, end-of-employment processes, claims, settlements, severance, separation programs, and outplacement services
Lead, develop, and structure a multi-site employee relations team
Establish supervisory structures, staffing plans, coverage models, and standard operating procedures
Improve service delivery, cycle times, stakeholder satisfaction, workload balance, systems, policies, and processes
Manage the budget
Build partnerships with clinical, operational, HR, labor relations, legal, compliance, quality, security, and safety stakeholders
Communicate critical matters and strategies to senior and executive leadership

Requirements

What you’ll need

Equivalent experience will be accepted in lieu of the required degree or diploma
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience in lieu of the degree or diploma
8 years recent relevant experience
Progressive employee relations experience
Leadership experience managing managers and multi-site teams in complex environments
Exceptional people management skills and ability to cultivate an engaging, high-performing, and inclusive culture
Strong executive communication, influence, and cross-functional partnership and collaboration skills
Ability to operate within complex, matrixed environments
Strong judgment when navigating high-risk, complex, or emotionally charged matters
Expert knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including NLRA, Title VII, ADA, FMLA or CFRA, and wage and hour requirements
Advanced investigative skills and experience in restructuring, performance improvement, discipline, leaves/accommodations, crisis management, threat assessment, and reputation matters
Experience advising senior executives
High proficiency in leveraging data and analytics to drive business and people outcomes
Cultural competence and demonstrated commitment to inclusion and belonging
Ability to lead effectively in fast-paced clinical environments and maintain stability during operational disruption

Benefits

Comp & perks

Comprehensive benefits package
Eligible positions include a comprehensive benefits package