Employee Relations Consultant

Ardent Health is a leading provider of healthcare in growing mid-sized urban communities across the U.S. With a focus on people and investments in innovative services and technologies, Ardent is passionate about making healthcare better and easier to access. Through its subsidiaries, Ardent delivers care through a system of 30 acute care hospitals, 24,000 team members and more than 280 sites of care with over 1,800 affiliated providers across six states.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Employee Relations Consultant is a key member of the centralized Employee Relations team, responsible for resolving complex workplace issues, conducting investigations, coaching managers, and ensuring a fair, consistent, and people‑first employee experience. This role supports the organization’s shift toward a modern HR operating model by absorbing transactional and compliance-heavy work from HRBPs, enabling them to focus on strategic talent initiatives.

• Conduct thorough, impartial investigations into employee complaints, policy violations, and workplace conflicts.
• Manage ER cases end-to-end including intake, documentation, analysis, and resolution.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Provide guidance on performance management, corrective action, and policy interpretation.
• Coach managers on handling performance issues, conflict, and employee concerns.
• Deliver training on ER topics, policies, and best practices. Collaborate with HR Technology to improve ER systems and workflows;
• Support leaders in building inclusive, high-performing teams.
• Identify trends and root causes to inform proactive interventions.
• Partner with HCI to leverage analytics for risk mitigation.
• Maintain accurate case data and contribute to ER dashboards and reporting.
• Partner with HRBPs to ensure seamless handoffs between strategic and operational work.
• Work with Legal on high-risk or sensitive cases.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field
• 5 years of HR or ER experience, preferably in a centralized model.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of employment law and ER best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct investigations and manage complex cases.
• Excellent communication, judgment, and interpersonal skills.
• Experience with case management systems and HR technology tools.