What are the responsibilities and job description for the Employee Relations Coordinator - Office of Human Resources position at City of Savannah?
Are you passionate about creating a positive employee experience and helping organizations thrive? We're looking for a dynamic HR Coordinator to play a vital role in supporting our workforce and strengthening our workplace culture.
In this impactful position, you'll help foster employee engagement, support comprehensive benefits programs, and contribute to initiatives that enhance employee satisfaction while minimizing organizational costs and risks. As a key member of the Office of Human Resources, you'll serve as a trusted resource for employees and help ensure our HR programs run smoothly and effectively. If you enjoy building relationships, solving problems, and making a meaningful difference in the employee experience, we encourage you to apply!
The Opportunity - The Human Resources Coordinator will serve as a strategic Human Resources representative responsible for supporting and maintaining the organization’s employee relations (ER) – benefits framework. This role is focused on establishing, supporting, and maintaining the structure, policies, systems, and programming necessary to ensure consistent, compliant, and effective employee relations and benefit practices across the organization.
Why This Role Matters -This individual will assess current ER-benefit needs and provide expert guidance to City Staff and HR partners on employee relations-benefit matters, risk mitigation, and policy alignment. The HR Coordinator will play a critical role in fostering a fair, respectful, and compliant workplace while positioning the ER – benefit function for future growth.
Shaping Policy & Compliance
• Review and collaborate with Employee Relations Manager on policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure legal and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with Employee Relations Manager and HR leadership to identify, assess, and mitigate employee relations risks.
• This position is responsible for coordinating a variety of benefit services including health insurance, pension and retirement plans, leave programs, and wellness initiatives.
• The role serves as a key liaison between employees, vendors, and internal departments and is responsible for ensuring accurate benefits administration, effective communication, and compliance with relevant policies and regulations.
• The position supports the City’s efforts to attract, retain, and support a diverse and engaged workforce.
• Ensure ER practices align with employment laws, internal policies, and best practices.
Trusted Advisor to Leadership
• Act as a trusted advisor to HR employees and leaders on employee relations, leave, and benefit issues.
• Provide expert consultation and guidance on investigations, benefits, leave, performance issues, conflict resolution, workplace concerns, and corrective action.
• Influence leadership decision-making through data, risk analysis, and sound judgment.
Building the Tools, Systems and Infrastructure
• Design and implement ER systems, tools, and documentation standards to support case management, reporting, and trend analysis.
• Establish consistent processes for tracking, analyzing, and reporting employee relations data and outcomes.
• Recommend technology or system improvements to enhance ER effectiveness and compliance.• Provides administrative and operational support to the Employee Relations and Benefits division, assisting with a wide range of assigned duties.
• Develops and support the implementation of employee relations programs, policies, and procedures in compliance with relevant employment laws and regulations.
• Advises and coaches employees on the resolution of complex employee relations issues, including compliance and application of employment laws and regulations and conflict resolution
• Conducts investigations into complex employee relations issues that have been escalated by managers.
• Ensure administrative tasks are completed (e.g. documentation for investigations) and deliver other HR projects (e.g. deliver harassment training) in a timely manner.
• Represents department and provides technical guidance on issues for which functionally responsible; remains current on changes, and advises on applicable rules, regulations, ordinances, state and federal laws, and professionally accepted practices and procedures.
• Reviews, researches and recommends innovations for existing or proposed plans, policies and processes; improves program effectiveness and service efficiency and implements approved changes in conjunction with other human resources divisions.
• Help coordinate delivery of human resources services to departments; respond to information requests by participating in special studies and preparation of comprehensive analytical reports on complex general human resources management issues and assisting in document dissemination.
• Tracks, documents, and provides support for employee leaves under FMLA, military leave, ADA, and other protected leave policies following federal, state, and city regulations.
• Provides support and guidance to employees, retirees, and department representatives regarding benefit options, eligibility, plan provisions, and claims resolution. Responds to benefit-related inquiries in person, over the phone, and via email. Ensures timely and accurate processing of enrollments, changes, and terminations including health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and voluntary plans (as needed).
• Supports the coordination of open enrollment, benefit health fair, and new hire onboarding for benefits, including the development of communication materials, facilitation of presentations, and processing of benefit elections.
• Maintains benefit records, prepares reports, and participates in audits and data analysis to ensure compliance and support benefit program evaluation.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.