Employee Relations Specialist

Do you have a passion for making a real difference in the workplace and supporting employees through complex challenges?

At Easterseals PORT Health (ESPH), we’re seeking a compassionate and knowledgeable full-time Employee Relations Specialist to help foster a positive, respectful, and compliant work environment across our locations in North Carolina and Virginia. As a valued member of our collaborative and supportive HR team, you will play a critical role in ensuring fair treatment, improving employee engagement, and promoting alignment with our organization’s mission and values.

What You’ll Do

The Employee Relations Specialist is responsible for supporting a positive, compliant, and productive work environment by managing employee concerns, conducting investigations, and advising managers on performance, behavior, and workplace policy matters. This role ensures that employee issues are addressed consistently and fairly in alignment with federal and state employment laws and the organization’s values.

How You’ll Benefit

Being part of our team means we value and encourage your personal growth and development. You’ll earn a competitive salary between $51,000 and $59,000 annually, based on your experience and credentials. Plus enjoy a hybrid Monday–Friday, 8 am–5 pm work schedule, along with occasional flexibility to address time-sensitive employee needs and travel to various worksites as required. We also offer full benefits for benefits-eligible positions.

Our benefits include:

• Paid time off and paid holidays
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Health Benefits + optional Flexible Health Spending Account (FSA)
• Life Insurance, Disability Insurance, and more
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program and legal services, as needed
• We are a Public Student Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualifier

What We’re Looking For

To succeed as our Employee Relations Specialist, you should be skilled in:

• Conducting fair and thorough investigations into employee concerns (e.g., harassment, discrimination, misconduct).
• Documenting findings and recommending appropriate actions in line with policy and legal standards.
• Acting as a trusted resource for employees and advising managers on conflict resolution, performance issues, and policy interpretation.
• Supporting grievance resolution, coaching conversations, and delivering employee relations training.
• Maintaining confidential records and identifying trends to support compliance and strategic planning.
• Collaborating with HR leadership and legal counsel as needed.

We also require:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Psychology, or related field (Master’s degree or HR certification preferred: SHRM-CP, PHR) or a combination of education and experience
• Minimum 3 years of HR experience, with at least 1–2 years focused on employee relations or workplace investigations
• Familiarity with federal and state employment laws (North Carolina and/or Virginia experience strongly preferred)
• Maintain valid state appropriate driver’s license and auto insurance for personal and agency vehicles utilized for work 

If you are a compassionate and thoughtful HR professional looking to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to apply for this position and join our mission of enhancing lives and our community. Apply now via our website: www.eastersealsPORT.com OR by sending your resume to recruiter@eastersealsPORT.com

About Easterseals PORT Health

Easterseals PORT Health is a trustworthy, compassionate partner providing exceptional disability, behavioral health and addiction treatment services to help our neighbors live their best lives. Our diverse and inclusive 2,600-member team provides meaningful support to 40,200 kids, adults and families in 11,000 home, facility and community locations across North Carolina and Virginia.

Our working environment supports employee and client health with a ‘no tobacco’ use policy (tobacco free and smoke free) in all offices, client facilities, properties, and agency vehicles.

We believe that by leveraging the unique strengths and perspectives of our workforce, we can advance our just cause, while building a healthy, sustainable organization. That’s why we listen, seek to understand & act to make ESPH an Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, Authentic & Learning (IDEAL) organization.

Applicants of all abilities are encouraged to apply!