Employee Relations Lead

• This position, reporting to the SVP, People, is both a high-level strategic force and a hands-on operational leader, responsible for building and running Employee Relations as a new function at Form Energy
• A successful individual in this role will define our ER strategy, frameworks, and infrastructure from the ground up, while personally carrying a significant, complex caseload from day one
• This individual will be a player-coach: equally comfortable advising senior leaders on ER risk and precedent, and rolling up their sleeves to conduct sensitive investigations, coach managers through difficult conversations, and close out cases fairly and efficiently
• They will be excited by the opportunity to build something durable in a fast-paced, evolving environment — creating the playbooks, policies, and systems that don’t yet exist, while never losing sight of the people at the center of every case
• This role will require working from our Weirton, WV Somerville, MA location at least 3 days per week
• The role requires travel to all locations
• Employee Relations Casework & Investigations: Own and manage a complex, high-volume caseload spanning the full spectrum of ER issues — including harassment, discrimination, misconduct, performance-related disputes, and interpersonal conflict. Conduct thorough, timely, and legally sound investigations, and drive cases to fair, well-documented resolution
• ER Function Build-Out: Design and stand up Form Energy’s ER function from the ground up — including intake processes, investigation methodology, case management tooling, escalation pathways, and documentation standards. Establish the frameworks, templates, and playbooks that will scale with the organization
• Strategic Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor and coach to senior leaders and People Partners on ER strategy, risk, and precedent. Translate case patterns and trends into proactive recommendations that reduce risk and improve the employee experience before issues escalate
• Manager Coaching & Enablement: Equip people managers with the skills, judgment, and confidence to identify and address ER issues early — through training, real-time coaching, and clear guidance on when and how to escalate
• Policy & Compliance: Develop, maintain, and continuously improve HR policies and practices to ensure fair, consistent application across the company and compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws. Partner with Legal on complex or high-risk matters
• Data-Driven Insights: Build the reporting infrastructure to track case trends, cycle times, and outcomes. Use ER data and analytics to identify systemic risks, inform policy decisions, and report on the health of the function to senior leadership
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with People Partners, Legal, EHS, and other People Team Centers of Excellence (COEs) — including Talent Acquisition and Total Rewards — to ensure ER guidance is embedded consistently across the employee lifecycle

Benefits

• 100% of medical, dental, and vision premiums covered for employees
• Health insurance coverage begins first day of employment
• Health Savings Account
• Generous PTO policies to enable employees to recharge when needed
• An Employee Resource Program that provides mental health counseling services, legal guidance, financial resources, and other helpful consulting services
• 80% of the total medical, dental, and vision premiums covered for dependents
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave, 14 weeks for the birthing parent
• Access to a Dependent Care Account
• Access to a Health Flexible Spending Account
• Access to a Commuter Benefits Account
• Access to an Adoption Assistance Flexible Spending Account
• Stock options granted to all employees
• Stock equity education and tax advice service provided by Carta
• Company sponsored 401k
• Access to an annual budget for professional development
• License to complete Gallup’s Strengths Finder Assessment and ongoing resources
• 100% employer-sponsored coverage life insurance, and short and long-term disability policies

Preferred experience

• Proven experience building or significantly scaling an ER function, program, or infrastructure from an early stage — a builder’s mindset, with the ability to create new processes and tools from scratch
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with Legal, People Partners, and business leaders
• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic program-building with a high-volume, hands-on caseload simultaneously
• 8+ years of progressive Employee Relations experience, including direct ownership of complex investigations and casework
• Deep knowledge of federal and [state] employment law, investigation methodology, and documentation standards
• Resilience and adaptability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility with senior leaders while also connecting authentically with employees at every level
• Strong judgment and discretion in handling sensitive, high-stakes situations with empathy and objectivity