Employee Relations Advisor

SALARY: $39.40 - $59.12 Hourly

LOCATION: Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave., Seattle, Washington

JOB TYPE: Civil Service Exempt, Regular, Full-time

SHIFT: Day

DEPARTMENT: Seattle City Light

BARGAINING UNIT: Not represented

CLOSING DATE 05/31/16 04:00 PM Pacific Time

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

Seattle City Light, a department of the City of Seattle, is one of the nation's largest municipally owned utilities in terms of the number of customers served. Over the years we have worked very hard to keep Seattle's electricity affordable, reliable, and environmentally sound. Today, City Light is a recognized national leader in energy efficiency and environmental stewardship.

We are looking for an Employee Relations Advisor to be part of the Employee Relations Unit in Seattle City Light's Human Resources department. The Employee Relations Advisor is responsible for City Light's workplace investigations. Additionally, the position also administers and implements the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), reasonable accommodation, and leave programs.

This position reports to the Employee Relations Manager.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Employee Relations Advisor is responsible for City Light's workplace investigations. The position also works on the administration and implementation of City Light's Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), workplace rules and policies, reasonable accommodation, and Family and Medical Leave (FML) programs.

The responsibilities with respect to the programs and workplace policies and rules include:

• Investigate complaints of discrimination, harassment, misconduct and retaliation;
• Prepare investigation reports, conduct debriefing sessions with the parties and management;
• Respond in writing to charges filed with external agencies regarding EEO and misconduct issues;
• Provide advice, information, and recommendations to management regarding the resolution of workplace issues and the interpretation of policies and regulations;
• Review policies and rules for compliance with current best practices and legal standards.

The responsibilities with respect to the administration of the more complex reasonable accommodation cases include:

• Evaluate requests for reasonable accommodations and medical documentation;
• Work with employees and management to identify and implement reasonable accommodations;
• Provide advice to management on accommodation issues.

The responsibilities with respect to the leave program include:

• Evaluate FML and other leave requests, and medical certifications;
• Communicate to employees and management on the scope of approved leave requests;
• Monitor leave use and provide advice to management on how to effectively manage employee leave.

Other responsibilities include developing and providing in-house materials on EEO, ADA and Leave issues.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Law Degree (J.D.) and membership in any State Bar Association.
• Three years of experience conducting EEO investigations or legal practice in the area of employment law in a law firm or in-house setting, with a strong preference for candidates with a solid background in providing client counseling on employment law issues.

License, Certification, and Other Requirements:

• Current, valid Driver's License or equivalent mobility.

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge of, and experience with, public sector organizational practices and labor unions.
• Experience working in a Human Resources function.
• Willingness and ability to accept change.
• Experience with a complex, diverse workforce.
• Past experience providing legal analysis/advice regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace.
• Experience with employee complaint resolution techniques.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including communicating with employees and management at all levels of the utility.
• Thorough and demonstrable knowledge of all applicable laws, including federal, state and local EEO laws, disability laws, and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.
• The ability to multi-task and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to problem solve in a large diverse organization.
• Ability to objectively assess complex, sensitive situations.
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to interpret and apply applicable employment laws, policies and procedures.
• Good organizational and customer service skills.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Competency with MS Word and Excel required.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

How to Apply:

In addition to your application please submit:

Cover Letter (one page maximum)

Resume

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process including the completion of a background check which includes criminal history and driving history review.

Want to know more about Seattle City Light? Check out our web page: http://www.seattle.gov/light/.