Associate Director of Employee Engagement job in Chicago

Essential Responsibilities:

Firm Business Partner:

• Serve as primary Culture and Talent Business Partner (CAT BP) to assigned departments. In this role you will:
• Work closely with team leadership in retaining top retention talent, integrating culture, and responding to other key firm-identified personnel priorities
• Assist management and leadership in resolving employee relation issues and recommending action for sensitive and complex situations
• Coach assigned department heads and management in performance management processes, compensation, and management decision making
• Manage development support plans and performance improvement programs and protocols for underperforming team members, including facilitating terminations as necessary
• Respond to employee complaints and concerns; conduct internal investigations, while ensuring compliance with applicable Company policy and federal, state, and local statutes.
• Collaborate with CAT’s recruiting function to help identify and plan your department’s workforce needs
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and training to departments as needed
• Conduct exit interviews for all departures within your departments, and act as a back-up for all exits within the firm

Performance Management:

• Work with CAT BP Departments to manage Arabella’s performance management program, including individual goal setting, evaluations, calibrations, competency models, and 9-boxing
• Collaborate on Learning and Development in building, implementing, presenting, and evaluating training programs to address staff needs
• Partner with HR leadership and business partners to identify and coordinate development opportunities for employees to facilitate the growth and development of Arabella talent
• Work with CAT BP team leads in reviewing salary equity maintenance during reclassification, compression, promotion, or market adjustments
• Facilitate end-of-year and mid-year review and compensation adjustment processes for CAT BP Departments

Reporting:

• Collect, analyze, and interpret people-based metrics for Business Partner Departments
• Report-out findings to key stakeholders and work with team leaders to develop necessary data-driven interventions
• Use data to identify and communicate staff trends in morale, connection to impact, and engagement

Policies and Communication:

• Ensure the employee handbook is up-to-date with current personnel policies
• Effectively communicate HR policies and programs as assigned and provide policy guidance and interpretation
• Ensure personnel policies and programs align with the firm’s values

Additional Responsibilities:

• Contribute to and/or lead HR projects, including process improvements, employee programs and employee engagement initiatives
• Provide ad hoc support to the other team’s functions as needed

To be successful in this role you will need:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent level of experience
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in HR, Organizational Development, Employee Relations, or HR Business Partnership
• HR certification a plus (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, etc)
• Excellent emotional intelligence and a demonstrated growth mindset
• Demonstrated cultural awareness and inclusive leadership
• Proven ability to work inclusively with diverse teams, audiences, and stakeholders to achieve shared goals, including excellent teamwork, relationship building, and customer service
• The ability to help effectively communicate difficult messages; to adapt style, tone, and content to meet various need