Global Employee Relations and People Program Specialist

About Wind River

Wind River is a global leader in delivering software for mission-critical intelligent systems. For more than four decades, the company has been an innovator and pioneer, powering billions of systems that require the highest levels of security, safety, and reliability.

Wind River helps customers across automotive, aerospace, defense, industrial, medical, and telecommunications industries solve complex technology challenges on their journey toward the new intelligent machine economy. The company’s software powers generation after generation of the safest, most secure systems in the world. Examples include playing a key role in NASA space missions — such as Artemis I, the James Webb Space Telescope, and multiple Mars rovers — and in recent 5G milestones — including the world’s first successful 5G data session with Verizon and in building one of the largest Open RAN networks in the world with Vodafone.

The company has received industry recognition for its technology innovation and leadership, and for its workplace culture, including global Great Place to Work certification and being named a “Top Workplace” for ten consecutive years. If you want to be part of a unique culture where they lived experience is based on our cultural attributes of growth mindset, customer-focus, and diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging, come join us and help advance the future software defined world.

At Wind River, we offer more than just a job. We provide competitive compensation and benefits. But we also have meaningful personal and professional growth opportunities derived from our fervent belief in cultivating a growth mindset.

About the Opportunity

Your dual role will be focused on employee relations and people operations program management reporting into the Global People Partner Director supporting Sales, Customer Experience, and G&A functions. You will be leading the creation of our global Employee Relations Center of Excellence (CoE) while also supporting the program management of The People Team’s initiatives. Building out the global employee relations structure will be the primary focus initially until a solid infrastructure. The secondary focus will be in support of people programs such as career architecture and implementation of new trainings.

The Employee Relations side of the role is a unique opportunity to build out a Center of Excellence focused on enabling the People Team, People Leaders, and team members to navigate challenging career moments while balancing compliance, empathy, and risk. You will be responsible for developing and implementing policies, processes, and employee relations reporting and tracking mechanisms. Additionally, it is critical to be able to conduct thorough investigations and provide consultation on a wide range of complex employee relations matters, including performance management, workplace investigations, involuntary terminations, and accommodations. The Employee Relations CoE will also include responsibility for building out employee crisis management policies, processes, and best practices.

As a People Program Specialist, you will collaborate with other People Team members, including Country People Partners and other Center of Excellence Leads, on People Team initiatives that requires project management. The People Program Specialist aspect of your role will ensure that priorities impacting people, culture and engagement are implemented to meet the needs of business and our company strategy.

Responsibilities

• As the Employee Relations CoE:

• Build a global employee relations strategy aligned with company and People Team objectives.
• Ensure we respond to employee concerns with respect, empathy, and care.

• Track, report, and analyze case trends utilizing People Relations case management system. This includes a case management and tracking system.
• Develop and implement processes and policies related to people relations management.
• Coach, train, and collaborate with people partners and legal teams globally on best-in-class employee relations practices, including newly developed processes and policies.
• Support people leaders and team members through complex employee relations issues, relative to performance management including but not limited to case management, workplace investigations and fact-finding, involuntary terminations, accommodations, policy exceptions, and workforce reductions.

• As a People Program Specialist:

• Collaborate with other CoEs and People Partners leading initiatives and Tiger Teams.
• Listen intently to gain a clear understanding of strategy and goals behind The People Team initiatives to best ensure deployment of programs and planning risk mitigation as obstacles & roadblocks arise.
• Build project plans leveraging the People Team Project Management Framework to track key milestones, responsibilities, and a communication plan.
• Work in an Agile manner to pivot as deliverables change and thin slice our larger objectives into smaller bite sized programs of work.
• Facilitate debriefs post program implementations to curate lessons learned cross functionally and iterate on how we can improve our way of working for future programs.

About You

• Background of 10 plus years in global Employee Relations role
• Experience in leading projects and/or Program implementation
• Ideally, experience with Employee Crisis Management

• A compassionate individual who exerts positive energy
• Experience balancing minimizing exposure for the company, using empathy and care to resolve and address employee relations issues.
• Ability to build trust and establish strong cross-functional relationships at all levels

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent work experience

• Broad knowledge of federal and state employment laws and global policies
• Experience in developing and implementing processes and policies
• Solid project management and analytical skills
• Excellent communication and listening skills

Benefits

• Flexible home office! We offer the flexibility of a hybrid work schedule or 100% remote.
• Named Top Workplace for the 8th year in a row.
• Wind River’s commitment to DEIB
• 100% Employee covered Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance*
• Flexible Time Off policy* + 12 observed Holidays
• 401K with company match
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Wellness Benefits through Unmind

• varies by region and country

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this role’s listed grade level is currently $132,500-$178,910 plus bonus for Colorado, New York and New Jersey residents, and $145,300-$196,190 plus bonus for California and Washington residents. Salary ranges are determined through interviews and a review of education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities of the applicant, and equity with other team members. Employees in this role are also eligible for the following benefits in accordance with the terms of the Company's plans: health, dental, vision insurance, life insurance, flex time off, eligibility to enroll in 401k, 12 paid holidays.

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