Employee Relations Specialist

Columbia Southern University

Job Description

Job Title

: Employee Relations Specialist

Department

: Human Resources

Reports to

: Human Resources Manager

FLSA

: Exempt

Hours:

Monday through Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM (extended hours when requested)

Location

: Orange Beach, AL

Last Updated:

June 1, 2026

Job Summary

The Employee Relations Specialist reports to the Human Resources Manager, supporting the initiatives of the Human Resources (HR) department while also serving as a consultant for HR-related questions. The position holds primary responsibility for employee relations and assists with the following areas in HR, including, but not limited to, leave administration, policy review, development, and distribution, exit interviews, performance management, new employee orientation, employment separations, and unemployment claims.

Essential Job Tasks

:

Additional duties may be assigned.

• Provides guidance in employee-related concerns and ensures consistency in the application of institutional policies and procedures.
• Conducts investigations of employee relations issues and claims of harassment and recommends the appropriate course of action.
• Research and respond to unemployment claims within stated deadlines.
• Serves as liaison between management and employees by fielding questions and resolving work-related problems.
• Manages employee relations database to ensure consistency in decisions regarding employment, discipline, management practices, and policies
• Conduct exit interviews and provide offboarding documents to employees upon separation
• Review organizational policies and procedures related to ER/HR and propose updates based on new or updated best practices, laws, and regulations.
• Works collaboratively with the HR department to promote positive approaches and outcomes between CSU leaders and employees
• Promotes, maintains, and enhances workplace culture within the Human Resources department and the university

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge, Skills, \& Abilities

Knowledge

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Personnel and Human Resources - Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, employee relations and HR information systems.
• Law and Government - Knowledge of employment laws, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, and agency rules.

Skills

• Critical Thinking - Uses logic and reasoning to look at different types of information in order to make conclusions and work through problems.
• Active Listening - Gives full attention to what other people are saying and taking time to understand the points being made.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considers the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Interpersonal Skills - Communicates and interacts with people effectively while being aware of social perceptions.
• Persuasion - Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Abilities

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong; it does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Education \& Experience

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in HR or business.
• Three (3) to five (5) years of employee relations experience required.
• HR Certifications (HRCI or SHRM) are preferred.

Equipment Used

• Office equipment including computers, telephones, printers, faxes, and copiers.
• Software including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Blackboard, and internal database software.
• Secure and reliable internet is required for this position.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. The position is remote and should have an established office with secure and reliable internet. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Supervisory Responsibilities

There are no supervisory responsibilities for this position.

Pay Transparency Statement

In accordance with applicable state and local pay transparency laws, applicants who reside in a jurisdiction with designated pay transparency requirements and for whom this position is available on a remote basis may be entitled to receive additional information regarding the compensation range and benefits associated with this role. Such information will be provided upon request, as required by law. Please contact \[email protected].