Employee Relations Support Specialist

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Overview

A dual report to the Associate Director and Senior Director of Employee Relations, this position provides high-level administrative and operational support to the ER leadership and a team of HR Business Partners. Serves as a planful, high-discretion partner who anticipates needs, translates priorities into coordinated action, and ensures an efficient operating rhythm across complex stakeholder groups.

Owns advanced calendar management and meeting logistics (often with competing priorities and time-sensitive changes), including agenda coordination, pre-reads, action tracking, and follow-up to ensure timely execution. Acts as a primary liaison with other offices and University departments; triages and resolves inquiries using sound judgment, escalating sensitive or high-risk matters appropriately.

Leverages systems and data to provide analytics-enabled administrative support, including maintaining tracking tools, monitoring status of key deliverables, and producing leadership-ready reports, dashboards, and executive communications with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Prepares, formats, and quality-checks presentations and briefing materials for HR leadership. Performs additional administrative responsibilities as needed, consistently demonstrating professionalism, discretion, and critical thinking in a confidential HR environment.

Required Skills and Abilities

1.Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, high-volume environment supporting senior HR leaders; keen ability to prioritize competing demands and makes timely, well-reasoned decisions by assessing urgency, impact, and risk. Proactive problem-solver who anticipates obstacles and proposes solutions and options.

2.Advanced computer skills with demonstrated ability to leverage multiple systems and data to improve workflow and decision-making, including Microsoft Office (Word, advanced Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) and enterprise systems (e.g., Workday, OnBase). Ability to create and maintain tracking mechanisms, reports, and dashboards, extract and synthesize information, and rapidly learn new technologies, systems, and processes.

3.Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with ability to draft and edit executive-level correspondence, summaries, and meeting materials. Demonstrated ability to prepare and refine leadership-ready presentations with strong attention to narrative, formatting, and accuracy. Maintains high attention to detail while meeting deadlines.

4.Demonstrated expertise in complex calendaring and logistics for leaders and groups, including coordinating across multiple stakeholders, managing frequent changes, and ensuring appropriate sequencing and preparation (agendas, pre-reads, minutes/notes as needed, and action-item follow-through). Exercises discretion and diplomacy when interacting with senior leaders and sensitive audiences.

5.Demonstrated initiative and accountability for assigned functions; helps to drive projects to completion. Thinks holistically, anticipates customer needs and next steps, and identifies opportunities to streamline processes, standardize templates, and strengthen tracking and follow-through.

Preferred Education, Experience and Skills

1.Experience providing executive-level administrative support in a confidential HR, Employee Relations, or comparable environment, including exposure to sensitive information, tight deadlines, and complex stakeholder coordination.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Oversees and coordinates administrative, program, and office activities. Establishes, selects, implements, and coordinates office procedures and systems. Serves as principal source of information to students, staff, and faculty on policies, procedures, programs, and office activities. 2. Oversees, instructs, and coordinates activities of support staff. Oversees the preparation of materials for grants, contracts and budgets. Monitors expenditures and reconciles financial statements. 3. Provides editorial support for a journal/publication. Proofreads and edits material for grammatical and factual accuracy. Tracks copy through various editing and production stages. Communicates with authors, printers, and others concerned with published work. 4. Determines administrative, facility, and equipment needs for symposia, lectures, seminars, and conferences. Assembles and arranges for necessary items. Determines sources of data. Compiles, synthesizes and manipulates data. Summarizes findings and writes reports or portions of reports. 5. Greets visitors. Answers and screens telephone calls. Assesses nature of business. Responds to requests for information and provides assistance. Screens and responds to mail. 6. Formats, keyboard, proofread, and edits correspondence, reports, manuscripts, grants, and other material. Assembles attachments and corresponding material. Reviews outgoing material for completeness, dates, and signatures. Composes substantive correspondence and written material. 7. Coordinates travel arrangements. Schedules and coordinates meetings and appointments. Orders and maintains inventory of supplies. Takes minutes or dictation. Performs additional functions incidental to office activities. Required Education and Experience Six years of related work experience, four of them in the same job family at the next lower level, and high school level education; or four years of related work experience and an Associate's degree; or little or no work experience and a Bachelor's degree in a related field; or an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Job Posting Date

09/29/2026

Job Category

Administrative Support

Bargaining Unit

EXC

Compensation Grade

Labor Grade D

Compensation Grade Profile

Hourly Range

$31.83

Time Type

Full time

Duration Type

Staff

Work Model

Hybrid

Background Check Requirements

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check. For additional information on the background check requirements and process visit "Learn about background checks" under the Applicant Support Resources section of Careers on the It's Your Yale website.

Health Requirements

Certain positions have associated health requirements based on specific job responsibilities. These may include vaccinations, tests, or examinations, as required by law, regulation, or university policy.

Posting Disclaimer

The hiring rate of a role is determined in accordance with the provisions outlined in the respective collective bargaining agreement.

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the essential functions that will be required of the position and should not be construed as a declaration of specific duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees will be assigned specific job-related duties through their hiring department.

The University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education, and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and seeks to attract to its faculty, staff, and student body qualified persons from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives. In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, disability, status as a special disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era or other covered veteran.

Inquiries concerning Yale's Policy Against Discrimination and Harassment may be referred to the Office of Institutional Equity and Accessibility (OIEA).

Note

Yale University is a tobacco-free campus.