Employee Relations Consultant

The ER Consultant is responsible for planning, conducting and reporting on confidential organizational investigations and supporting leaders/employees regarding all routine HR matters. Consultants advise and coach leaders on effectively administering the corrective action process for performance and handling behavior-related issues for all levels of employees. Consultants partner with various subject matter experts to ensure fair and consistent policy administration. Essential Functions Supports employees and leaders with Tier 2 and 3 HR requests Plans, conducts and records confidential investigations to determine employee culpability or whether a policy infraction occurred Coaches leaders regarding: employee conduct, company risk and policy administration Exercises independent decision-making authority when advising on utilization of the corrective action process to assure mitigation of risk, behavior correction and support of policy/procedure compliance Manages progressive discipline process with leaders, providing solutions to address issues, while evaluating trends and concerns that may need to be escalated or reinforced departmentally or NiSource wide Supports or conducts Ethics investigations and keeps Ethics team appraised of progress and dispositions Recommends improvement on employee relations standard operating procedures Maintains expertise in employment related laws, rules, regulations, and company policies; articulates, reinforces, and interprets these things for leaders and employees Partners with the legal organization and the Human Resources Business Partners to elevate trends and support reinforcement of desired behaviors Conducts research, gathers documentation and prepares case summary reports; ensuring case files are complete and accurate within the case management system Researches comparables and implements AI to simplify the process Manages the ER mailbox for initial requests for support or assistance Occasional travel for onsite investigations Required Qualifications For Position 3+ years of experience conducting investigations Working knowledge of employment laws and demonstrated experience dealing with legal issues Proven expertise in dealing effectively with others, including demonstrating the following competencies: personal confidence and strong initiative, effective listening, ability to influence others, and the desire to go above and beyond what is required Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office desktop tools and electronic communications, such as E-mail and calendars required. Demonstrated ability to effectively manage and execute conflicting priorities, in a fast paced, high stress corporate business environment. Results oriented with excellent problem solving skills. Ability to effectively manage varied resources to complete the job Demonstrated project management skills Ability to effectively and professionally communicate – both verbally and in writing Ability to quickly and effectively establish rapport and trust with all levels of leadership Excellent judgment, critical thinking skills, and analytical ability Ability to balance working both autonomously day-to-day, and also collaboratively within a team environment and with other departments overall Ability to think creatively and proactively in identifying potential issues and resolving known issues Desire to continuously learn and stay up-to-date on employee related trends, issues and concerns Ability to discern issues that need to be escalated Preferred Additional Qualifications for Position Bachelor's Degree Workday experience Physical Demands The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position. As a public utility, NiSource provides essential services to customers 24/7. Emergency needs can arise at various times throughout the year, including during storm season. Employees may be required to support emergency response efforts, which could