Employee Relations Team Leader

Location: 726 Exchange Street, Buffalo New York The Employee Relations Team Leader (ERTL) is a management position reporting to the Senior Employee Relations Manager. Approximately equally divided between team leadership and case management responsibilities. The role leads assigned Senior Lead ER Consultants (SLERC) while also individually managing complex Employee Relations matters often requiring more specialized ER leader involvement due to risk, sensitivity, stakeholder complexity, enterprise impact, capacity constraints, or escalation. The ERTL serves as a primary point of escalation, case calibration, and quality oversight for assigned SLERCs, supporting consistent investigation practices, documentation quality, risk assessment, recommendation standards, workload prioritization, and execution of complex ER processes across all lines of business and levels of the organization. Unlike frontline ER consultation roles, this position is focused on investigation execution and oversight, defensible documentation, risk escalation, SLERC development, and consistent application of ER standards. The ERTL exercises independent judgment to determine matter prioritization, assignment, escalation needs, investigation approach, and appropriate stakeholder involvement. Essential Functions People Leadership & Team Effectiveness: Leads assigned SLERCs, including coaching, feedback, development support, performance input, and accountability for team effectiveness. Partners with the Senior Employee Relations Manager on formal performance management, capacity planning, development planning, and team priorities. Workload, Assignment & Capacity Management: Balances SLERC workload and assignment decisions based on case complexity, risk, capacity, geography where relevant, enterprise priorities, and development needs; determines whether matters should be assigned to SLERCs, retained for direct handling by the ERTL, or escalated to senior ER leadership. Direct Case Ownership, Investigation Oversight & Quality Assurance: Personally manages assigned complex or escalated ER matters when direct ER leader involvement is warranted due to heightened risk, sensitivity, stakeholder complexity, enterprise impact, capacity needs, or escalation requirements, while also providing support for SLERC-handled investigations. Maintains high-quality investigation and documentation practices that align with ER standards and applicable legal, regulatory, and audit expectations; reviews SLERC investigation documentation for quality, consistency, timeliness, and completeness; provides feedback and coaching to elevate investigation quality and documentation standards in accordance with internal risk and controls. SLERC Escalation, Case Calibration & Recommendation Standards: Serves as a primary escalation point for assigned SLERCs, providing guidance on investigation strategy, stakeholder alignment, documentation approach, risk assessment, recommendation quality, and appropriate next steps. Helps drive consistency in how investigations are conducted, documented, assessed, escalated, and resolved across assigned SLERC work. Risk Management & Escalation: Identifies, assesses, and escalates critical issues, patterns, and trends; provides recommendations to mitigate risk, support compliant decision-making, and strengthen manager effectiveness while aligning with business objectives. Policy Interpretation & Consultation: Interprets and applies Key's policies, HR practices, and applicable employment laws and regulations to provide sound guidance and recommendations to internal clients and partners. Stakeholder Partnership: Builds and maintains effective working relationships with HR Business Partners, Key Legal, Internal Fraud Investigations, Clinical Consultant, Corporate Information Se