Director, Employee Relations & Compliance

Responsibilities

Peraton is seeking an experienced Director, Employee Relations & Compliance to lead the company's enterprise-wide employee relations function and serve as the HR organization's primary resource on employment law compliance. Reporting to the CHRO, this Director will be responsible for the design and execution of Peraton’ ER program; including workplace investigations, case management, policy compliance, and manager education — while serving as a key liaison to Legal regarding employment law matters and government agency inquiries.

This position demands deep expertise in workplace investigations, a command of federal contractor employment law obligations, and the judgment to navigate sensitive, high-stakes people matters with discretion and legal defensibility. Experience in a federal government contracting environment is required.

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What You'll Do

Employee Relations Program Leadership

• Lead the enterprise-wide employee relations function, including the design and continuous improvement of ER frameworks, case management protocols, escalation procedures, and trend analysis
• Personally conduct and oversee complex, sensitive, and high-stakes workplace investigations, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, ethics violations, and policy violations
• Manage a team of Employee Relations specialists and investigators, ensuring consistent, high-quality, and legally defensible investigation practices across the enterprise
• Develop and maintain investigation documentation standards, templates, and case management protocols that ensure consistency, confidentiality, and legal defensibility
• Serve as a trusted advisor to HR Business Partners and senior leaders on employee relations matters, providing risk-informed guidance and recommended courses of action
• Analyze ER case trends, root causes, and patterns; develop and present insights and recommendations to HR leadership to proactively address systemic issues

Employment Law Compliance

• Serve as the HR function's primary liaison to Legal on employment law matters, including FLSA, Title VII, ADA/ADAAA, FMLA, ADEA, USERRA, NLRA, and applicable state and local employment laws
• Lead HR policy monitoring, editing, and drafting to ensure our policies provide compliance with company and regulatory requirements. Continuously evaluate the need and merits of policies to avoid bureaucracy
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments affecting the workforce; advise HR leadership on emerging compliance risks and recommended responses
• Manage the team supporting the company's response to audits, Affirmative Action Plans and other government agency inquiries in coordination with Legal
• Advise on RIF and restructuring activities, ensuring legal compliance and risk mitigation throughout the process

Training & Education

• Develop and deliver training to HR Business Partners and people managers on ER best practices, investigation procedures, documentation standards, and employment law compliance
• Build and maintain a library of ER resources, manager toolkits, and training materials that equip leaders to handle people matters effectively and consistently
• Partner with Legal and Ethics & Compliance on enterprise-wide training initiatives related to workplace conduct, anti-harassment, and federal contractor obligations

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner closely with Legal, Ethics & Compliance, and Security on matters involving litigation risk, government agency inquiries, and conduct issues with security implications
• Collaborate with HR Business Partners to ensure consistent application of ER practices and policies across all business sectors and geographies
• Support HR leadership on organizational restructuring, workforce reductions, and other sensitive people actions requiring ER expertise

Qualifications

• 16+ years of progressive HR experience, with a minimum of 6+ years specifically in employee relations, workplace investigations, and/or employment law compliance
• Deep expertise in workplace investigations, including hands-on experience conducting and overseeing complex, sensitive investigations from intake through resolution and documentation
• Proven experience in a federal government contracting environment, and federal contractor HR obligations
• Strong command of federal and multi-state employment law, including FLSA, Title VII, ADA/ADAAA, FMLA, ADEA, USERRA, and NLRA
• Demonstrated ability to advise senior leaders and HR Business Partners on employee relations matters with sound judgment, risk awareness, and clear communication
• Experience developing and delivering ER-related training to managers and HR professionals
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to draft legally sound investigation reports, policies, and executive-level summaries
• US Citizenship

Preferred Qualification:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) or paralegal background; candidates with legal training and significant HR/ER experience are highly competitive
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, PHR or AWI-CH (Association of Workplace Investigators Certified Investigator) certification
• Experience managing ER through mergers, acquisitions, and organizational restructuring
• Familiarity with case management tools (e.g., Navex, ServiceNow HR) and HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday HCM)
• Active security clearance or ability to obtain one

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Industrial/Labor Relations, Business Administration, or a related field required
• J.D., Master's degree (M.S. in HR, MBA, or related field), or paralegal certification preferred

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Location & Work Arrangement

This position is onsite, based in Reston, Virginia

Peraton Overview

Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world’s leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can’t be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we’re keeping people around the world safe and secure.

Target Salary Range

$135,000 - $216,000. This represents the typical salary range for this position. Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the individual’s experience, education, knowledge, skills, and competencies, as well as geographic location and business and contract considerations. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay.

EEO

EEO: Equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veterans, or other characteristics protected by law.