Employee Relations Partner

Job description

Career Area: Human Resources Job Description: Your Work Shapes the World at Caterpillar Inc. When you join Caterpillar, you're joining a global team who cares not just about the work we do – but also about each other. We are the makers, problem solvers, and future world builders who are creating stronger, more sustainable communities. We don't just talk about progress and innovation here – we make it happen, with our customers, where we work and live. Together, we are building a better world, so we can all enjoy living in it. The Employee Relations Partner plays a key role in promoting a fair, consistent, and positive workplace at our Clayton, OH Distribution Center. This position is responsible for managing a variety of employee matters to drive a positive employee experience. The role requires strong judgment, discretion and organization to foster an environment where employees feel valued, respected and supported. Working closely with operations and Human Resources partners, the Employee Relations Partner serves as a trusted advisor who helps strengthen leadership effectiveness, promote employee engagement, and ensure workplace practices are applied fairly, consistently, and in support of business objectives. The ideal candidate will bring strong written and verbal communication skills, sound investigative capabilities, practical problem-solving judgment, and the ability to build positive working relationships with both employees and management. The Employee Relations Partner will balance proactive culture-building initiatives with effective resolution of employee matters, helping leaders navigate challenges while promoting trust, accountability, and a positive employee experience. What You Will Do: Serve as a trusted resource and advisor to leaders and employees on workplace concerns, employee experience initiatives, leadership effectiveness, and organizational culture. Build strong partnerships with supervisors, managers, and team leaders to promote employee engagement, accountability and positive working relationships. Coach leaders on effective communication, performance management, conflict resolution, employee development and workplace best practices. Conduct timely, thorough, objective, and well-documented investigations, and recommended action planning. Advise and coach managers on policies, documentation, disciplinary practices, conflict resolution, and consistent application of workplace standards. Develop and administer training programs, policy guidance, management tools, and communication resources that strengthen leadership capability and improve consistency in employee interactions. Identify trends, recurring concerns, knowledge gaps, or process issues and recommend practical solutions that support compliance, employee trust, and operational effectiveness. Support management efforts by helping leaders communicate expectations, reinforce accountability, and guide employees through workplace process or policy changes. Partner with business leaders to support change management initiatives, helping employees and leaders navigate organizational changes effectively. Maintain confidential, complete, and organized employee records, correspondence, and related documentation using Workday or an equivalent HR information system. Flex schedule as needed to support off-shift employees, leaders, investigations, meetings, or urgent employee matters. Use data, employee feedback, and operational insights to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and organizational effectiveness. Work Schedule Flexibility: Ability to flex work schedule both early and late as necessary to support multiple shift operation. What You Have : Education/Experience: Experience using Workday or an equivalent HRIS to document cases, track employee information, maintain records, or support HR processes. Employee Management: Demonstrated experience managing employee matters, documenting, and supporting appropriate resolution of sensitive concerns. Written and Verbal Communication: Strong ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and objectively with employees, leaders, and other stakeholders, including through written summaries, recommendations, and presentations. Problem Solving and Judgment: Ability to assess facts, identify root causes, evaluate risk, consider stakeholder impacts, and recommend sound, practical solutions. Relationship Building: Ability to establish trust and credibility with employees and management through fairness, responsiveness, discretion, and consistent follow-through. Project and Workload Management: Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced operational environment. Policy and Compliance Knowledge: Working knowledge of HR policies, workplace standards, documentation requirements, and applicable employment requirements. Change Management: Ability to support leaders and employees through workplace changes, reinforce expectations, and help implement new processes, policies, or management practices. Training and Policy Development: Ability to develop or support manager training, policy guidance, process improvement tools, and communication materials that strengthen leadership capability. What Will Set You Apart : Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, organizational leadership, or related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience. Experience supporting employee and leadership needs in a distribution, warehouse, manufacturing, logistics, industrial, or other complex operational environment. Experience developing or facilitating leadership training related to employee documentation, investigations, discipline, respectful workplace expectations, or policy application. Experience analyzing employee trends, identifying recurring issues, and recommending proactive solutions. Professional certification or continuing education in human resources, such as SHRM, HRCI, or related coursework is preferred. Summary Pay Range: $112,710.00 - $169,060.00 Compensation and benefits offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, job level, market location, job-related knowledge, skills, individual performance and experience. Please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Caterpillar. Benefits: Subject to plan eligibility, terms, and guidelines. This is a summary list of benefits. Medical, dental, and vision benefits* Paid time off plan (Vacation, Holidays, Volunteer, etc.)* 401(k) savings plans* Health Savings Account (HSA)* Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)* Health Lifestyle Programs* Employee Assistance Program* Voluntary Benefits and Employee Discounts* Career Development* Incentive bonus* Disability benefits Life Insurance Parental leave Adoption benefits Tuition Reimbursement * These benefits also apply to part-time employees This position requires working onsite five days a week. Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position. Posting Dates: September 11, 2026 - September 24, 2026 Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the successful completion of a drug screen. Caterpillar is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. Qualified applicants of any age are encouraged to apply. Not ready to apply? Join our Talent Community .