Employee Relations Specialist or Employee Relations Associate

Employee Relations Specialist / Associate

Requisition : req
1360
Employment Type: Unclassified Regular Full-Time (URF)
Division: Organizational Excellence
Compensation: 62,113., Annual Salary
Job Closing: 4/5/2026
Location: TRS Headquarters Building 1 4655 Mueller Boulevard Austin, Texas, 78723 United States

Service, Respect, and Connection are core to the individual and collective TRS experience. We know that great service rests on a foundation of relationships that connect us all to an empowering and rewarding career. At TRS, we’re inspired by our community who bring authenticity and commitment to our mission to improve the retirement security of public education employees and retirees throughout Texas.

As a group of achievers, we tap collaboration and innovation to raise the bar in performance, administering and counseling pensions and healthcare benefits to ensure certainty for the future of our members. We invite you to join us, where both personal and career growth are respected and where you can make a difference in our members’ lives every day.

• Provides support to management and employees on employee relations policies and procedures under direct supervision of employee relations specialist or manager.
• Participates directly in workplace inquiries, investigations, and climate assessments by coordinating logistics, collecting and analyzing information, preparing written documentation, and participating in employee interviews under direct supervision of senior employee relations specialist or manager.
• Tracks and manages assigned employee relations cases and inquiries, including intake, documentation, follow-up, and status updates.
• Handles routine employee relations inquiries by providing information on established policies and procedures and identifying issues that require escalation.
• Documents employee performance and conduct concerns using established tools, templates, and guidelines.
• Prepares and processes corrective action and disciplinary documentation for review and approval by employee relations specialists or management.
• Receives structured, on-the-job training in employee relations case management and investigations by actively participating in and progressively handling more complex inquiries and investigative tasks under supervision, including document review, interview participation, documentation, and case analysis.

• Provides support to management and employees on employee relations policies, procedures, and programs.
• Advises managers on employee relations matters to include assessing root causes, determining appropriate strategies for addressing problems, and coaching and supporting managers through execution of identified actions, including corrective actions as appropriate.
• Recognizes potential statute violations in the workplace and leads or participates in investigations of such matters.
• Conducts objective and thorough climate assessments and internal investigations of grievances and complaints, as directed.
• Interprets historical, current, and projected data to identify problems, causes, and areas for which procedural or system changes to positively influence agency culture are indicated.
• Advices management and employees on TRS policy.
• Creates and conducts engaging training related to agency policies, federal/state laws, rules and regulations.
• As needed, receives, reviews, and processes unemployment claims and participates in unemployment hearings.

• Maintains and prepares employee relations records, files, and case documentation in compliance with confidentiality, privacy, and records retention requirements.
• Maintains and updates case logs, trackers, and case management systems, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Conducts exit interviews independently using standardized tools and prepares summaries identifying trends and recurring themes.
• Processes unemployment claim documentation and supporting materials, coordinating with Employee Relations Specialists as needed.

• Assists in the preparation of human resources reports to include gathering, compiling, and analyzing data.
• Assists with and prepares/presents information related to employee relations matters.
• Maintains employee relations files and ensures that the TRS records retention standards are met.
• Conducts exit interviews and maintains reporting related to information received from exit interviews.
• Assists in planning, developing, reviewing, revising, and implementing human resources processes and activities related to employee relations activities.
• Provides back-up support to department staff.
• Performs related work as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Human Resources or closely related field.
• High school diploma or equivalent and additional full-time directly related human resources generalist experience may be…