Senior Manager, Employee Relations

Foot Locker

United States

USD 110k-130k / year

Posted on Apr 24, 2026

Overview

The Senior Manager, Employee Relations, is an integral part of the Employee Relations and HR Compliance team, reporting to the Senior Director of Employee Relations and HR Compliance. This role is responsible for promoting a positive workplace culture and ensuring effective employee relations for North American field, supply chain, and corporate functions. This occurs through managing and resolving complex employee relations issues, collaborating with various departments to enhance overall employee satisfaction and engagement, and leading a team of Employee Relations Senior Specialists. This role requires a heightened level of leadership, strategic thinking, partnership, and collaboration.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement employee relations (ER) strategies aligned with the company's values, goals, and applicable laws and regulations that enhance the overall workplace environment across North America.
Works in partnership with the Director, Employee Relations to help design programs and processes that ensure the fairness, positive employee relations, and enables all Teammates to do their best work.
Act as a trusted advisor to business leadership and HR business partners on employee relations issues.
Anticipate obstacles and influence leaders on recommended actions to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Leads and coaches the Employee Relations team of Senior Specialists in support of their functional responsibilities within their assigned business areas and ensuring high standards of work through building trust and collaborative relationships.
Serve as an escalation point for challenging employee relations issues, leveraging experience to navigate sensitive situations with diplomacy while providing coaching, guidance, and support to HR business partners at all levels.
Conduct timely, sometimes complex and sensitive, high risk Teammate investigations, including determining appropriate investigation strategies, summarizing findings, recommending appropriate resolutions, and tracking the investigation through Navex/EthicsPoint case management system.
Create well-written, thorough investigation-related documents, including talking points, action plans, and recommendations.
Partner with senior management to anticipate workforce dynamics and devise proactive strategies to mitigate potential issues.
Analyze ER data to determine themes, trends, and root causes to provide insights, training, and recommendations to business partners
Work in partnership with ER leadership to identify evolving ER challenges and assist with creating new ER strategies across Foot Locker to prevent adverse impact, mitigate risk, and bolster organizational change.
Interpret HR policies and practices, providing guidance to HRBPs as to the meaning and proper application of those policies.
Promote knowledge and understanding of Company policies and of relevant employment laws through coaching, presentations, and training.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 7+ years Employee Relations, HR Business Partner, or other HR experience.
Previous manager experience coaching, developing and leading a team of direct reports.
Ability to manage multiple projects with strong time management and prioritization skills.
Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, provincial, and local employment laws and regulations.
Proven ability to make judgment calls and sound, ethical decisions displaying a heightened level of responsibility, confidentiality, integrity, compassion, and professionalism.
Ability to assess sensitive and complex employee relations issues in a confidential, objective, and systematic manner.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels.
Excellent communication and presentation skills, including verbal and written.

Preferred Qualifications:

Demonstrated experience leading a wide variety of complex employee investigations.
3+ years of experience in a labor and employee relations COE within an HR department
SHRM or HRCI certification (SHRM-CP or SCP, PHR or SPHR)
Demonstrated experience writing, implementing, or developing HR policies
Experience in core HR compliance functions, including but not limited to employee accommodations, leaves of absence, background checks and drug screens, I-9s, RIFs and restructures.

At Foot Locker, we value innovation, authenticity, and integrity in all that we do. To uphold the security and fairness of our hiring process, we ask that candidates refrain from using AI tools, including ChatGPT, during interviews and assessments. To ensure a smooth and secure experience, please review the following guidelines:

Cameras must be on for all virtual interviews.
AI tools are strictly prohibited during interviews or assessments.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work together to create a transparent and equitable hiring experience.

Benefits

The annual base salary range is $110,000-$130,000, this range represents the anticipated low and high end of the salary for this position. This role is also eligible to receive short term incentives that align with individual and company performance. Salary will be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Salary is one component of the Foot Locker, Inc. total compensation package, which includes the below.

Foot Locker Benefits: