Employee Relations & HR Compliance Manager

Location: Waltham, MA (hybrid)

ERGO NEXT's mission is to help entrepreneurs thrive. We’re doing that by building the only technology-led, full-stack provider of small business insurance in the industry, taking on the entire value chain and transforming the customer experience. 

Simply put, wherever you find small businesses, you’ll find ERGO NEXT.

Since 2016, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of small business customers across the United States get fast, customized and affordable coverage. We’re backed by industry leaders in insurance and tech, and we still have room to grow — that’s where you come in.

The Sr. Manager, Employee Relations & HR Compliance will oversee the company’s global employee relations and human resources compliance programs, ensuring a consistent, fair, and legally compliant approach. This role bridges strategic employee relations leadership with deep compliance expertise—providing counsel, structure, and proactive risk management across the organization.

This position reports to the Head of Global Center of Excellence and partners closely with Legal, People Operations, HR Business Partners and business leadership.

What You’ll Do: 

• Employee Relations Leadership
  • Lead the global employee relations strategy, investigations case management, performance management, and employee issue resolution processes to ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance across the organization.
  • Manage an Employee Relations Specialist and oversee escalated or complex investigations and performance management cases.
  • Partner with People Business Partners to manage sensitive investigations, complex performance management cases, disciplinary actions, and terminations while mitigating organizational risk.
  • Provide training and guidance to managers and leaders on employee relations best practices, early intervention, and appropriate documentation.
  • Monitor and report on trends, themes, and outcomes to the VP, Global Head of People, identifying areas for policy enhancement or leadership development.
• HR Compliance
  • Oversee all HR compliance programs across employment, labor, immigration, and regulatory domains in partnership with Legal and People Operations.
  • Ensure adherence to federal, state, and international employment regulations.
  • Lead HR compliance audits, risk assessments, and policy reviews to ensure readiness for internal and external audits and regulatory reviews.
  • Track, interpret, and communicate changes in employment law and regulation; update internal processes, policies, and handbooks accordingly.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain global HR policies and procedures that promote a safe, inclusive, and legally compliant workplace.
  • Coordinate compliance training for employees on topics such as anti-harassment, ethics, and workplace conduct.
  • Ensure employee data handling aligns with applicable privacy laws.
• Legal and Advisory Support
  • Provide legal and practical counsel to HR and management.
  • Offer clear, pragmatic, and commercially minded legal guidance that balances compliance with business needs in a fast-paced environment.

What We Need: 

• JD degree from an accredited law school
• 8+ years of experience in employment law or HR compliance, ideally within a fast-paced or tech-oriented environment.
• Deep understanding of employment, labor, privacy, and immigration compliance matters.
• Proven experience leading employee relations investigations and developing preventive frameworks.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong business judgment with the ability to prioritize and provide actionable, risk-balanced recommendations.
• Experience managing or partnering with outside counsel.
• Insurance industry experience is a plus.
• Ability to handle highly confidential information and sensitive matters.

Note on Fraudulent Recruiting _We have become aware that there may be fraudulent recruiting attempts being made by people posing as representatives of ERGO NEXT Insurance. These scams may involve fake job postings, unsolicited emails, or messages claiming to be from our recruiters or hiring managers. 

Please note, we do not ask for sensitive information via chat, text, or social media, and any email communications will come from the domain @next-insurance.com or @nextinsurance.com. Additionally, Next Insurance will never ask for payment, fees, or purchases to be made by a job applicant. All applicants are encouraged to apply directly to our open jobs via the careers page on our website. Interviews are generally conducted via Zoom video conference unless the candidate requests other accommodations. 

If you believe that you have been the target of an interview/offer scam by someone posing as a representative of Next Insurance, please do not provide any personal or financial information. You can find additional information about this type of scam and report any fraudulent employment offers via the Federal Trade Commission's website (https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams), or you can contact your local law enforcement agency._   

The range displayed on this job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire base salaries for the position in the location(s) listed. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including, without limitation, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. ERGO NEXT employees are also potentially eligible for our annual performance-based incentive program, in addition to our benefits package, consisting of our partially subsidized medical plan, fully subsidized vision/dental options, life insurance, disability insurance, 401(k), flexible paid time off, parental leave and more.

US annual base salary range for this full-time position: $163,000—$220,000 USD

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that some underrepresented people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At ERGO NEXT, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

One of our core values is 'Play as a Team'; this means making sure everyone has an equal chance to participate and make a difference. We win by playing together. ERGO Next Insurance is an equal opportunity employer and prioritizes building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants of any type and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job-related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state, and local laws. ERGO Next's policy is to comply with all applicable laws related to nondiscrimination and equal opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.