Vice President People Experience & Employee Relations

Vice President, People Experience & Employee Relations

When you join Sunrise Senior Living, you will be able to use your unique skills to empower residents to live longer, healthier, and happier lives. Not only will you build meaningful relationships with residents, their families, and team members alike, you will also gain joy in serving others and deep fulfillment in your work. Explore how you can follow your passions and shed light on meaningful ways to serve, grow, and shine together.

Sunrise Senior Living was again certified as a Great Place to Work by Activated Insights. This is the 8th time Sunrise has received this top culture and workplace designation, highlighting the special place Sunrise is to be a part of.

The Vice President, People Experience & Employee Relations is a strategic leadership role responsible for building and leading comprehensive employee experience, organizational culture, and employee relations capabilities while establishing robust HR policy governance during a critical period of HR transformation. This position serves as the organization's chief advocate for creating exceptional employee experiences across our 250+ locations and 20,000+ team members through proactive relationship management, strategic culture development, innovative employee experience design, and forward-thinking policy governance. Working closely with our newly established HR Business Partner network and other HR leaders, this role will design and implement scalable, people-centered solutions that support organizational growth while ensuring compliance with evolving laws and regulations. This is a build-from-the-ground-up leadership opportunity that requires someone who can create scalable systems, develop new organizational capabilities, and lead change management across a large, distributed workforce.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

As a part of the Sunrise team, supporting our Mission, Principles of Service and Core Values is a fundamental part of this job. Our foundational belief is the sacred value of human life. The unique responsibilities for this role include but are not limited to the essential functions listed as follows:

Strategic Leadership & Transformation Partnership (15%)

• Develop and execute enterprise-wide strategy for employee experience, organizational culture, employee relations, and HR policy governance
• Partner with senior leadership to align people strategies with business objectives and growth plans
• Lead organizational change management as we transition to new HR service delivery model
• Build data-driven insights and reporting capabilities to measure success and identify improvement opportunities
• Contribute to broader HR transformation goals through agile methodologies and cross-functional collaboration

Employee Experience Excellence (25%)

• Design comprehensive employee journey mapping from hire to retire, with particular focus on frontline team member experience
• Create scalable programs that enhance workplace experience across diverse locations and roles
• Evolve current employee listening strategies including surveys, focus groups, and feedback mechanisms
• Build workplace environment standards and improvement initiatives
• Establish early warning systems and trend analysis capabilities to identify and address emerging experience challenges
• Design retention strategies based on employee experience insights and feedback

Culture Development & Stewardship (20%)

• Define, communicate, and embed organizational values and cultural behaviors across all levels
• Create culture measurement tools and intervention strategies to address gaps
• Partner with communications team on culture-building initiatives and internal branding
• Lead initiatives to enhance psychological safety, inclusion, and belonging within teams
• Foster positive workplace cultures that align with organizational values and strategic objectives

Employee Relations & Case Management (25%)

• Establish comprehensive employee relations framework including case management, escalation protocols, and resolution processes
• Lead complex employee relations investigations with objectivity, thoroughness, and sensitivity to all parties involved
• Provide strategic guidance to leadership on sensitive employee matters, including performance issues, workplace conflicts, and misconduct allegations
• Partner with legal to support alternative dispute resolution processes and mediation programs
• Create proactive relationship management strategies that prevent issues while building trust and engagement
• Serve as final escalation point for complex employee situations requiring enterprise-level intervention

HR Policy Development & Governance (10%)

• Establish comprehensive HR policy governance framework including development, review, approval, and maintenance processes
• Lead cross-functional policy development initiatives that balance employee needs, business objectives, and regulatory requirements
• Create scalable policy templates and guidelines that support consistent application across diverse locations
• Monitor and interpret evolving employment laws, regulations, and compliance requirements at federal, state, and local levels
• Conduct regular policy audits and risk assessments to identify gaps and ensure continuous compliance

HR Business Partner Enablement (5%)

• Provide ongoing consultation and coaching to HRBPs on complex employee experience, culture, and relations matters
• Establish regular cadence for knowledge sharing, best practice development, and continuous improvement
• Support HRBPs in handling employee relations matters through training and support programs

Core Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Expert knowledge of employment law, HR compliance, and risk management across multiple jurisdictions
• Advanced skills in HR analytics, employee listening methodologies, and data-driven decision making
• Experience with HRIS/HCM platforms, case management tools, and employee experience technology solutions
• Strong knowledge of investigation best practices, conflict resolution, and alternative dispute resolution methods
• Proficiency in policy development methodologies, governance frameworks, and change management principles
• Understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles and their integration into employee relations practices

Leadership Qualities

• Exceptional strategic thinking with proven ability to build functions from inception while maintaining high standards
• Outstanding communication skills with ability to navigate sensitive situations and influence diverse stakeholders
• Systems thinking approach with ability to design scalable, sustainable processes
• Cultural intelligence and ability to work effectively across diverse populations
• High emotional intelligence with conflict resolution and mediation skills
• Strong ethical foundation with demonstrated integrity in handling confidential employee matters
• Proven ability to build trust and positive relationships across all organizational levels

Transformation & Innovation Experience

• Experience leading organizational change and HR transformation initiatives in people-centered environments
• Proven track record implementing agile methodologies and design thinking for complex people challenges
• Ability to balance innovation with regulatory compliance and risk management
• Experience with cross-functional collaboration and breaking down organizational silos

Experience and Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed throughout this job description are representative of the knowledge, skills, and abilities required.

• 10+ years progressive HR leadership experience with minimum 5 years in senior roles
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Business Administration, Psychology, Law, or related field required
• Master's in HR, Organizational Development, Psychology, or related field preferred
• Professional certifications (SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent) strongly preferred
• Proven track record building employee experience, culture, or employee relations functions from startup phase
• Experience managing distributed workforce across multiple locations (preferably 100+ sites)
• Deep expertise in frontline/hourly employee population dynamics and engagement strategies
• Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations matters and policy development at enterprise level
• History of successful partnership with field operations leadership and C-suite executives, preferred
• Experience in retail, hospitality, healthcare, or similar multi-location service industries, preferred
• Background in organizational transformation or large-scale HR system implementations, preferred
• Previous experience building or leading HR Business Partner networks, preferred
• Experience with union relations and collective bargaining, preferred

About Sunrise

Ready to take the next step and make a bigger impact than you ever imagined? As part of our team, you will help brighten the future for everyone at Sunrise and beyond. That is why