Senior Director, Employee Relations – Investigations

OpenAI

Senior Director leading Employee Relations and Investigations at OpenAI. Overseeing high-trust, high-rigor workplace matters with a focus on fairness and sound judgment.

Posted 7/17/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $400,000 - $440,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates extensive expertise in Employee Relations and workplace investigations, with a strong focus on U.S. employment law and the ability to lead complex, high-risk matters. Proven track record in developing scalable ER frameworks, policies, and training programs while maintaining a collaborative and inclusive workplace culture.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Employee Relations LeadershipWorkplace Investigations ExpertiseU.S. Employment Law KnowledgeExecutive Presence and InfluenceJ.D. Required

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Workplace InvestigationsPolicy DevelopmentCase Management SystemsRisk AssessmentPerformance ManagementDisciplinary ProcessesTrend AnalysisEvidence ReviewCredibility AssessmentsDocumentation

Soft Skills

Analytical SkillsWritten CommunicationJudgment and DiscretionCollaborative LeadershipTrust Building

Certifications & Qualifications

J.D.

Industry Keywords

EEOADAFMLAFLSAHarassmentDiscriminationRetaliationWorkplace ViolenceConflict ResolutionEmployee Experience

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Set and execute the strategy for Employee Relations and Investigations, including the team’s mandate, service model, escalation paths, governance, operating rhythms, and measures of success.
Lead, develop, and scale a team of experienced ER and investigations professionals; establish clear quality standards, decision frameworks, and coaching practices that produce consistent, defensible outcomes.
Oversee the intake, triage, investigation, and resolution of the company’s highest-risk and most sensitive workplace matters, including allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, conflicts of interest, workplace violence, and other policy violations.
Personally advise on or lead matters involving senior leaders, significant reputational or legal risk, cross-functional complexity, or novel questions; ensure investigation strategy matches the risk, sensitivity, confidentiality, and facts of each case.
Establish rigorous, fair, and trauma-informed investigation practices, including evidence review, interviewing, credibility assessments, documentation, findings, recommendations, and appropriate follow-through.
Own the broader ER framework across performance management, workplace conflict, disciplinary action, accommodations and leave-related escalations, employee concerns, separations, and other critical moments in the employment relationship.
Serve as a trusted advisor to executives, people leaders, and HR Business Partners, helping them make principled, timely, and well-calibrated decisions under ambiguity.
Partner closely with Employment Legal, Compliance, Security, People Operations, and HR leadership to assess risk, manage claims or regulatory matters, and ensure practices reflect applicable laws and OpenAI’s policies and values.
Build scalable policies, playbooks, case-management practices, and decision tools that improve consistency and transparency while preserving the judgment required for complex situations.
Use case data, employee signals, and trend analysis to identify systemic issues, surface emerging risk, and recommend proactive interventions to leadership.
Develop and deliver practical training for leaders, managers, HR partners, and employees on respectful workplace expectations, investigations, performance management, conflict resolution, and manager accountability.
Represent the ER and Investigations perspective in major people programs, organizational changes, and culture initiatives so that employee experience, fairness, and risk are considered early.

Requirements

What you’ll need

15+ years of progressive experience in Employee Relations, workplace investigations, employment law, HR leadership, or a closely related field, with significant experience leading complex, high-risk matters.
Demonstrated experience leading and developing a senior ER and/or investigations team in a fast-paced, high-growth, globally distributed, or highly matrixed environment.
Deep expertise in end-to-end workplace investigations, including executive-level and highly sensitive matters, and the judgment to distinguish when to investigate, when to advise, and when to escalate.
Strong knowledge of U.S. employment law and employee relations practices, including EEO, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, retaliation, harassment, discrimination, performance management, and disciplinary processes; global ER experience is a strong plus.
A track record of building or evolving an ER operating model, including policies, playbooks, case-management systems, reporting, quality standards, and scalable manager-facing tools.
Exceptional executive presence and influence, with the ability to earn trust, communicate clearly, and provide candid advice to leaders at every level of the organization.
Excellent analytical and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex and conflicting facts into clear findings, risk assessments, and recommendations.
Sound judgment, discretion, objectivity, and composure in situations that are sensitive, ambiguous, time-critical, or emotionally charged.
A collaborative, low-ego leadership style and a commitment to developing others, strengthening manager capability, and building a respectful, inclusive, and high-performing workplace.
A J.D. is required for this position

Benefits

Comp & perks

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family, with employer contributions to Health Savings Accounts
Pre-tax accounts for Health FSA, Dependent Care FSA, and commuter expenses (parking and transit)
401(k) retirement plan with employer match
Paid parental leave (up to 24 weeks for birth parents and 20 weeks for non-birthing parents), plus paid medical and caregiver leave (up to 8 weeks)
Paid time off: flexible PTO for exempt employees and up to 15 days annually for non-exempt employees
13+ paid company holidays, and multiple paid coordinated company office closures throughout the year for focus and recharge, plus paid sick or safe time (1 hour per 30 hours worked, or more, as required by applicable state or local law)
Mental health and wellness support
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Annual learning and development stipend to fuel your professional growth
Daily meals in our offices, and meal delivery credits as eligible
Relocation support for eligible employees
Additional taxable fringe benefits, such as charitable donation matching and wellness stipends, may also be provided.