Principal Employee Relations Partner

About the role We are looking for a Principal Employee Relations Partner to serve as the primary advisor and escalation point for complex employee relations issues across the organization. The role will report into the People Partner team, and act as a strategic partner to People Partners cross-functional teams, balancing risk management, compliance, and cultural alignment while fostering a fair, inclusive, and consistent employee experience. In this role, you can expect to • Own the intake, assessment, investigation, and resolution of complex employee relations issues, including employee complaints, misconduct, performance concerns, policy violations, and sensitive workplace conflicts. • Serve as the escalation point for high-risk or ambiguous matters, providing clear guidance on investigation strategy, risk exposure, and recommended outcomes. • Conduct and oversee thorough, unbiased, and timely investigations, ensuring appropriate scoping, evidence gathering, documentation, findings, and closure aligned with Legal and company standards. • Provide expert consultation to People Partners and business leaders on employee relations risks, employment law considerations, corrective action, and decision-making. • Drive excellence in ER documentation and case management, ensuring accurate, consistent, and defensible records across all cases; maintain clear rationales for findings, actions, and outcomes. • Analyze ER data, complaint trends, and investigation outcomes to identify root causes, systemic issues, and emerging risks, and recommend preventative or scalable solutions. • Partner with People Partners to coach managers and leaders on effective conflict resolution, performance management, employee communications, and early intervention strategies. • Collaborate closely with Legal, People Operations, Compliance, and Benefits to ensure equitable outcomes, alignment on policy interpretation, and consistency across the organization. • Ensure employee relations programs and policies comply with federal, state, and local employment laws, and partner with Legal and Compliance to update policies, guidance, and training based on evolving legislation or workplace trends. • Review and update employee handbook policies to ensure compliance with federal, state and local employment laws (e.g., EEO, FMLA, ADA, etc.). • Manage the severance program; ensuring guidelines and policies are up to date. • Oversee compliance externally with regulatory requirements (state reporting) • Contribute to the continuous improvement of ER frameworks, investigation tools, training, and manager resources to strengthen organizational health and trust. To thrive in this role, you have • 10+ years in employee relations or HR business partnering, with increasing responsibility in complex, high-growth or matrixed environments. • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred. • Deep expertise in employment law and HR compliance • Strong investigation, mediation, and problem-solving capabilities • Proven ability to influence at senior levels and drive cross-functional alignment • Exceptional written and verbal communication across diverse audiences • Data-driven mindset for identifying ER trends and solutions • Proven ability to use sound judgment to address multifaceted organizational challenges. #LI-Hybrid #LI-WS1 Below is the base salary offered for this role and level of experience. Full-time employees may also be eligible for bonus(es), competitive equity, and benefits. For commissioned roles, the base salary listed in this job description does not include incentive/variable pay. The actual base salary offered may be higher, depending on your location, skills, qualifications, and experience. Wage Notice $167,000—$230,000 USD A little about us At Chime, we believe that everyone can achieve financial progress. We created Chime—a financial technology company, not a bank*—on the premise that core banking services should be helpful, easy, and free. Through our user-friendly tools and intuitive platforms, we empower our members to take control of their finances and work towards their goals. Whether it's starting a savings account, purchasing a first car or home, launching a business, or pursuing higher education, we're proud to have helped millions unlock their financial potential. We're a team of problem solvers, dreamers, and builders with one shared obsession: our members. From day one, Chimers have worked tirelessly to out-hustle and out-execute competitors to bring our mission to life. Their grit and determination inspire us to work harder every day to deliver the very best experience possible. We each bring an owner's mindset to our work, refusing to be outdone and holding ourselves accountable to meet and exceed the highest bars for our teams, our company, and our members. We believe in being bold, dreaming big, and taking risks, while also working together, embracing our diverse perspectives, and giving each other honest feedback. Our culture remains deeply entrepreneurial, encouraging every Chimer to see themselves as stewards of our mission to help everyday Americans unlock their financial progress. We know that to achieve our mission, we must earn and keep people's trust—so we hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity in everything we do. These aren't just words on a wall—our values are embedded in every aspect of our business, serving as a north star that guides us as we work to help millions achieve their financial potential. Because if we don't—who will? *Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. What we offer for our full-time, regular employees • 🏢 Our in-office work policy is designed to keep you connected - with four days a week in the office and Fridays from home for those near one of our offices, plus team and company-wide events depending on location. Whether you’re coming in regularly or are part of our fully remote program, you’ll stay engaged with your work and teammates. • 💻 Benefits that support your work and life, including backup child, elder, and pet care and subsidized commuter benefits for eligible employees. • ✨ Comprehensive health, financial, and wellbeing benefits designed to support you at every stage of life. • 🏝 Generous vacation policy and company-wide paid days off • 🫂 1% of your time off to support local community organizations of your choice • 👟 Annual wellness stipend to use towards eligible wellness related expenses • 👶 Up to 22 weeks of paid parental leave for birthing parents and 12 weeks of paid parental leave for non-birthing parents • 👪 Access to family planning reimbursement • 💚 A challenging and fulfilling opportunity to join one of the most experienced teams in FinTech and help millions unlock financial progress We know that great work can’t be done without a diverse team and inclusive environment. That’s why we specifically look for individuals of varying strengths, skills, backgrounds, and ideas to join our team. We believe this gives us a competitive advantage to better serve our members and helps us all grow as Chimers and individuals. Chime is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital or family status, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis under provincial, federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of state and local laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Cook County Ordinance, NYC Fair Chance Act, and the LA City Fair Chance Ordinance, and consistent with Canadian provincial and federal laws. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation during any stage of the application process, please contact: accommodations@chime.com. To learn more about how Chime collects and uses your personal information during the application process, please see the Chime Applicant Privacy Notice.