Senior Manager, Employee Relations & Performance

Toast creates technology to help restaurants and local businesses succeed in a digital world, helping business owners operate, increase sales, engage customers, and keep employees happy. We're looking for a Senior Manager, Employee Relations & Performance Management to lead our Employee Relations & Performance Management team for the US and Canada within our dedicated COE. Reporting to the Senior Director, Employee Relations & Performance Management, you'll make sure employee relations matters and performance management cases are handled fairly, consistently, and in line with policy and local law.

You'll lead a team focusing on employee relations and performance management that supports leaders below the Senior Director level across Toast. This is a hands-on leadership role: you'll guide your team's day to day case work regarding performance management consulting, conflict resolution and policy violations, personally handle a caseload, including escalations and sensitive matters, and improve the processes that help us support Toasters well as we grow.

Location note to applicants: We’re prioritizing candidates in our Boston or NYC hubs, but we’re open to remote candidates on the East Coast. If you live within commuting distance of a Toast office, the role is hybrid and the in-office expectation is 2 days per week.

A day in the life

- Lead, coach, and develop a team focused on employee relations and performance management, setting priorities and reviewing case work for quality and consistency.

- Guide performance management case work, supporting leaders with documented coaching, PIPs, and separations in line with Toast policy and legal standards.

- Oversee US and Canada ER cases from intake to resolution, managing workplace concerns, policy violations, and conflict resolution disputes.

- Conduct and oversee thorough, impartial, and timely workplace investigations for harassment, discrimination, and misconduct, personally leading complex or high-risk matters below the Senior Director level.

- Model interviewing best practices and manage risk proactively in high-visibility cases.

- Provide objective guidance and support to employees and managers throughout the ER and performance management process and post-investigation.

- Partner cross-functionally with Legal, HRBPs, Compliance, and other stakeholders on escalations, separations, and employment law questions.

- Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders (below the Senior Director level) and HRBPs, offering risk-aware, balanced guidance.

- Maintain and refine regional ER and performance management standards, including optimizing performance management standards and investigation protocols, workflows, and manager resources.

- Analyze case data to identify trends, share insights with People leadership, and recommend preventive updates or training.

- Leverage AI tools and technology to optimize efficiency while preserving decision quality and confidentiality.

- Draft documentation independently, including executive summaries, written warnings, and leader talking points.

- Ensure accurate and timely logging of cases in the ER database and handle agency complaint responses as needed.

What you'll need to thrive

- 8-10+ years of employee relations experience, including significant experience conducting workplace investigations

- 5-8+ years of people leadership, ideally including managing a manager

- Hands-on experience handling performance management cases, from early coaching, through PIPs and terminations

- Strong knowledge of US employment and HR related laws, regulations, policies, principles, concepts and best practices, including Title VII, wage and hour, ADA, ADAA, and FMLA.

- Sound judgment and discretion with highly confidential, sensitive information

- Excellent written and verbal communication, including clear, well-supported investigation reports and analyses/findings

- Workplace investigations training or