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.

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 certification
• Ability to influence and coach leaders with confidence and empathy
• Comfort using case management systems and data to track volume, trends, and outcomes
• Experience in a fast-growing or matrixed organization

Nice to have

• A law degree (JD or equivalent) or formal employment law background
• Experience in technology, restaurant, or hospitality environments
• Working knowledge of Canadian employment law, including provincial differences

AI at Toast

• At Toast, one of our company values is that we're hungry to build and learn.
• We believe learning new AI tools empowers us to build for our customers faster, more independently, and with higher quality.
• We provide these tools across all disciplines, from Engineering and Product to Sales and Support, and are inspired by how our Toasters are already driving real value with them.
• The people who thrive here are those who embrace changes that let us build more for our customers; it's a core part of our culture.

Our Total Rewards Philosophy

• We strive to provide competitive compensation and benefits programs that help to attract, retain, and motivate the best and brightest people in our industry.
• Our total rewards package goes beyond great earnings potential and provides the means to a healthy lifestyle with the flexibility to meet Toasters' changing needs.
• Learn more about our benefits at https://careers.toasttab.com/toast-benefits .
• The base salary range for this role is listed below.
• The starting salary will be determined based on skills, experience, and geographic location.
• In addition to base salary, our total rewards components include cash compensation (overtime, bonus/commissions if eligible), equity, and benefits.
• You can learn more about how we align pay with local labor markets in our Geographic Pay Zone Philosophy .

Zone A

$159,000 — $254,000 USD

Zone B

$138,000 — $221,000 USD

Zone C

$125,000 — $200,000 USD

• How Toast Uses AI in its Hiring Process
• Throughout the hiring process, our goal is to get to know you.
• We use AI tools to support our recruiters and interviewers with tasks like note-taking, summarization, and documentation of interviews to ensure they can be fully focused on your conversation.
• All hiring decisions are made by people.
• We ask that you complete interviews and assessments on your own, without real-time AI tools, recording, or transcription bots, unless we tell you otherwise in advance.

Our Approach to Hybrid Working

• We embrace a hybrid work model that fosters in-person collaboration while valuing individual needs.
• Our goal is to build a strong culture of connection as we work together to empower the hospitality community, regardless of location.
• Please visit the Locations page on our career site to learn more about our in-office expectations by region: https://careers.toasttab.com/locations-toast
• People Are the Secret Ingredient in Our Recipe for Success
• At Toast, our employees are our secret ingredient—when they thrive, we thrive.
• The restaurant industry brings together people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives, and we value that same breadth at Toast.
• We strive to build a culture grounded in authenticity, respect, and humility, where every Toaster has a real opportunity to grow, contribute, and do their best work—raising the bar in delivering exceptional experiences for our customers and each other.

Apply today!

• Toast is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive hiring process.
• As part of this commitment, we strive to provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities to enable them to access the hiring process.
• If you need an accommodation to access the job application or interview process, please contact [email protected] .

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For roles in the United States, it is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.