Director of Labor Relations (17033)

Summary/Objective

Under the direction of the AVP of Human Resources, manages and directs the labor relations for staff bargaining units for the university. Program activities include negotiation of collective bargaining agreements; contract administration and interpretation; guidance/coordination of related management activities with HR employee relations and Provost labor relations liaison. The Director of Labor Relations is an advisor to academic and administrative departments on labor relations matters. This individual provides input to the broader set of Human Resources policies and strategies regarding labor and employee relations.

Essential Functions

1. Administers and manages administration of labor contracts; provides interpretation of labor contracts to managers, employees and HR staff; oversees processes for review and resolution of employee grievances.
2. Advises managers and employees on sensitive labor and employee relations matters, including grievance and arbitration procedures, performance issues and disciplinary actions; advises and assists managers in identifying employee relations issues and determining appropriate course of action.
3. Serves as member of the university’s team in contract negotiations with recognized employee unions. Maintains current knowledge of employee and labor relations trends, legal decisions, and statutory changes; conducts research necessary to support contract negotiations. Uses appropriate negotiation strategies to develop bargaining goals and negotiate contracts consistent with the university’s mission, values and goals.
4. Facilitates on-going communication and working relationships with employee representative unions including coordination of joint labor-management committees.
5. Provides information, advice and assistance to Human Resources department managers and staff regarding application of statutes, regulations, contracts and employee relations practices relating to their functional areas.
6. Acts as a member of the Human Resources department leadership team and participates in setting the direction of human resources support activities for the university. Develops and recommends to the AVP of Human Resources policies and procedures concerning employee relations and practices.
7. Represents the university in arbitrations and NLRB hearings related to unfair labor practice complaints.
8. Participates in the development and delivery of management training programs designed to advance the human resources skills and understanding labor relations in the management staff.
9. May be assigned responsibility for HR functions on the employee relations team.
10. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Environment

• Work is generally performed in an office environment with frequent interruptions and irregularities in the work schedule.
• No special coordination beyond that used for normal mobility and handling of everyday objects and materials is needed to perform the job satisfactorily.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Full time
• Team Leader/Consultant A
• Exempt

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources or related field. Relevant experience may substitute for the degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.
• 4-6 years of relevant experience
• At least five years of progressively responsible, professional experience in collective bargaining and labor relations activities.
• Experience must include leading contract administration, grievance processing, performance management and disciplinary activities, as well as facilitating on-going communication and working relationships with employee representative organizations and other college stakeholders.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

1. Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of employee and labor relations, collective bargaining and employment laws.
• Human Resources theories, practices and techniques.
• Supervisory principles.
• Program development and administration principles and practices.

2. Skill in:

• Practical application of collective bargaining and employment laws.
• Effective written and oral communications, listening, presentation, group facilitation; influencing and negotiations.
• Application of processes for influencing performance management.
• Effective use of mediation and conflict resolution techniques.
• Computerized systems for word processing, spreadsheet applications and data bases to retrieve and analyze data and/or create reports.
• Coordinating activities with other internal departments and/or external agencies.
• Effective project and time management.

3. Ability to:

• Reconcile labor relations issues in the context of both existing labor agreements and desired future states of labor and employee relations.
• Work with diverse academic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of university community.
• Manage multiple complex projects concurrently.

Benefits

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