Associate Director, Labor Relations

About the role

The position will be primarily-fully remote with in-person campus presence required only as operationally necessary (candidates must reside in California).

Responsibilities

• Leads and conducts extremely complex and varied analyses of issues or concepts and develops resulting recommendations.
• Advises campus managers, leadership and HR liaisons on labor relations and employment law implications relating to extremely complex individual and system-wide issues or courses of action.
• Responsible for administering extremely complex collective bargaining agreements and for interpreting the agreements, taking appropriate steps to ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements.
• Works with all levels of management to recommend position on settlement options and attaining appropriate settlement authority.
• Applies expert labor relations concepts to represent the campus objectives at system-wide and local bargaining.
• Represents UC Santa Cruz in proceedings, grievances and arbitrations.
• Establishes and maintains effective employee and labor-management relations.
• Works with campus management and employee representatives (union business agents, shop stewards, attorneys) as needed to resolve complaints and/or grievances.
• Serves as a lead on the Employee and Labor Relations team.
• Trains staff in unit processes and procedures.
• Develops and maintains Labor Relations training and reference material.
• Makes recommendations for salary actions of direct reports.
• Functions as a lead on the Employee and Labor Relations team.
• Trains on topics associated with campus programs, collective bargaining agreements, policies, procedures, and best practices.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience and/or training.
• Expert knowledge of system-wide and campus policies, collective bargaining agreements, and procedures.
• Expert knowledge of Labor Relations and understands how work impacts other areas in Human Resources and the system.
• Expert knowledge of dispute resolution and grievance procedures and expert knowledge of administering and ensuring adherence to union contracts.
• In-depth knowledge of other areas in human resources; capable of developing, interpreting, implementing and administering organization-wide human resources policies and processes.
• Expert negotiation skills necessary to bargain complex issues involving significant costs to the university and represents its interests effectively.
• Expert analytical skills to conduct analysis and develop recommendations, demonstrating organization and problem-solving skills.
• Highly developed verbal communication skills to provide guidance and information to managers on complex and significant labor relations issues.
• Highly developed written communication skills.
• Highly developed presentation skills.
• Expert conflict and change management skills.
• Project management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle the most difficult or volatile situations and/or individuals effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise excellent judgement in confidential matters.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise, train and lead team members.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area and/or equivalent experience and/or training.
• Master's degree in related field, or Juris Doctorate degree.
• Experience in higher education.
• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA) certifications, and/or certificate in alternative dispute resolution.