AVP of Labor Strategy

Position Summary

The Assistant Vice President, Labor Strategy is an enterprise executive leader accountable for defining, governing, and advancing labor strategy across MultiCare's complex, mission-driven healthcare system. This position reports directly to the Chief Human Potential Officer and serves as the senior authority on labor relations and collective bargaining strategy.

This role requires a senior HR business leader with deep experience leading labor relations strategy in unionized healthcare environments, capable of balancing strategic vision with operational excellence while ensuring alignment with organizational mission and values.

Responsibilities

• Define and steward enterprise-wide labor strategy aligned with organizational mission, financial sustainability, and operational objectives.
• Establish governance structures and decision-making frameworks for labor relations across the system and provide executive-level counsel on labor risks, trends, and opportunities.
• Lead and oversee all aspects of collective bargaining strategy and execution across multiple unions and bargaining units.
• Ensure negotiation outcomes support operational flexibility, workforce engagement, and quality patient care while protecting organizational interests.
• Establish and maintain enterprise labor relations policies and standards to ensure compliance with applicable labor laws, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance to manage grievances, arbitrations, unfair labor practice charges, and regulatory inquiries, and implement proactive risk identification and mitigation strategies.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior executives and system leadership on complex labor and union-related matters.
• Provide consultation and guidance to leaders on high-impact labor relations and employee relations issues involving represented employees.
• Build organizational capability to lead effectively in a unionized environment by shaping education, tools, and frameworks that enable consistent, compliant, and effective leader decision-making related to labor relations.
• Lead, develop, and sustain an enterprise labor relations team with clear roles, accountabilities, and succession planning.
• Ensure appropriate resourcing and capability to support system-wide labor strategy execution.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or a related field
• Master’s degree in a related field preferred
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in labor relations and labor strategy
• Demonstrated experience leading collective bargaining across multiple unions and bargaining units
• Experience within a unionized healthcare system or similarly complex, highly regulated environment preferred
• Advanced knowledge of labor laws, collective bargaining, and labor relations practices
• Expertise in developing and executing enterprise labor strategies
• Proven ability to advise executives and boards on complex labor matters
• Strong negotiation, risk management, and strategic leadership capabilities