Human Resources Labor Relations Manager

About the role

The Employee Relations Manager serves as a strategic leader responsible for administering and advancing the City’s labor relations and employee relations functions. This position ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, collective bargaining agreements, and City policies. The role provides expert guidance to City leadership on complex employee relations matters, grievance administration, discipline, investigations, and collective bargaining. The Manager plays a critical role in maintaining productive labor-management relationships and supporting organizational effectiveness through sound human resources practices.

Responsibilities

• Administers collective bargaining agreements; provides interpretation of collective bargaining agreements (e.g., AFSCME, IAFF, FOP) to all levels of City leadership.
• Advises managers and employees on sensitive labor and employee relations matters, including grievance and arbitration procedures, performance, and disciplinary actions; advises and assists managers in identifying employee relations issues and determining the appropriate course of action.
• Maintains current knowledge of employee and labor relations trends, legal decisions, and statutory changes; conducts research necessary to support contract negotiations and employee relations.
• Advises on policies and procedures concerning employee relations and personnel practices.
• Conducts workplace investigations.
• Participates in the development and delivery of management training programs designed to advance staff knowledge of labor relations and collective bargaining.
• Attends staff, committee, and other professional meetings to exchange information; attends technical or professional workshops, seminars, or conferences to improve professional skills; works with safety consultants to prepare periodic risk analysis reports for City leadership.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, and applicable Kentucky statutes.
• Analyze trends in grievances, discipline, turnover, and employee engagement to inform decision-making.
• Contribute to the development of HR metrics and dashboards aligned with public sector performance standards.
• Participate in budget planning related to HR initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, psychology, or public administration or related field.
• Minimum of 5 – 7 years of progressively responsible experience in labor and employee relations in a public sector unionized environment.
• Demonstrated experience in collective bargaining, grievance handling, and workplace investigations.
• Experience working with multiple unions is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Able to apply an analytical approach to gather and summarize data for reports, find solutions to various administrative problems, and prioritize work.
• Practical application of public sector collective bargaining and employment laws.
• Ability to reconcile labor relations issues in the context of both existing labor agreements and desired future states of labor and employee relations within the City.
• Quickly learn the customized HRIS necessary to input and maintain personnel records.
• Knowledge of applicable labor & employment laws and practices.
• Provides excellent customer service for internal departments and a diverse public.
• Oral and written communication skills are clear, concise, and diplomatic.
• Effectively manages time and prioritizes workload appropriately.
• Resourceful, self-starter skilled at managing multiple tasks without supervision.
• Has a high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
• Position continually requires demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy.

Education and Experience

• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.