Senior Manager, Employee & Labor Relations
The Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization working to ensure that reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights worldwide. With offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Nairobi, Kenya, Bogota, Colombia, and Geneva, Switzerland, the Center is a non-profit, non-partisan organization changing law and policy throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the United States.
About the role
The Senior Manager, Employee & Labor Relations will provide strategic guidance and subject-matter expertise on complex employee and labor relations matters, fostering a positive, equitable, and legally compliant workplace. This role partners closely with senior leadership to ensure policies, practices, and processes support staff effectively and are implemented consistently across departments. It serves as a senior resource and thought partner on high-risk employee and labor relations issues, investigations, and negotiations. This position reports to the Chief People and Culture Officer and is based in the Center’s New York City office in a hybrid model of 3 days in-office and 2 days working from home.
Responsibilities
- Strategic Advisory and Leadership
- Serve as a senior advisor to HR and executive leadership on complex and sensitive employee and labor relations matters.
- Provide strategic guidance on workplace policies, practices, and risk mitigation to support a positive and equitable work environment.
- Identify trends and systemic issues in employee relations and recommend proactive, organization-wide solutions.
- Contribute to the development and harmonization of HR policies, frameworks, and standards.
- Employee & Labor Relations
- Provide expert guidance on investigations, performance management, dispute resolution, and workplace conduct issues across multiple regions.
- Support regional HR managers in addressing employee relations concerns and implementing consistent practices.
- Advise on grievance handling, mediation, and dispute resolution strategies.
- Review and advise on collective bargaining agreements and other labor frameworks where applicable.
- Provide strategic input into labor negotiations and contract interpretation, as needed.
- Compliance, Risk, and Governance
- Monitor developments in labor and employment regulations in key jurisdictions and advise on implications for organizational policy and practice.
- Ensure consistent and equitable application of HR policies and procedures.
- Support development of tools, guidance, and training to strengthen manager capability in employee relations matters.
- Data, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement
- Oversee analysis of employee relations data, trends, and metrics to identify risks and opportunities.
- Prepare and present insights and recommendations to HR leadership.
- Maintain appropriate documentation standards and ensure confidentiality of sensitive materials.
- Organizational Capability Building
- Mentor HR colleagues and contribute to strengthening internal expertise in employee and labor relations.
- Develop tools, frameworks, or training materials to improve manager effectiveness in addressing workplace issues.
- Perform other duties consistent with the senior advisory nature of the role.
Requirements
- 12+ years of progressive experience in Employee and/or Labor Relations, including experience advising senior leadership.
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, or a related field (advanced degree or relevant certification preferred). A J.D. is a plus.
- Demonstrated experience working in a multinational or global organization.
- Deep knowledge of employee relations practices, investigations, and dispute resolution.
- Experience advising on labor relations, collective bargaining, or similar frameworks in one or more jurisdictions.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Excellent problem-solving, negotiation, and influencing skills.
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
- High level of discretion, integrity, and professional judgment.
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
About You
- You are a strategic thinker who can operate independently while influencing senior leaders and stakeholders.
- You have demonstrated ability to navigate complex, sensitive, or ambiguous employee and labor relations matters across diverse cultural and regulatory environments.
- You possess strong leadership presence and are a trusted advisor to senior HR and business leaders.
- You consider confidentiality, sound judgment, and emotional intelligence to be core professional strengths.
- You are highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, global environment.
- You are adaptable and able to respond to shifting demands and emerging organizational needs.
- You are committed to continuous learning and sharing knowledge to strengthen organizational capability.
- You have strong analytical and technical skills that support accurate reporting, analysis, and decision-making.
Pay
The annual salary for this position is $132,000. This salary reflects a position based in New York City and will be subject to a downward locality adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside the location listed in this posting.
Benefits
- Health: Comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility. Dental and Vision coverage are also provided.
- Well-being: Resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through programs that enable mental, physical, and community well-being. Generous leave includes paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, and sick leave. The Center is closed the last week of December.
- Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center contributes 7.5% of your annual salary to a 401(k) (applicable only in the US and Kenya).
Schedule
This role follows a hybrid model of 3 days in-office and 2 days working from home, based in the New York City office.