Sr Dir Labor Relations-27687

About the role

The Senior Director, Labor Relations serves as the enterprise lead for labor relations strategy within a complex academic health system with a partially unionized workforce. This role has primary accountability for positive labor relations strategy, including NLRB petition response, collective bargaining preparedness, and post-certification labor stabilization.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the Labor Relations team, setting and reinforcing high standards for rigor, discretion, responsiveness, and accountability.
• Support and advise the Labor Relations team on collective bargaining agreement interpretation, grievance response strategy, and resolution of formal disputes as needed.
• Foster a culture of confidentiality, consistency, collaboration, and shared ownership in labor-related work.
• Serve as the enterprise lead during active NLRB petitions and elections, including coordination of response strategy, compliance controls, supervisor training, and messaging guardrails.
• Act as the primary HR and labor subject matter expert on contract interpretation, NLRA requirements, healthcare election rules, neutrality parameters, and unfair labor practice risk mitigation.
• Partner with Legal and executive leadership to develop enterprise labor strategy frameworks, including mitigation strategies, communication sequencing, and escalation protocols.
• Oversee labor risk assessments, control matrices, and audit-ready documentation related to organizing and election activity.
• Coach, counsel, and provide advice and direction to leaders and employees ensuring compliance with organization policy, collective bargaining agreements, and labor/employment laws and regulations.
• Prepare the organization for contract bargaining, including costing scenarios, proposal development, bargaining calendars, and operational readiness.
• Serve as Chief Negotiator and lead preparation, research, and governance for collective bargaining, including steering committees and executive briefings.
• Lead labor stabilization efforts, including grievance processes, contract administration readiness, and leader capability building.
• Advise C-suite, executives, and operational leaders on labor risk, decision-making, and leader conduct during organizing, bargaining, and contract administration.
• Design and deliver leader education, toolkits, SOPs, and just-in-time guidance on labor law compliance and union interaction.
• Ensure leaders understand restrictions on policy enforcement, contract interpretation, discipline, and organizational change during petition and election periods.
• Partner with HR Partners and Employee Relations to ensure alignment between labor strategy, investigations, corrective action, and grievance handling.
• Establish governance structures for labor-related decision-making, including escalation thresholds and document control standards.
• Collaborate with HR Centers of Excellence (recruitment, compensation, benefits, OD) to ensure integrated enterprise support.
• Build and sustain productive, professional relationships with unions representing clinical and non-clinical populations, aligned to patient care and fiscal sustainability.
• Oversee the Rush Vulnerable Employee process.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD).
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in labor relations.
• Direct experience leading contract negotiations, union organizing campaigns, NLRB petitions, and implementing a labor strategy in healthcare or similarly regulated environments.
• Demonstrated experience supporting nursing or clinical populations within an academic medical center or complex health system.
• Deep working knowledge of the NLRA, NLRB procedures, and healthcare-specific labor considerations.
• Prior experience in both union and non-union healthcare settings.
• Strong leadership presence with a record of developing high-performing, disciplined teams.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and project management skills; ability to operate both strategically and hands-on in a matrixed environment.
• Prior experience in both union and non-union healthcare settings.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and strong discretion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting first-contract negotiations following certification.
• Prior partnership with external labor counsel and consultants.
• Experience building labor relations infrastructure in organizations transitioning from non-union to unionized environments.
• Prior healthcare experience.
• Project management certification or demonstrated project leadership experience.