Labor Relations Director

Role Summary

The Labor Relations Director will lead the strategic development and execution of labor relations programs across the organization, with a focus on unionized construction environments. This role is responsible for negotiating, interpreting, and administering collective bargaining agreements, managing grievance and arbitration processes, and fostering strong labor-management relationships. The Director will serve as the company’s subject matter expert on union matters and collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure compliance and alignment with project needs, labor laws, and union contracts.

Key Role Responsibilities – Core

• Lead and oversee labor relations strategy, policy development, and compliance across all unionized projects
• Negotiate, interpret, and administer collective bargaining agreements; manage grievance procedures and arbitration processes
• Participate in dispute resolution and disciplinary hearings in collaboration with Human Resources, union, and operations teams
• Partner with HR, Payroll, and Operations to provide education and ensure accurate processing and reporting of union-related matters and contract compliance
• Facilitate pre‑job meetings with union leaders at national and local levels
• Ensure timely responses to governing committees
• Develop contingency plans for job actions (e.g., walkouts, complaints, arbitrations)
• Resolve jurisdictional disputes and grievances, lead coordination of national trade programs
• Provide labor relations training to project supervision
• Maintain positive relationships with union representatives, employees, and company leadership
• Ensure labor relations activities do not adversely affect other business units
• Partner with HR to support staffing strategies, including sourcing outside regional markets and optimizing apprentice and trainee programs
• Lead and mentor direct reports; promote a culture of safety and accountability

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Accurate, timely performance of work
• Effective presentation of complex information to cross‑functional stakeholders
• Advanced communication skills – verbal and written
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Advanced knowledge of labor laws, grievance procedures, and arbitration processes
• Effective investigative and analytical skills
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Leadership of change and continuous improvement in labor relations practices
• Commitment to safety and compliance in all labor‑related activities
• Adaptability and responsiveness to dynamic situations
• Sound assessment and recommendation skills
• High organizational awareness
• Confident public speaking with executive presence
• Collaboration within a team, internally and externally

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (Required)
• Master’s or other advanced degree (Preferred)
• Relevant experience considered in lieu of the above requirements

Experience

• 10+ years of labor relations experience in the construction industry with significant exposure to union environments (Required)
• Proven experience in grievance handling, arbitration, and collective bargaining negotiations (Preferred)
• 0‑2 years of managing teams (Preferred)

Working Environment

• Must be able to lift up to 10 pounds
• May require extensive overnight travel
• Normal office environment
• Frequent activity: Sitting, viewing computer screen
• Occasional activity: Standing, walking, reaching above shoulder

Benefits

The benefits package for this position is Professional Non‑Union. For more details, please consult the company benefits portal.

Equal Opportunity Statement

JE Dunn Construction is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and provide equal opportunity to all people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other legally protected category. JE Dunn is a background‑screening, drug‑free workplace.

Reasonable Accommodations

JE Dunn provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. To request an accommodation, please send an email to View email address on click.appcast.io.