Senior Manager, Employee & Labor Relations

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Title: Senior Manager, Employee & Labor Relations

Department: Human Resources

Center Background: 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, and 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. Our 270+ diverse professionals are committed to advancing the Center’s human rights mission through game-changing litigation, legal policy, and advocacy work. This has powered the Center’s exceptional growth to an operating budget of over $60 million and won the respect of law firms in countries around the world. Our global pro bono network includes over 3,000 lawyers across 6 continents, 88 countries, and 140+ law firms. Last year, law firms contributed over $35 million USD in pro bono legal services. The Center’s Strategic Plan sets a high mark for impact: By 2030, half of the world’s population will be living under stronger protections for reproductive rights than they were in 2020. The Center has a record of success to back up this ambitious goal. Since our founding in 1992, the Center has transformed how reproductive rights are understood and applied by courts, governments, and human rights bodies worldwide on issues including maternal health, abortion, assisted reproduction, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights. We have won groundbreaking cases before national courts, U.N. Committees, and regional human rights bodies. The Center has also led development of historic, proactive legislation advancing robust protections for reproductive rights. It has built the legal capacity of women’s rights advocates in more than 65 countries and counting. To learn more about the Center, please go to

The Job: The Center for Reproductive Rights is seeking an experienced professional to join its staff as Senior Manager, Employee & Labor Relations. In this role, the Senior Manager will provide strategic guidance and subject-matter expertise on complex employee and labor relations matters, helping to foster a positive, equitable, and legally compliant workplace.

The Senior Manager partners closely with senior leadership to ensure that policies, practices, and processes support staff effectively and are implemented consistently across departments. This role also serves as a senior resource and thought partner on complex or high-risk employee and labor relations issues, investigations, and negotiations.

This role reports to the Chief People and Culture Officer and will be based in the Center’s New York City office in a hybrid model of 3 days in-office, 2 days working from home. 

Primary 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.

Compensation: The annual salary for this position is $132,000. This salary reflects a position based in New York City. This salary will be subject to a downward locality adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside the location listed in this posting. Note that most of the salaries listed on our job postings reflect New York, NY salaries, where our National offices are headquartered.

Union Status: This role is not covered by the Center’s Collective Bargaining Agreement

Level: P6 Senior Manager

FLSA Exempt Status: This is an exempt position.

Benefits:

• Health:  The Center provides a comprehensive health insurance plan with no in-network deductible and best-in-class reproductive healthcare coverage, including infertility . The Center also offers Dental and Vision coverage. 
• Well-being: The Center offers resources to help prevent and recover from burnout through different programs that enable mental, physical, and community well-being. The Center provides generous leave, including paid parental leave, personal days, vacation, and sick leave. We are closed the last week of December to allow staff to spend winter holiday time with their loved ones.
• Investment: After the first year of employment, the Center will contribute 7.5%* of your annual salary to a 401(k) (*applicable only in US and Kenya).

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Center is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our work and staff. We strongly encourage people from all communities to apply. If you are excited about this role but unsure about whether your experience aligns with the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. To learn more about the Center’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, please visit Diversity, Equity and Inclusion | Center for Reproductive Rights.

Center policy on visa sponsorship for U.S.-based positions: Applicants for employment in the U.S. must have valid work authorization that does not now and will not in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. by The Center for Reproductive Rights.

Requirements:

Qualifications:

• 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). Having a J.D is a big 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.