Senior Labor Relations Consultant

Job Title: Senior Labor Relations Consultant Location: Columbus, OH Hybrid Schedule: Onsite Tuesday - Thursday Job Summary The Senior Consultant helps administer and enforce collective bargaining agreements ("CBAs") between unions, employees and management. Common tasks include grievance handling, conducting fact‑finding investigations in accordance with CBAs, facilitating discussions between union leaders and management, drafting agreements and participating in negotiations. In addition, provides execution support for Labor Relations and Positive Employee Relations strategies. The incumbent partners with other groups to design appropriate interventions such as metrics, dashboards, risk assessment templates and manager training programs. Essential Functions Conduct fact‑finding investigations in accordance with CBAs to comply with just‑cause standards and sustain corrective action issued. Provide support and counsel to management when responding to grievances. Manage and facilitate grievance hearings and ensure management is prepared. Assist in preparation of arbitrations and serve as company witness when requested. Research and draft agreements (e.g., MOA, MOU) at departmental and employee level to address issues that may arise outside of formal CBA negotiations. Mediator disputes between management, union leaders and employees. Develop and maintain a constructive relationship with union leaders to build a foundation of trust for negotiating and resolving matters. Provide management with day‑to‑day contract interpretation assistance of CBA provisions. Support implementation of labor relations strategies. Participate in the company labor negotiations process to achieve desired outcomes, and effectuate bargaining strategies that enable business objectives. Positive Employee Relations Advocate for employees' rights when appropriate to foster positive employee engagement and work environment. Support key labor strategies and tactics, including union avoidance and union campaign strategy and management. Build and maintain an employee and labor relations scorecard to reveal trends, progress and issues. Partner with talent management to design and deliver management training interventions. Leader Development & Enablement Advise and coach leaders on the latest labor and employee relations trends that could positively or negatively impact the Company. Provide strategic counsel to leaders in administering collective bargaining agreements and labor relation policies/practices that are in compliance with federal/state laws and Company policies/practices. Provide labor consultation to various supporting departments on matters impacting collective bargaining agreements and represented workforce. Required Qualifications For Position Bachelor's Degree in Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management, Business Administration or 4‑6 years of related job experience. Working knowledge of employment laws and experience dealing with legal issues involving EEOC, DOL, NLRB and other related concerns. Ability to effectively and professionally communicate—both verbally and in writing. Ability to quickly and effectively establish rapport with all levels of leadership. Excellent judgment, critical thinking skills, and analytical ability. Ability to balance working autonomously day‑to‑day, and also collaboratively within a team environment and with other departments overall. Ability to think creatively and proactively in identifying potential issues and resolving known issues. Ability to navigate complex cases and high case volume. Desire to continuously learn and stay up‑to‑date on employee‑related trends, issues and concerns. Ability to discern issues that need to be escalated. Preferred Additional Qualifications for Position Bachelor's Degree in Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management, Business Administration. Previous experience and knowledge of wholistic HR functions or COEs. Physical Demands This role covers bargaining units in OH & KY territory. Travel expectations for labor management meetings and grievances (monthly/quarterly) or for employee investigation meetings which may be virtual or onsite. General hybrid model, but will flex since can be in office a lot of the time or field (approximately 50% travel is expected). The preceding description is not designed to be a complete list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position. As a public utility, NiSource is required to provide continuous service to customers at all times. To ensure we fulfill that obligation, employees may be required to work outside their normal work hours and perform tasks outside their normal responsibilities in support of emergency operations. Work Authorization Authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship. Equal Employment Opportunity NiSource is committed to providing equal employment opportunities in each of its companies to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, veteran status, disability, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), genetic information, citizenship status, or any protected group status as defined by law. Each employee is expected to abide by this principle. ADA Accommodations If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process or to perform the essential functions of the position, please contact OneHR at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io. Safety Statement Promote a safe work environment by actively participating in all aspects of our employee safety program. Report any unsafe conditions and take actions to prevent personal injuries. Support our interdependent safety culture by ensuring the safety of your co‑workers. Stay focused on the task at hand and promote productivity through good work habits. E-Verify NiSource participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's E-Verify program. As part of this process, we provide the following notices to all job applicants: These documents inform you of your rights and responsibilities under U.S. law. You can view or download them using the links below: Right to Work Poster (English and Spanish) Right to Work Poster (English and Spanish) Salary Range $96,600.00 - $144,900.00 Posting Start Date 2026-06-26 Posting End Date (if applicable) 2026-07-11 Please note that the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date. #J-18808-Ljbffr NiSource Inc.