Director of employee and labor relations

Prominent academic institution hiring a Director of Employee & Labor Relations as a contract consultant. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this role will serve as the HR liaison to the Office of the General Counsel, ADA/Accommodations expert, Employee Relations lead, Labor Relations union-management lead, and trainer for HRBPs and leadership. This is a key role for the HR team, taking the lead with labor relations strategy, mitigating risk, advising as to policy changes, and navigating complex employee relations matters. JD or MLS highly preferred - academic and union experinece highly preferred.

salary: $80 - $90 per hour
shift: First
work hours: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
education: Masters

Responsibilities

• ELR Leadership & Strategy: Provides strategic oversight for all union and non-union employee relations functions, serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and HR partners while managing a high-performing ELR team.
• Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining: Leads contract negotiations, CBA administration, grievance processes, and proactive union engagement, including managing active union relationships and response strategies for union formation.
• Compliance & ER Escalations: Oversees complex investigations and ensures adherence to federal, state, and local employment laws (Title VII, FMLA, NLRA, DC Human Rights Act).
• Training & Education: Develop and implement both in-person and recorded/system-based trainings (e.g., TAG system videos) educating managers on legal compliance and workplace communication boundaries.
• OGC Partnership: Effectively balance the relationship between HR and the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) while embedded directly within HR operations.
• Standardization & Tracking: Establish standardized templates (written/final warnings) and robust tracking mechanisms for employee relations complaints and case data.

The essential functions of this role include:

• working up to 5 hrs of overtime per week

Skills

• Labor Relations
• Employee Relations
• Union Management
• OGC Liaison
• Executive Leadership Advisor
• Labor Law Expert
• Training - Internal Managers
• ADA Accommodations Expert
• Investigations

Qualifications

• Years of experience: 15 years
• Experience level: Director

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Equal Opportunity Employer: Race, Color, Religion, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, National Origin, Age, Genetic Information, Disability, Protected Veteran Status, or any other legally protected group status.

At Randstad, we welcome people of all abilities and want to ensure that our hiring and interview process meets the needs of all applicants. If you require a reasonable accommodation to make your application or interview experience a great one, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io.

Pay offered to a successful candidate will be based on several factors including the candidate's education, work experience, work location, specific job duties, certifications, etc. In addition, Randstad offers a comprehensive benefits package, including: medical, prescription, dental, vision, AD&D, and life insurance offerings, short-term disability, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).

This posting is open for thirty (30) days.