Director of Labor Relations

The Office of People & Talent:

The Office of People and Talent at Holyoke Community College is dedicated to fostering a workplace environment that is people-centric, supportive, and empowering for all employees. This office plays a crucial role in attracting, developing, and retaining talented individuals who share HCC's commitment to equity, innovation, and excellence in education. By providing comprehensive resources in recruitment, professional development, and employee relations, the Office of People and Talent ensures that the college thrives as a community of dedicated and diverse professionals. The office prides itself working collaboratively with departments to align staffing strategies with institutional goals, while promoting a culture of kindness, inclusion, trust, collaboration, and innovation, which is how we influence employees' well-being. Our efforts directly contribute to creating a vibrant and engaged workforce that is prepared to support the mission and vision of HCC, creating what we believe as "administrative joy."

Additionally, the Office of People and Talent provides a range of programs and resources to support both employees and prospective candidates, all available on the college's website. These resources include information on employee benefits, training and professional development, labor and employee relations, contracts, travel reimbursement, self-service systems, departmental organization, policies and procedures, and other helpful guides for full-time and part-time faculty and staff.

Purpose:

The Director of Labor Relations will serve as a vital member of the Office of People and Talent, providing expert guidance and ensuring the college's compliance, while actively contributing to the mission and objectives of both the Office and the college community.

Summary:

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of People and Talent, the Director of Labor Relations will manage Holyoke Community College’s (HCC) labor relations program, including contract administration, grievance resolution, and fostering positive relations with the labor unions. This critical role is responsible for handling all labor relation issues across the college and requires a broad understanding of labor laws, grievance resolution, negotiating, and arbitration. This position involves strategic planning and ensuring compliance with labor laws and regulations. The Director implements and evaluates the college's labor relations workplace agreements, policies and procedures. The Director will serve as an advisor to HCC management on complex labor issues and deliver positive outcomes while maintaining effective and productive working relationships with all people involved.

• Serves as labor relations subject matter expert and provides advice and recommendation across HCC to address and resolve complex labor relations matters in a timely manner.
• Directs and supports campus leaders regarding the administration and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, ensuring compliance with terms and conditions.
• Serves as a subject matter expert in all union contract agreements and negotiations on American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and Massachusetts Community College Council (MCCC).
• Manages all grievance (AFSCME, MCCC, and Non-unit Professionals) processes, including conducting fact findings, facilitating grievance hearings, rendering decisions, supporting timely appropriate resolution of labor disputes, and working with leadership/management and union officials to resolve issues in a timely manner while mitigating risk to the college.
• Collaborates with the Training Specialist on developing and implementing labor relations strategies to management in order to ensure that managers and supervisors have guidance on labor relations issues, contract administration, and effectively managing relations with union representatives.
• Serves as a member of the collective bargaining team during negotiations, including working with the Assistant Vice President of People and Talent to develop negotiating strategy, preparing proposals, supporting negotiations in collaboration with Legal, Human Resources, and the college operations.
• Handles special human resources projects that are assigned by the Assistant Vice President of People and Talent.
• Analyzes labor relations data, trends, and metrics to provide insights and recommendations to management. Prepare reports and presentations as needed.
• Collaborates with the human resources professionals (Benefits Administration, Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, People and Talent Analytics) to ensure that matters specific to HCC employees are clearly understood and taken into account with labor relations.
• Attends the human resources state meetings on a weekly/monthly basis.
• Other duties as assigned or requested.

REQUIRED:

• Master’s Degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Business Administration or related field.
• Labor Relations and Arbitration knowledge is required.
• 3-5 years of experience in labor relations, including significant experience in collective bargaining, contract administration, and counseling management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft and other Human Resources software.
• Ability to multitask and work independently on projects.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse group and population.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT: We welcome and encourage applicants who do not meet the qualifications as stated below, to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them for the responsibilities of this position. It is preferred that this document be uploaded separately from the resume, cover letter, and references.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Previous experience in a higher education environment.
• Specialized experienced in handling grievances, negotiations, employment law, and employee relations.
• Bilingual.

Full-time, Non-Unit Professional position

Salary Range: $85,599.66 - $92,655.79/year (Grade 7) plus a comprehensive State benefits package

Hours: 37.5 hrs./week

Funding Source: State