Associate Director, Employee Relations

Northampton Community College; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition waiver

Retirement plan

Paid time off

Job summary

Northampton Community College seeks an Associate Director, Employee Relations to foster a positive, compliant work environment for NCC faculty, staff and administration.

You will serve as the primary HR contact for labor relations, investigate workplace concerns, mediate conflicts, and advise on policies to ensure compliance with laws and collective bargaining agreements. Strong union environment experience and Workday skills are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business or related field; Master’s preferred.
• PHR or SHRM-CP certification preferred.
• 5+ years in HR, employee or labor relations in a unionized setting.
• Experience with Workday and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary HR contact for labor relations and employee concerns.
• Investigate complaints, mediate conflicts, act as Level 1 grievance officer.
• Advise on policies, performance management and compliance with labor laws.
• Interpret and implement policies and handle labor contracts.

Skills

Planning

Communication

Conflict resolution

Collaboration

Policy interpretation

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field

Master’s degree preferred

PHR or SHRM-CP certification

Tools

Workday

Microsoft Office

Job description

The staff and faculty of Northampton Community College share a single goal: to help students transform their lives through education. It's a goal that reaps rewards thousands of times over the course of a career. Employees at Northampton receive competitive compensation and an array of benefits while working on campuses located in a region with a very high quality of life.We invite you to consider applying for one of our currently available positions. For more information on the College, please visit www.northampton.edu. For more information on life in the Lehigh Valley, please visit https://www.northampton.edu/human-resources/life-in-the-area.htm.NCC is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the college community and the curriculum. Candidates who can contribute to that goal are encouraged to identify their strengths or experiences in this area.***Associate Director, Employee Relations~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~This posting will close on:11/13/2026**No further applications will be accepted on or after this date**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Primary Function:The purpose of this position is to foster a positive, productive, and compliant work environment for NCC faculty, staff and administration. Act as first point of contact to resolve employee conflicts, conduct investigations into complaints and allegations of misconduct, handle grievances, advise on policies, and ensure compliance with labor laws and NCC’s collective bargaining agreements. Consult with management staff in order to address employee relations issues and resolve them at the earliest opportunity.Responsibilities:Serve as primary HR contact for employees and supervisors on labor and employee relations questions and concerns.Investigate workplace complaints and concerns, mediate conflicts, and function as the Level one grievance officer for labor contracts and as a Title IX Deputy investigator for employee related complaints.Advise administrators, faculty and staff on multiple human resources topics including employee and labor relations, performance management, and human resources compliance.Assist with fostering a positive and productive work environment while balancing the needs of the workforce with operational and legal requirements.Address and resolve workplace issues, promoting a positive work environment while ensuring compliance with labor laws and regulations.Provide guidance to supervisors about procedures for employee coaching and counseling, performance evaluations, the development of performance programs and disciplinary procedures.Interpret and implement HR policies, procedures and federal/state employment laws to ensure compliance.Maintain knowledge of a wide variety of complex federal/state employment laws, College policies, procedures and collective bargaining agreements.Qualifications:Education: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field. Master’s degree preferred. Professional Certification in Human Resources such as PHR or SHRM-CP. Skills, Knowledge, Abilities: Excellent planning, organizing, communication, collaboration and conflict resolution skills. Ability to engage effectively at all levels of the organization. Thorough knowledge of and experience with applicable Federal and State employment laws. Ability to maintain high level of confidentiality. Experience: Minimum of 5 years’ Human Resources experience handling employee relations or labor relations, preferably in a Unionized Higher Education environment. Experience developing performance improvement and development plans. Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite required. Workday experience preferred.Benefits SnapshotThe College offers a generous benefits package to full-time employees. Just a few highlights of the benefits package include comprehensive medical plan options for you and your family (plus dental and vision), a College retirement contribution of 8% of your salary upon hire, NCC tuition waiver and an abundance of time off – up to 25 days’ vacation/floating, 10 sick days, Four (4) day workweeks during Summer, Holidays (including a week+ break between Christmas and New Year’s) – among other things! Please visit https://www.northampton.edu/about/working-at-ncc/employee-benefits/index.html for more details on the full array of benefits.