Associate Vice President Labor Relations

Advocate Health Care; Oak Brook (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health Care is seeking a Labor Relations Leader in Oak Brook, IL. This role focuses on partnering with senior leaders, executing labor strategies, and developing labor relations professionals. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in labor relations, familiarity with employment law, and strong advisory skills. Responsibilities include risk assessment, training leaders, and managing site assessments. The position requires travel and offers a collaborative work environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in human resources, employee relations, or labor relations.
• 5–7 years leading a field-based labor strategy team.
• Experience in healthcare or regulated industries preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assess labor relations risk and advise senior leaders.
• Ensure execution of labor strategy across divisions.
• Coordinate deployment of Labor Response Teams.

Skills

Understanding of labor relations

Advisory skills

Communication and collaboration

Analytical skills

Leadership abilities

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Master's degree in human resources preferred

Job description

Major Responsibilities

• Trusted Advisor to Senior Leaders – Partner with division presidents, hospital presidents, and operations leaders to assess labor relations risk and advise on the teammate impact of business initiatives and organizational change.
• Execution Accountability – Ensure consistent execution of enterprise labor strategy while enabling appropriate local adaptation; track outcomes and refine approaches.
• Onsite Presence & Engagement – Maintain a consistent, visible presence across divisions through site visits, listening sessions, and assessments to build trust, reinforce accountability, and identify early warning signs.
• Labor Risk Prevention & Mitigation – Lead proactive strategies that strengthen direct teammate–leader relationships, reduce vulnerability to organizing activity, and sustain positive teammate relations.
• Site Assessments & Action Planning – Conduct proactive labor site assessments and partner with People & Culture Business Partners and operations leaders to develop and execute targeted action plans.
• Escalation & Response Leadership – Coordinate deployment of Labor Response Teams during escalated labor situations, petitions, or campaigns.
• Leader Training & Capability Building – Deliver on-site labor leaders and positive teammate relations training to build leadership capability and labor acumen.
• Change Management Support – Advise leaders on labor-sensitive operational and organizational changes, ensuring thoughtful execution that protects trust and engagement.
• Policy & Process Alignment – Ensure division-level labor relations practices and teammate engagement initiatives are harmonized with enterprise policies and regulatory requirements.
• Lead Team – Lead and develop labor relations professionals providing coaching, performance management, talent assessments, and succession planning.
• Ethics & Compliance – Ensure all labor relations practices adhere to the organization’s Code of Ethical Conduct, federal and state laws, and internal standards.

Minimum Job Requirements

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

Certification / Registration / License

None required.

Experience

10+ years of experience in human resources, employee relations, or labor relations, including 5–7 years of experience leading a field-based labor strategy team; 7–10 years of leadership experience preferred.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• In-depth understanding of labor relations and positive employee relations.
• Familiarity with employment law, NLRA requirements, and organizational policies.
• Knowledge of risk identification and analytics related to labor relations.
• Strong advisory skills to guide operations leaders on labor relations risk.
• Proficiency in delivering training programs for leaders.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills to work with People & Culture, Legal, and Compliance teams.
• Analytical skills to utilize data to develop prevention and intervention plans.
• Ability to implement proactive strategies to strengthen teammate–leader relationships.
• Capability to conduct site visits, listening sessions, and assessments in the field.
• Strong leadership abilities to manage and develop a team of labor relations professionals.
• Ability to ensure adherence to ethical and compliance standards.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Willingness and ability to travel 50% of the time across divisions.

Preferred Job Requirements

Education

Master’s degree in human resources or related field preferred.

Certification / Registration / License

None specified.

Experience

• Proven experience leading pre/post-petition union campaigns.
• Experience in healthcare or similarly complex, regulated industries strongly preferred.
• Experience leading labor relations strategy in a large, multi-site organization.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Advanced labor relations strategy expertise.

All responsibilities and requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.