AVP, Labor Relations - Field Strategy Leader

Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital; Oak Brook (IL); On-site; USD 132,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health seeks a senior Labor Relations leader to partner with executive leadership across divisions, assessing risk and advising on the impact of business initiatives on teammates.

The role requires directing enterprise labor strategy with local adaptation, maintaining a visible onsite presence, and guiding teams through change while ensuring compliance with policies and laws. 50% travel and 40-hour weeks are typical.

Qualifications

• 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.

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.

Skills

Labor relations knowledge

Employment law

Risk analytics

Advisory skills

Training delivery

Communication

Analytical skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Advocate Health seeks a senior Labor Relations leader to partner with executive leadership across divisions, assessing risk and advising on the impact of business initiatives on teammates.

The role requires directing enterprise labor strategy with local adaptation, maintaining a visible onsite presence, and guiding teams through change while ensuring compliance with policies and laws. 50% travel and 40-hour weeks are typical.