Director, Labor Relations

Liberty

Kansas City (MO)

On-site

USD 90,000 - 110,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Company funded Pension program

401k with Company match

Full insurance benefits (health/dental/vision/life)

Volunteer paid days off

Job summary

A utility company is seeking a Director of Labor Relations in Kansas City. This role involves leading labor negotiations, managing grievance processes, and providing strategic guidance to executive leadership. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in labor relations and strong negotiation skills. This position offers a competitive salary and benefits, along with a collaborative work environment.

Qualifications

10+ years of progressive experience in labor relations and labor law.
Experience in complex unionized environments.
Ability to influence and collaborate at all levels of the organization.

Responsibilities

Lead strategist for collective bargaining agreements and negotiations.
Provide guidance on labor relations to executive leadership.
Manage grievance processes and arbitrations.

Skills

Labor relations expertise

Negotiation skills

Interpersonal communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree in human resources or related field

Juris Doctor (JD) preferred

Job description

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Our purpose is sustaining energy and water for life, and it is demonstrated in everything we do as a business, and as an employee team.

At Liberty, we hire passionate people who care about doing the right thing for our customers. We are entrepreneurial, creative, and outcome-focused. Here, your natural talent and achievements will flourish in an inclusive environment of teamwork, trust and continuous learning. We are always pursuing excellence to exceed our ambitions goals, rewarding both the goal outcome and how we achieve it.

Purpose

Liberty is seeking an accomplished and strategic Director of Labor Relations to lead labor relations and union negotiation efforts across our utility organization. The ideal candidate is a labor relations expert, ideally with a legal background with 10+ years of progressive experience in labor relations, labor law, and collective bargaining within complex unionized environments. This role will also make recommendations in respect of HR and labor matters, HR and labor compliance, risk mitigation, and alignment with business objectives and will work closely with Legal to obtain appropriate legal advice.

Accountabilities

Serve as the lead strategist and negotiator for collective bargaining agreements, union negotiations, and labor disputes.
Provide expert strategic guidance to executive leadership, HR, and operations on all labor relations and employment matters, and work closely with the Legal department to develop legal guidance regarding same.
Manage complex grievance processes, arbitrations, mediations, and disciplinary actions with an emphasis on risk management and compliance.
Coordination of legal support for HR-related matters, including workplace investigations, employment policy development, and regulatory compliance, in conjunction with the Legal.
Ensure consistent interpretation and administration of collective agreements across the organization.
Foster productive relationships with union leadership and internal stakeholders to support collaborative labor-management relations.
Monitor and assess changes in labor legislation, regulatory requirements, and industry trends; proactively adjust strategies to maintain compliance and competitive advantage.
Develop and deliver training to leaders and HR professionals on labor law (in conjunction with the Legal), union engagement, and effective management practices.
Partner with cross-functional teams to support business initiatives with a labor relations lens.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, labor relations or a related field
10+ years of progressive experience in labor relations, labor/employment law, or a related field, with significant experience in a unionized, industrial or utility environment.
Demonstrated leadership in complex union negotiations, contract administration, and dispute resolution.
Strong understanding of employment and labor law, collective bargaining frameworks, and regulatory compliance in the utility sector.
Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and communication skills, with a proven ability to influence and collaborate at all organizational levels.
Experience working closely with in-house legal counsel, particularly on labor and HR-related issues.
High degree of integrity, discretion, and sound judgment in handling sensitive matters.

Preferred:

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent and licensed to practice law
Prior experience in the utility, energy, or public sector.
Experience overseeing or working within an in-house legal or HR legal advisory function.

Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. is a growing renewable energy and utility company with over $15 billion of assets across North America and internationally.

For more than 30 years, Algonquin has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to delivering clean energy and water solutions. Our rapid growth has led both our regulated utility services and renewable energy business groups into different geographies and commodities, but our purpose remains unchanged – Sustaining Energy and Water for Life.

Through our operating business (Liberty), we provide regulated electricity, water, and natural gas utility services to over 1 million customer connections, primarily in North America. And, our growing portfolio of clean, renewable wind, solar, hydro and thermal power generation facilities represent over 3 GW of renewable generation capacity in operation and under construction.

With our robust, diversified, and growing presence in communities across North America and internationally, we are continually demonstrating our “Think Global, Act Local” business model.

What We Offer

Company funded Pension program

401k with Company match

Full insurance benefits (health/dental/vision/life)

Collaborative environment with a genuine flexible working policy

Share purchase/match plan

Defined Contribution savings plan

Top Talent Program

Volunteer paid days off

Employee Assistance Program

Achievement fund

We are focused on building a diverse and inclusive workforce. If you are excited about this role and are not certain you meet the all the qualification requirements, we encourage you to apply to further investigate the opportunity.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value each person’s unique background, diversity, experiences, perspectives and talents. Full participation of all employees in a safe, healthy and respectful environment is key to individual and company success. We are committed to fully utilizing the abilities of all of our employees and expect each of our employees to honor this commitment in their daily responsibilities.

Seniority level