Employee Labor & Relations Consultant 4 (0495U), People & Culture #89643

University of California-Berkeley; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Berkeley is seeking an experienced Employee Labor & Relations Consultant 4 to contribute to university-wide labor and employee relations. The role supports policy interpretation, contract administration, investigations, and reporting across campus regions.

Strong confidentiality and advisory skills are essential for handling complex employee matters. You will work with managers, supervisors, and HR partners to ensure compliant, fair, and effective labor relations

Qualifications

• Analytical skills to analyze data and make recommendations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for position statements, reports, and memos.
• Ability to interact with diverse stakeholders including managers, employees, and external counsel.

Responsibilities

• Labor Relations: administer CBAs, manage grievances, assist in negotiations, and draft settlements.
• Employee Relations: handle performance management, investigations, discipline, and documentation.
• Union relations: maintain positive relations with unions and campus partners.
• Communication & Administrative Duties: share risk updates, update templates, track metrics, review trends.
• Special Projects & Training: develop training and briefing materials, support litigation responses.

Skills

Analytical skills

Written communication

Stakeholder communication

Confidentiality and judgment

Job description

Job Details

Job ID: 89643.

Location: Main Campus-Berkeley.

Full/Part Time: Full Time.

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. Our culture of openness, freedom, and belonging makes it a special place for students, faculty, and staff, who are among the most talented and accomplished anywhere, including Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and MacArthur Fellows. Since our founding in 1868, we have been an engine for innovation - driving intellectual, economic, and social progress that benefits California, the U.S., and beyond. Together, we change the world.

At Berkeley, the best careers are built on a foundation of continuous learning and growth. We actively support professional development by providing all full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours of paid time per year and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups.

We invite applicants who are inspired by our Principles of Community and who are eager to be part of our exciting Strategic Plan, which charts Berkeley's next era of excellence.

Learn more about some of our accomplishments at Points of Pride.

Departmental Overview

People & Culture is valued as UC Berkeley's proactive people partner focusing on the following key priority areas:

• One HR: Bringing clarity and efficiency to HR processes and structures through cross- team collaboration and transparent communication.
• People: Using development opportunities beyond training to create deeper engagement, higher trust and better performance.
• Culture: Applying Berkeley brand to developing a shared enterprise contributor mindset among all.

If this position does not fully align with your experience level, we encourage you to explore our Employee & Labor Relations Consultant (8080U), People & Culture #89640 position on the UC Berkeley Careers website. Please note that we're hiring one position collectively from the 2 postings as only one position is available.

Position Summary

The Employee Labor & Relations Consultant 4 contributes to all areas of employee and labor relations university-wide, independently and with very limited supervision. Assigned to one of three teams within the Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) department, this position handles assigned campus regions of policy covered employees and collective bargaining agreements/represented employees.

The Employee Labor & Relations Consultant 4 interprets, explains, drafts, administers, and enforces policy and contract language. This position provides critical guidance on performance management, corrective actions, separations, and grievances, while conducting investigations and drafting detailed reports. Additionally, the Employee Labor & Relations Consultant 4 performs administrative duties, maintains metrics, and ensures the highest level of discretion and confidentiality in a fast-paced environment.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is November 13, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Labor Relations - 35%

• Manage and administer collective bargaining agreements, including such actions as the management of the grievance program, information requests, reporting, contract negotiations, union business leave, equity increases, reclassifications, parameter requests, participate in labor management meetings and the negotiation of labor disputes, draft settlement agreements, meet and confers, and union noticing.
• Provide direct services to client groups as assigned.
• Act as a resource to managers, supervisors, and employees to interpret collective bargaining agreements.
• Participate in or lead successor or accretion negotiations.

Employee Relations - 35%

• Handle all facets of employee relations, including performance management, investigations including reports, discipline, separations, reclassifications, equity increases, and resolutions to employment disputes. Provide guidance regarding layoffs, terminations, corrective action, and/or policy grievances (PPSM 70s).
• Must facilitate sound and consistent employee and labor relations decisions.
• Provide guidance regarding and/or create and maintain accurate documentation of investigations or other employment or labor matters.
• Provide direct services to client groups as assigned.
• Act as a resource to managers, supervisors, and employees to interpret policies and procedures.
• Provides advice and counsel regarding leave administration, e.g., FMLA, CFRA, and compliance with the Americans with Disability Act and the requirements under this law, e.g., the interactive process.
• Act as an objective intermediary for employees and supervisors.
• Participate in conflict resolution, problem solving, and negotiation with/between supervisors and employees.

Relations W/ Employee Unions, Campus Business Partners, Supervisors and Employees - 10%

• Establish and maintain positive and appropriate union/management and campus business partner relations.

Communication & Administrative Duties - 10%

• Provide communication of potential employment litigation and/or risks to legal counsel and obtain legal counsel on employment matters as needed.
• Advise on template and process updates.
• Track work performed to provide data for metrics and recordkeeping.
• Review trends and practices in labor/employee relations, and recommend programs that will enhance employee and labor relations at the university.
• Assess current functions and provide input to achieve unit best practices.

Special Projects & Training - 10%

• Supports team or legal counsel responses related to employment litigation and government agency charges.
• Design and deliver or co-deliver training for employees, supervisors, managers, and HR Partners pertaining to employee and labor relations and related compliance (e.g., training concerning policies, procedures, collective bargaining agreements, performance management, and/or applicable state and federal legal requirements).
• Independently, with the Directors input prepare briefing memos, instructional manuals, job aids, and tool kits.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• 5-6 years of experience equivalent to an Employee and Labor Relations Consultant performing professional level human resources work requiring use of the knowledge and abilities listed herein.
• Demonstrates analytical skills to conduct analysis and develop recommendations, organization and problem-solving skills. Demonstrated ability to write detailed, well organized, concise, emails, position statements for administrative procedures (CDR, EEOC, PERB, DLSE, PPSM 70 hearings), arbitration briefs, analytical reports, procedures, processes, performance management documents, web content and training documents.
• Knowledge of labor/employment law. Knowledge of employee and labor relations best practices and programs.
• Knowledge of the principles of advocacy in order to represent the campus in various dispute forums.
• Ability to work cooperatively and communicate effectively with all levels of the UCB community, system-wide and with outside professionals. Demonstrated interpersonal skills. Performs during high conflict situations where employees and/or representatives are exhibiting strong emotions, verbiage, and somewhat aggressive behavior such as, but not limited to handling grievances, investigations, complaints and other meetings, hearings and situations.
• Knowledge of National Labor Relations Act, California Labor Code, California Government Code, Fair Labor Standards Act, DFEH, EEOC, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, FFCRA, CFRA, ADEA, Title VII, etc., including recent developments and practices, applicability to the public sector. General knowledge of the Information Practices Act, Public Records Act or HEERA requirements for information release, creation of data for bargaining. And knowledge of other areas of human resources.
• Ability to work with a high degree of confidentiality and independent judgment, including skills to handle difficult and sensitive matters. Experience in a customer service environment.
• Strong skill and ability to communicate with a high level of professionalism, clarity, accuracy including demonstrated ability to handle difficult or volatile situations/individuals effectively.
• Skills to independently manage, organize and prioritize work to