Employee & Labor Relations Specialist

Samsung SDI America Inc.; Auburn Hills (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Samsung SDI America Inc. in Auburn Hills, MI seeks an experienced labor and employee relations professional to serve as a primary contact with Headquarters, prepare reports on collective bargaining, grievances, and workforce trends, and collaborate to implement strategies.

The role supports the launch and stabilization of a new manufacturing facility, develops investigation protocols, escalation procedures, training programs, and workforce engagement strategies while navigating a joint venture

Qualifications

• Thorough knowledge of U.S. labor and employment laws, including NLRB decisions, guidance, and enforcement trends.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and resolving employee conflicts, grievances, and disciplinary matters.
• Ability to develop and implement labor and employee relations strategies for a unionized or multi-stakeholder environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact with Headquarters on labor and employee relations matters.
• Prepare timely reports and presentations regarding collective bargaining, union activity, grievances, and trends.
• Develop and implement processes, policies, investigation protocols, and training programs for workforce engagement and labor relations.

Skills

Labor relations

Investigations

Policy interpretation

Employee relations

Grievance handling

Training delivery

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Industrial and Labor Relations, Business Administration, Psychology, or related field

Job description

• Serves as one of the Company’s primary point of contact with Headquarters on labor and employee relations matters. Prepares timely reports and presentations regarding collective bargaining agreements, union activity, grievances, employee relations trends, and other workforce matters.
• Collaborates with and reports to SDIA Employee Relations Leadership to develop and implement effective labor and employee relations strategies and courses of action.
• Supports the launch and stabilization of a new manufacturing facility by developing employee and labor relations processes, workplace policies, investigation protocols, escalation procedures, training programs, and workforce engagement strategies.
• Works effectively within a joint venture environment, balancing the operational priorities, policies, governance requirements, and cultural expectations of multiple parent organizations.
• Collaborates with SDIA Employee Relations Leadership to recommend improvements to policies, procedures, and personnel practices.
• Researches and develops subject‑matter expertise regarding unions that are involved, or may become involved, with the Company. Prepares related reports, risk assessments, and presentations for Headquarters and Company leadership.
• Monitors labor‑market trends, union activities, competitor labor developments, and emerging workforce risks to provide proactive recommendations to Company leadership.
• Maintains current knowledge of emerging employee and labor relations trends, National Labor Relations Board decisions and guidance, union‑organizing developments, and changes in federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Evaluates the potential impact of new NLRB decisions, regulations, and enforcement priorities on Company policies, workplace practices, supervisory conduct, and labor relations strategy.
• Provides specialized consultation, coaching, and training on employee and labor relations matters to managers, employees, and Human Resources professionals, including guidance on performance management, corrective action, disciplinary matters, and workplace conflict.
• Conducts timely, thorough, and impartial investigations involving potential grievances, employee complaints, workplace misconduct, and policy violations.
• Identifies opportunities to remediate and prevent workplace concerns that may negatively affect morale, productivity, employee engagement, safety, or organizational performance.
• Determines, gathers, preserves, and analyzes relevant evidence and documentation necessary to evaluate policy, compliance, and workplace issues.
• Supports grievance administration and resolution, including investigation, response preparation, labor‑management discussions, and identification of appropriate corrective or preventive actions.
• Recommends process improvements that strengthen the consistency, transparency, accuracy, and efficiency of personnel processes and employee relations practices.
• Provides policy interpretation, compliance guidance, and training to minimize organizational risk and resolve workplace disputes at the lowest appropriate administrative level.
• Develops, conducts, or participates in specialized presentations and training covering operational, technical, and regulatory Human Resources topics.
• Anticipates and advises management and Human Resources leadership regarding the employee and labor relations impact of strategic and operational decisions. Recommends actions that prevent or minimize grievances, unfair labor practice charges, organizing risk, and labor disputes.
• Identifies training opportunities and develops materials for supervisors, Human Resources and Employee Relations professionals, and labor‑management committees.
• Collaborates with supervisors, Employee Relations, Environmental Health and Safety, and training committee members to support safe work practices and consistent application of workplace expectations.
• Assists with workforce readiness and plant‑launch activities, including policy implementation, supervisor training, employee onboarding, organizational communications, issue‑escalation processes, and the establishment of a positive workplace culture.
• Develops effective relationships with joint venture partners, parent‑company representatives, operational leadership, union representatives, legal counsel, and other internal and external stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as one of the Company’s primary point of contact with Headquarters on labor and employee relations matters. Prepares timely reports and presentations regarding collective bargaining agreements, union activity, grievances, employee relations trends, and other workforce matters.
• Collaborates with and reports to SDIA Employee Relations Leadership to develop and implement effective labor and employee relations strategies and courses of action.
• Supports the launch and stabilization of a new manufacturing facility by developing employee and labor relations processes, workplace policies, investigation protocols, escalation procedures, training programs, and workforce engagement strategies.
• Works effectively within a joint venture environment, balancing the operational priorities, policies, governance requirements, and cultural expectations of multiple parent organizations.
• Collaborates with SDIA Employee Relations Leadership to recommend improvements to policies, procedures, and personnel practices.
• Researches and develops subject‑matter expertise regarding unions that are involved, or may become involved, with the Company. Prepares related reports, risk assessments, and presentations for Headquarters and Company leadership.
• Monitors labor‑market trends, union activities, competitor labor developments, and emerging workforce risks to provide proactive recommendations to Company leadership.
• Maintains current knowledge of emerging employee and labor relations trends, National Labor Relations Board decisions and guidance, union‑organizing developments, and changes in federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Evaluates the potential impact of new NLRB decisions, regulations, and enforcement priorities on Company policies, workplace practices, supervisory conduct, and labor relations strategy.
• Provides specialized consultation, coaching, and training on employee and labor relations matters to managers, employees, and Human Resources professionals, including guidance on performance management, corrective action, disciplinary matters, and workplace conflict.
• Conducts timely, thorough, and impartial investigations involving potential grievances, employee complaints, workplace misconduct, and policy violations.
• Identifies opportunities to remediate and prevent workplace concerns that may negatively affect morale, productivity, employee engagement, safety, or organizational performance.
• Determines, gathers, preserves, and analyzes relevant evidence and documentation necessary to evaluate policy, compliance, and workplace issues.
• Supports grievance administration and resolution, including investigation, response preparation, labor‑management discussions, and identification of appropriate corrective or preventive actions.
• Recommends process improvements that strengthen the consistency, transparency, accuracy, and efficiency of personnel processes and employee relations practices.
• Provides policy interpretation, compliance guidance, and training to minimize organizational risk and resolve workplace disputes at the lowest appropriate administrative level.
• Develops, conducts, or participates in specialized presentations and training covering operational, technical, and regulatory Human Resources topics.
• Anticipates and advises management and Human Resources leadership regarding the employee and labor relations impact of strategic and operational decisions. Recommends actions that prevent or minimize grievances, unfair labor practice charges, organizing risk, and labor disputes.
• Identifies training opportunities and develops materials for supervisors, Human Resources and Employee Relations professionals, and labor‑management committees.
• Collaborates with supervisors, Employee Relations, Environmental Health and Safety, and training committee members to support safe work practices and consistent application of workplace expectations.
• Assists with workforce readiness and plant‑launch activities, including policy implementation, supervisor training, employee onboarding, organizational communications, issue‑escalation processes, and the establishment of a positive workplace culture.
• Develops effective relationships with joint venture partners, parent‑company representatives, operational leadership, union representatives, legal counsel, and other internal and external stakeholders.

Minimum Experience Requirements

• Four or more years of direct labor relations experience in a unionized manufacturing environment.
• Two or more years of labor relations experience involving the UAW and/or an automotive original equipment manufacturer.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing labor and employee relations strategies.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and managing and resolving employee conflicts, grievances, and disciplinary matters.
• Experience providing guidance on Human Resources policies and applicable U.S. employment and labor laws.
• Experience advising supervisors and organizational leaders on employee and labor relations risks.
• Working knowledge of current NLRB decisions, guidance, procedures, and enforcement trends.

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting the launch, ramp‑up, or stabilization of a new manufacturing plant or major manufacturing operation.
• Experience working within a joint venture, strategic partnership, or other multi‑company governance structure.
• Experience establishing employee relations policies, processes, and infrastructure in a start‑up or greenfield manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance handling, arbitration preparation, or union‑organizing response.
• Experience conducting, analyzing, and reporting employee engagement or workplace climate surveys and developing improvement plans based on the results.
• Experience working in multicultural, global, or international headquartered business environments.
• Experience presenting labor and employee relations updates to executive leadership or corporate headquarters.

Premium Skill

• Bi lingual Korean

Minimum Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Industrial and Labor Relations, Business Administration, Psychology, or a related field.

Preferred Education

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Industrial and Labor Relations, or a related field.

Certifications

• Professional in Human Resources certification—such as PHR, SPHR, SHRM‑CP, or SHRM‑SCP— a plus.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Thorough knowledge of U.S. labor and employment laws, including the National Labor Relations Act and other laws governing the employment relationship.
• Current knowledge of significant NLRB decisions, rulemaking, enforcement priorities, unfair labor practice standards, protected concerted activity, and union‑organizing developments.
• Knowledge of federal and state agencies and regulations governing employment and labor relations.
• Understanding of employee relations policies, workplace sensing methods, engagement strategies, and early‑warning indicators of workforce concerns.
• Demonstrated understanding of labor relations practices within unionized manufacturing and UAW‑represented environments.
• Ability to support a fast‑paced plant launch while building sustainable employee and labor relations processes.
• Ability to operate effectively in a joint venture environment with multiple stakeholders, governance structures, business priorities, and organizational cultures.
• Strong investigative skills, including interviewing, credibility assessment, evidence analysis, documentation, and report writing.
• Strong grievance‑handling, conflict‑resolution, mediation, and problem‑solving capabilities.
• Ability to analyze complex oral and written information quickly, accurately, and objectively and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Ability to translate legal and regulatory developments into practical guidance for supervisors, managers, and Human Resources professionals.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive‑level reports and deliver effective presentations.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with employees, union representatives, management, executive leadership, joint venture partners, and outside contacts.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to establish credibility and partnerships across organizational and cultural lines.
• Sound judgment, discretion, professionalism, and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
• Strong organizational and project‑management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a rapidly changing manufacturing environment.