Human Resources & Labor Relations Director

SSM Health; Madison (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison is seeking a Senior Human Resources & Labor Relations Director to lead union strategy, labor negotiations, and workforce risk management.

This salaried, onsite role partners with leaders to sustain compliant, collaborative labor relations across large teams. The position requires a Bachelor’s degree and extensive labor relations experience, with the ability to advise executives and manage complex CBAs.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of Labor Relations experience
• Experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements, including successfully negotiating a new union contract
• Strong knowledge of collective bargaining, union negotiations, and bargaining strategy
• Experience with contract administration and interpretation of CBAs
• Experience managing grievances, arbitration, and labor disputes
• Knowledge of the NLRA and other applicable labor laws
• Experience advising leaders on union organizing activity, union rights, and unfair labor practice risks
• Ability to build and maintain effective labor-management and union relationships
• Experience partnering with legal counsel on complex labor relations matters
• Experience with strike preparedness and labor disruption planning
• Ability to analyze labor trends, grievances, arbitration outcomes, labor costs, and contract disputes
• Experience training and advising HR Business Partners and leaders on labor relations matters
• Strong negotiation, communication, relationship-building, and conflict-resolution skills
• Ability to develop proactive employee and labor relations strategies that reduce conflict and support a positive workplace culture

Responsibilities

• Recommends and implements approved labor relations strategy, including union engagement, avoidance strategies (where applicable), and contract lifecycle management in assigned functional areas, and enterprise wide as requested.
• Advises leadership on labor risks, workforce trends, and strategic implications impacting operations, cost, and employee engagement.
• Assists with the design, planning and implementation of human resources programs and policies to achieve the strategic business plans. Researches, identifies, and interprets current and emerging employee and labor relations issues, trends, and opportunities.
• Directs and leads labor negotiators during the collective bargaining process at assigned functional areas; develops and implements approved collective bargaining parameters, guidelines, and procedures on behalf of the organization.
• Maintains relationships with union representatives and serves as escalation point for complex issues.
• Provides assistance, advisement and guidance to employees; provides or coordinates provision of a range of work‑related dispute resolution services as required, to include mediation, conciliation, negotiation, and/or formal arbitration. Ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Advises on performance management, corrective action, and terminations in unionized environments. Interprets and provides advice and guidance regarding the terms of the collective bargaining agreements to ensure system‑wide administrative compliance.
• Contributes to the designs and standardization of labor relations programs, policies, and procedures to ensure consistent system‑wide application. Provides individual and group advice, guidance, professional support to Human Resources staff and others with respect to interpretation and application of employee relations and associated policies, practices, and procedures.
• Assists with the development and implementation of Human Resources initiatives, including activities needed to automate and streamline processes to ensure operational excellence, high reliability and continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Labor relations

Collective bargaining

Arbitration

CBA interpretation

Labor law (NLRA)

Labor strategy

Negotiation

Conflict resolution

Employee relations

Leadership guidance

Legal counsel collaboration

Union relations

Strike preparedness

Labor trend analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

It's more than a career, it's a calling.

WI-SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison

Worker Type:

Regular

Job Highlights:

Join a team where your work matters—every moment, every patient, every community. At SSM Health, you’ll be empowered to grow, supported to thrive, and inspired to make a lasting impact.

Human Resources & Labor Relations Director

you’ll provide strategic HR leadership, strengthen employee and labor relations, and partner with leaders to foster an engaged, collaborative workplace. Bring your expertise in labor relations, HR strategy, and relationship‑building to help shape an exceptional employee experience.

This role is salaried and will be fully onsite

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3+ years of Labor Relations experience
• Experience negotiating collective bargaining agreements, including successfully negotiating a new union contract
• Strong knowledge of collective bargaining, union negotiations, and bargaining strategy
• Experience with contract administration and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs)
• Experience managing grievances, arbitration, and labor disputes
• Knowledge of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and other applicable labor laws
• Experience advising leaders on union organizing activity, union rights, and unfair labor practice risks
• Ability to build and maintain effective labor‑management and union relationships
• Experience partnering with legal counsel on complex labor relations matters
• Experience with strike preparedness and labor disruption planning
• Ability to analyze labor trends, grievances, arbitration outcomes, labor costs, and contract disputes
• Experience training and advising HR Business Partners and leaders on labor relations matters
• Strong negotiation, communication, relationship‑building, and conflict‑resolution skills
• Ability to develop proactive employee and labor relations strategies that reduce conflict and support a positive workplace culture

Job Summary:

Leads and manages the operational activities of one or more Human Resources functional areas, with a focus on labor relations, team member engagement and leader education. Serves as the subject matter expert for union strategy, compliance, and workforce risk mitigation, while partnering with leaders to align practices with organization goals, operational stability.

Job Responsibilities and Requirements:

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Recommends and implements approved labor relations strategy, including union engagement, avoidance strategies (where applicable), and contract lifecycle management in assigned functional areas, and enterprise wide as requested.
• Advises leadership on labor risks, workforce trends, and strategic implications impacting operations, cost, and employee engagement.
• Assists with the design, planning and implementation of human resources programs and policies to achieve the strategic business plans. Researches, identifies, and interprets current and emerging employee and labor relations issues, trends, and opportunities.
• Directs and leads labor negotiators during the collective bargaining process at assigned functional areas; develops and implements approved collective bargaining parameters, guidelines, and procedures on behalf of the organization.
• Maintains relationships with union representatives and serves as escalation point for complex issues.
• Provides assistance, advisement and guidance to employees; provides or coordinates provision of a range of work‑related dispute resolution services as required, to include mediation, conciliation, negotiation, and/or formal arbitration. Ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Advises on performance management, corrective action, and terminations in unionized environments. Interprets and provides advice and guidance regarding the terms of the collective bargaining agreements to ensure system‑wide administrative compliance.
• Contributes to the designs and standardization of labor relations programs, policies, and procedures to ensure consistent system‑wide application. Provides individual and group advice, guidance, professional support to Human Resources staff and others with respect to interpretation and application of employee relations and associated policies, practices, and procedures.
• Assists with the development and implementation of Human Resources initiatives, including activities needed to automate and streamline processes to ensure operational excellence, high reliability and continuous improvement.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree

EXPERIENCE

• 7 years’ experience

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Frequent lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 0-25 lbs.
• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, reaching and repetitive foot/leg and hand/arm movements.
• Frequent use of vision and depth perception for distances near (20 inches or less) and far (20 feet or more) and to identify and distinguish colors.
• Frequent use of hearing and speech to share information through oral communication. Ability to hear alarms, malfunctioning machinery, etc.
• Frequent keyboard use/data entry.
• Occasional bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, twisting and gripping.
• Occasional lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 25-50 lbs.
• Rare climbing.

REQUIRED PROFESSIONAL LICENSE AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS

• None

Department:

8711010033 Human Resources-WI

Work Shift:

Day Shift (United States of America)

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

SSM Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SSM Health provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Read our notice of non-discrimination (https://www.ssmhealth.com/privacy-notices-terms-of-use/non-discrimination?_ga=2.205881493.704955970.1667719643-240470506.1667719643)