Labor & Employee Relations Manager

Mid-South Transportation Management, Inc.; Memphis (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) seeks an experienced Labor & Employee Relations Manager to lead the day-to-day administration of labor and employee relations, reporting directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer. This role will serve as a trusted advisor to leaders across the organization.

The ideal candidate has extensive unionized-environment experience, CBA administration expertise, and demonstrated skill in investigations and complex employee relations matters, requiring sound

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Minimum 7 years of HR, employee relations, and/or labor relations experience.
• Significant unionized environment experience and CBA administration required.
• Experience handling grievances, discipline, investigations, and complex HR matters.
• Strong knowledge of labor laws and employee relations practices.
• Excellent communication, conflict management, and problem-solving skills.
• Discretion with sensitive information and sound judgment.

Responsibilities

• Administer and interpret collective bargaining agreements and advise management on contracts and labor rules.
• Serve as HR liaison with union representatives to foster labor-management relationships.
• Manage grievance process from investigation to management responses and timelines.
• Support labor negotiations with research, data analysis, and documentation.
• Coordinate labor-management meetings and ensure proper follow-up.
• Lead investigations for bargaining-unit and non-bargaining-unit employees.
• Advise on employee relations matters, disciplinary actions, and policy interpretation.
• Review actions for consistency with CBAs and organizational policies.
• Coach leaders on labor relations practices and documentation.
• Analyze trends in grievances and investigations to identify risks and improvements.

Skills

Labor relations expertise

Investigations

Grievance handling

Disciplinary actions

Written & verbal communication

Confidentiality

Relationship management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR / Labor Relations / IR / related field

Job description

EFFECTIVE DATE: September 2026

FLSA: Exempt

JOB TITLE: Labor & Employee Relations Manager

DEPARTMENT: Human Resources

REPORTS TO: Chief Human Resources Officer

The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) is seeking an experienced Labor & Employee Relations Manager to join its Human Resources leadership team. Reporting directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer, this position will lead the day-to-day administration of MATA’s labor and employee relations function and serve as a trusted advisor to leaders across the organization.

The ideal candidate brings significant experience working in a unionized environment, strong knowledge of collective bargaining agreement administration, and demonstrated expertise in workplace investigations and complex employee relations matters. This role requires someone who can navigate challenging workplace issues with sound judgment, credibility, objectivity, and professionalism while building productive relationships with leaders, employees, and union representatives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Administer and interpret collective bargaining agreements and advise management regarding contract provisions, past practices, work rules, and labor relations matters.
• Serve as a primary Human Resources liaison with union representatives and help foster effective labor-management relationships.
• Manage the grievance process, including investigation, research, preparation of management responses, grievance meetings, and monitoring contractual timelines.
• Serve as a key member of MATA’s collective bargaining team and support preparation for and conduct of labor negotiations, including research, data analysis, proposal development, bargaining documentation, and preparation of management proposals and counterproposals.
• Coordinate labor-management meetings and ensure appropriate preparation, documentation, and follow-up.
• Lead timely, thorough, objective, and well-documented workplace investigations involving bargaining-unit and non-bargaining-unit employees.
• Advise managers and supervisors regarding employee relations matters, disciplinary actions, workplace conduct, attendance, policy interpretation, and appropriate documentation.
• Review significant disciplinary and employment actions for consistency with collective bargaining agreements, organizational policies, established practices, and principles of progressive discipline.
• Coach and train leaders on labor and employee relations practices, grievance handling, investigations, documentation, progressive discipline, and contract administration.
• Maintain effective case management processes and analyze grievances, investigations, disciplinary actions, and other labor and employee relations activity to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with the CHRO, Legal, Compliance, Operations, and other stakeholders on complex or high-risk labor and employee relations matters.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Industrial Relations, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field required. A combination of relevant education and substantial directly related experience may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible Human Resources, employee relations, and/or labor relations experience.
• Significant experience working in a unionized environment and administering collective bargaining agreements is required.
• Demonstrated experience handling grievances, employee discipline, workplace investigations, and complex employee relations matters is required.
• Strong knowledge of labor and employment laws and employee relations practices.
• Strong investigative, analytical, written and verbal communication, conflict management, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and complex matters with confidentiality, professionalism, objectivity, and sound judgment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience participating in or directly supporting collective bargaining negotiations.
• Experience in public transportation, the public sector, government, or another highly regulated and unionized environment is preferred.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or other Human Resources or labor relations certification preferred.

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for a collaborative, experienced labor and employee relations professional who can balance strong relationships with accountability, approach complex issues objectively, and provide leaders with practical and credible guidance. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating in a dynamic environment, managing multiple priorities, and helping strengthen labor and employee relations practices across the organization.