Labor Relations AVP - Strategic Advisor & Change Leader

Advocate Health; Oak Brook (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health is seeking a seasoned Labor Relations Leader to act as trusted advisor to senior executives across divisions, guiding labor strategy and risk mitigation in a complex healthcare system. The role emphasizes site visits, training, and enterprise alignment with policies and compliance.

The ideal candidate will have 10+ years in HR, employee or labor relations, with experience leading multi-site teams and union-related campaigns in regulated environments. Travel up to 50% is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• 10+ years of experience in human resources, employee relations, or labor relations, including 5–7 years leading a field-based labor strategy team; 7–10 years of leadership experience preferred.
• In-depth understanding of labor relations, NLRA, and employment policies.
• Strong advisory skills to guide operations leaders on labor relations risk.
• Proficiency in delivering training programs for leaders.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills with People & Culture, Legal, and Compliance teams.
• Analytical skills to develop prevention/intervention plans using data.
• Ability to conduct site visits, listening sessions, and assessments in the field.
• Leadership skills to manage and develop a team of labor relations professionals.
• Commitment to ethical/compliance standards.

Responsibilities

• Trusted Advisor to Senior Leaders – Partner with division presidents, hospital presidents, and operations leaders to assess labor relations risk and advise on the teammate impact of business initiatives and organizational change.
• Execution Accountability – Ensure consistent execution of enterprise labor strategy while enabling appropriate local adaptation; track outcomes and refine approaches.
• Onsite Presence & Engagement – Maintain a consistent, visible presence across divisions through site visits, listening sessions, and assessments to build trust, reinforce accountability, and identify early warning signs.
• Labor Risk Prevention & Mitigation – Lead proactive strategies that strengthen direct teammate–leader relationships, reduce vulnerability to organizing activity, and sustain positive teammate relations.
• Site Assessments & Action Planning – Conduct proactive labor site assessments and partner with People & Culture Business Partners and operations leaders to develop and execute targeted action plans.
• Escalation & Response Leadership–Coordinate deployment of Labor Response Teams during escalated labor situations, petitions, or campaigns.
• Leader Training & Capability Building – Deliver on-site labor leaders and positive teammate relations training to build leadership capability and labor acumen.
• Change Management Support–Advise leaders on labor-sensitive operational and organizational changes, ensuring thoughtful execution that protects trust and engagement.
• Policy & Process Alignment – Ensure division-level labor relations practices and teammate engagement initiatives are harmonized with enterprise policies and regulatory requirements.
• Lead Team–Lead and develop labor relations professionals providing coaching, performance management, talent assessments, and succession planning.
• Ethics & Compliance – Ensure all labor relations practices adhere to the organization’s Code of Ethical Conduct, federal and state laws, and internal standards.

Skills

Labor relations expertise

Advisory skills

Leadership

Training delivery

Analytical skills

Change management

Policy compliance

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Advocate Health is seeking a seasoned Labor Relations Leader to act as trusted advisor to senior executives across divisions, guiding labor strategy and risk mitigation in a complex healthcare system. The role emphasizes site visits, training, and enterprise alignment with policies and compliance.

The ideal candidate will have 10+ years in HR, employee or labor relations, with experience leading multi-site teams and union-related campaigns in regulated environments. Travel up to 50% is expected.