Labor Relations Manager

City of Richmond, Virginia; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Virginia Retirement System

Language Incentive

Referral Bonus

Tuition Assistance Program

Job summary

The City of Richmond is seeking a strategic Labor Relations Manager to lead labor-management relations, contract administration, and bargaining across multiple city unions. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Human Resources, this role emphasizes analytical rigor, policy interpretation, and compliance with federal, state, and Virginia public-sector labor laws.

The position requires experience in collective bargaining and case management, with the ability to negotiate, draft proposals, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required; master’s preferred.
• 5–7 years of labor relations or HR experience in a unionized environment.
• Experience with multiple bargaining units and contract interpretation.
• Strong knowledge of public-sector labor laws and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Oversee collective bargaining, contract administration, and dispute resolution.
• Represent the city in employer-union relations and negotiations.
• Develop bargaining strategies and prepare proposals.
• Analyze proposals and craft alternatives for both parties.
• Ensure timely case management and reporting to leadership.

Skills

Labor law knowledge

Collective bargaining

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Policy interpretation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Public Administration, Labor Relations, Business Administration, or related field

Master’s degree in Public Administration, Labor Relations or related field preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y ? R espect. E quity. A ccountability. D iversity… YOU !!!

About

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• T uition Assistance Program

Description

The City of Richmond is seeking a strategic and analytical Labor Relations Manager to support labor-management relations and collective bargaining administration. Reporting to the Deputy Director of Human Resources or designee, this position plays a critical role in contract administration, grievance resolution, labor negotiations support, analytics, policy interpretation, and compliance with applicable federal, state, and Virginia public-sector labor laws. The City of Richmond has five (5) recognized bargaining units. This is a high-visibility role requiring sound judgment, discretion, analytical rigor, a proactive approach, and the ability to navigate complex labor environments in a municipal setting.

Duties include but are not limited to

• Oversee collective bargaining, contract administration, and alternative dispute resolution resulting in a coordinated and effective approach
• Proactively participate as a key representative in the employer-union relationship to ensure effective relations and achievement of business objectives and partner with the HR organization to ensure awareness of employee investigations/labor relations issues.
• Negotiate collective bargaining/employee agreements with assigned employee groups.
• Develop and maintain a collaborative relationship with bargaining unit and other group representatives.
• Develop bargaining strategies and prepare proposals.
• Analyze impact of proposals and develops alternative proposals that work for both parties.
• Achieve tentative agreements within established parameters and prepares agreements for leadership approval.
• Create and implement organized system of case management and ensures all cases are completed in a timely manner.
• Perform ongoing assessment of City labor relations positions and agreements and prepares reports.
• Provide recommendations and support for management decision-making processes.
• Recommend improvements to labor relations and contract negotiations.
• Compliance with federal and state regulations, laws regarding labor relations and human resources.
• Recognize potential employee relations issues and take or recommend necessary corrective action.
• Collaboratively integrate approaches, outcomes, deliverables, and solutions with partners in HR, Legal, and Finance

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Public Administration, Labor Relations, Business Administration, or a closely related field
• Five to seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in labor relations, employee relations, or human resources within a unionized environment
• Experience supporting multiple bargaining units is preferred, as is prior supervisory or management experience.
• An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong working knowledge of public-sector labor relations—preferably within the Commonwealth of Virginia—and the ability to interpret and administer complex collective bargaining agreements with precision and sound judgment.
• A master’s degree in Public Administration, Labor Relations, or a related field is preferred, as is experience supporting police, fire, public works, or general government bargaining units.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Considerable knowledge of labor law
• Collective bargaining strategies and processes
• Labor relations issues in local governmental agencies with multiple unions
• Strong analytical capabilities, including experience with financial costing and impact analysis related to labor agreements and personnel matters
• Experience with collective bargaining agreements to include drafting, negotiating and interpreting agreements and leading efforts on compliance and enforcement
• Work effectively with individuals and groups regarding sensitive or controversial issues
• Strength in negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and leadership, supervisory, conflict resolution, ethics, problem-solving, strategic thinking, leadership, and cultural competency.
• Thorough knowledge of labor relations practices and legal requirements
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills are essential, as is the ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven and politically sensitive environment
• Proven ability working with all levels of City leadership required
• Collaborative team player
• Advanced Microsoft Office experience, including virtual team platforms for meetings, shared team documents, and instant messaging communications.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at [e-mail].

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

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