Legal Counsel and Labor Relations Manager (HEA) - 400625

CUNY Kingsborough Community College; New York (NY); On-site; USD 96,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

CUNY Kingsborough Community College is seeking a Legal Counsel and Labor Relations Manager, responsible for managing labor relations, conducting sensitive investigations, and providing legal guidance in a dynamic educational environment. This managerial role requires strong interpersonal skills and a deep understanding of relevant laws, making it ideal for candidates with significant experience in HR practices and labor relations.

Benefits

Competitive health plans

Tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study

Generous paid time off

Qualifications

• 6 years of related experience required.
• Relevant experience in HR or Labor Relations preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and present written materials.

Responsibilities

• Manage employee relations issues and investigations.
• Provide HR guidance to employees and supervisors.
• Draft disciplinary charges and prepare documentation.

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Emotional Intelligence

Discretion

Judgment

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Advanced Degree or JD

Tools

MS Office Suite

HRIS (PeopleSoft)

Job description

Legal Counsel and Labor Relations Manager (HEA) - 400625

POSITION DETAILS

Reporting to the Legal Counsel & Labor Relations Director, or Designee, the Legal Counsel and Labor Relations Manager at Kingsborough Community College will work on a broad spectrum of employee and labor relations issues and projects.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Perform confidential sensitive investigations. Serve as a primary contact for employees with regard to employee complaints/concerns; conduct employee interviews and work to resolve employee relations issues in a confidential and objective manner.
• Provide on-going guidance and support to employees/supervisors related to HR practices and procedures
• Assist the Legal Counsel and Labor Designee in developing, drafting and providing written communications to College administrators and faulty on legal- and labor-related matters
• Review and respond to subpoenas, deposition requests and requests for information from federal and state courts, and government agencies. Coordinating litigation and administrative agency requests for documentation and producing witnesses
• Assist College Counsel in gathering documentation and statistics in response to agency requests
• Work closely with College Counsel, the Chief Diversity Officer and the Title IX Officer to resolve legal matters related to faculty and staff
• Manage the Affiliation Agreement process between clinical programs and health care facilities
• Monitor and update the KCC Website as needed to ensure compliance with requirements of current legislation, as well as CUNY/KCC policies and practices.
• Establish, maintain, and manage a database for recording, tracking, and filing documents, cases, mail, and all other matters handled by the office, including confidential documents

Supervise and oversee all administrative aspects of the office and maintaining confidential documents and files

• Serve as Deputy to Legal Counsel

This position is excluded from union representation.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor's Degree and six years' related experience required.

Related advanced degree or JD strongly preferred.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Relevant experience in Human Resources or Labor Relations, preferably in a Higher Education and unionized environment
• Current knowledge of local, state and federal laws pertaining to employment policies and practices
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and present written material (investigation reports, employee resolution process responses, position statements)
• Experience working in a diverse urban setting
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing
• High degree of emotional intelligence; experience managing sensitive complex issues and employees in varying titles and job categories
• Ability to use diplomacy, discretion and confidentiality
• Excellent judgment in effectively assessing and resolving personnel situation and in advising managers/senior leadership
• Ability to prioritize and organize work, work independently, and make sound decisions
• Ability to perform electronic research on a variety of labor/legal related topics
• Proficiency in MS Office suite and working knowledge of HRIS, preferably PeopleSoft

CUNY TITLE OVERVIEW

Manages College activities related to collective bargaining agreements and general employee relations.

• Develops and provides training/guidance to departments on the discipline process and make recommendations on strategy to resolve employee problems and disputes
• Mediates employee disputes and works with union representatives and management to address labor issues and counsel supervisors on decisions
• Conducts highly confidential investigations involving employee grievances and various charges
• Drafts disciplinary charges resulting from investigations; prepares related correspondence; serve as liaison to the Labor Designee and the University
• Presents charges at Step I hearings; serves as Step I Hearing officer for employee grievances; prepares determinations; and serves as designee of the Director at Step II hearings
• Assists in the negotiation and implementation of settlement agreements
• Provides guidance on compliance with collective bargaining agreements and University policies and procedures
• Provides reports and information as needed to internal and external bodies
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Job Title Name: Legal Counsel and Labor Relations Manager

CUNY TITLE

Higher Education Associate

FLSA

Exempt

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

$96,602 - $117,805

CUNY is in the process of implementing salary schedule increases. Once implemented, salaries of eligible employees will be adjusted by 6.09% with additional increases of 3.25% effective 9/1/2025 and 3.5% effective 9/1/26, in accordance with the terms of the PSC-CUNY collective bargaining agreement.

CUNY's benefits contribute significantly to total compensation, supporting health and wellness, financial well-being, and professional development. We offer a range of health plans, competitive retirement/pension benefits and savings plans, tuition waivers for CUNY graduate study and generous paid time off. Our staff also benefits from the extensive academic, arts, and athletic programs on our campuses and the opportunity to participate in a lively, diverse academic community in one of the greatest cities in the world.

HOW TO APPLY

Visit www.cuny.edu, access the employment page, log in or create a new user account, and search for this vacancy using the Job ID 30490 or Title. Select "Apply Now" and provide the requested information.

Candidates should provide a resume and cover letter.

CLOSING DATE

July 7, 2025

JOB SEARCH CATEGORY

CUNY Job Posting: Managerial/Professional

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

CUNY encourages people with disabilities, minorities, veterans and women to apply. At CUNY, Italian Americans are also included among our protected groups. Applicants and employees will not be discriminated against on the basis of any legally protected category, including sexual orientation or gender identity. EEO/AA/Vet/Disability Employer.

Job ID

30490

Location

Kingsborough Community College