Senior Human Resources and Labor Relations Director

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 100,000 - 122,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

KPERS retirement

Life insurance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Generous PTO

Job summary

The Bert Nash Center is seeking a Senior Human Resources and Labor Relations Director to lead HR initiatives aligned with organizational goals. This exempt, full-time role oversees HR operations and labor relations, ensuring compliance and effective management across the enterprise.

The position reports to executive leadership and collaborates with unions, management, and staff to advance a high-performing, compliant workforce in a community behavioral health setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, HR or related field.
• At least three years of progressive HR leadership experience in a similarly scoped organization.
• Demonstrated leadership, administrative, and supervisory abilities.
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws and labor regulations.
• Experience advising executive leadership and/or Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership by aligning HR initiatives with organizational goals.
• Oversee HR operations and labor relations, ensuring compliance.
• Serve as liaison with union representatives and manage CBAs.
• Lead collective bargaining negotiations and administer CBAs.
• Manage employee relations, investigations, and performance management.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws at all levels.
• Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies.
• Oversee HRIS and benefits administration support.

Skills

Strategic HR leadership

Labor relations

Employee relations

HR policy development

Coaching managers

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/HR or related field

Master’s degree in HR or related field

Tools

HRIS

Job description

Senior Human Resources and Labor Relations Director

Pay is commensurate with experience beginning at $111,000 annually.Full time, exempt, benefits eligible. Bert Nash offersexcellent benefits which include medical, dental, vision, KPERS retirement, life insurance, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing free counseling and resources, and generous PTO.

Caring. Hope. Giving back. Our mission at the Bert Nash Center as the Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) of Douglas County is to advance the health of the community through comprehensive behavioral health services responsive to evolving needs and changing environments. We accomplish this by believing in our team. Each person that works for the Bert Nash Center contributes directly to the success of our clients, organization, and community. Our values of compassion, integrity, equity and hope reflect in everything we do.

Responsibilities and Duties:

The Senior Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations provides strategic leadership by aligning human resources initiatives with organizational goals and effectively communicating priorities to management, and the Executive Team. This role oversees all aspects of human resources operations and labor relations, ensuring compliance, and supporting organizational effectiveness.

This position serves as the organization’s primary liaison with union representatives and is integral in maintaining collaborative and productive labor-management relationships, while ensuring full compliance with applicable labor laws and collective bargaining agreements.

Responsibilities include:

• Establishing the vision and functions of the Center's Human Resources Department to attract, motivate and retain a qualified and diverse workforce.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the HR team to ensure high performance and professional growth
• Serve as the primary point of contact for union communication and engagement
• Lead collective bargaining negotiations, including strategy development and execution
• Interpret and administer collective bargaining agreements (CBAs)
• Manage grievance processes, arbitrations, and dispute resolution
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws and regulations (i.e. EEO, OSHA, FMLA, COBRA, FLSA, ADA, NLRB and other employment-related statutes)
• Consulting with, and serves as coach with, all levels of the Center on Human Resources issues that affect their department(s). Providing guidance for managers and employees on employee relations issues and facilitating communication and/or problem solving among all levels of management or staff.
• Development and administration of legal and effective employee relations programs, policies and practices which ensure the fair treatment of staff.
• Oversee employee relations, including investigations, disciplinary actions, and performance management
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, procedures, and practices across the organization
• Oversee recruitment, retention, and onboarding strategies
• Partner with leadership to build management capability in employee relations and performance management
• Provide coaching and guidance to managers on complex HR and labor issues
• Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulatory requirements
• Identify and mitigate organizational risk related to employment practices and labor relations
• Oversee internal investigations and ensure appropriate documentation and outcomes
• Maintain compliance with all applicable employment laws, regulations, and accreditation standards
• Partner with executive leadership to evaluate organizational capabilities, performance, and development needs, while guiding merit and salary adjustment decisions and position design.
• Administering the Center's employee safety and health programs, worker's compensation and unemployment compensation programs.
• Providing resource information on benefits administration for the Center including health insurance, KPERS retirement and other employment benefit programs.
• Oversee the Center's HRIS.
• Assuming additional Human Resources related duties as requested by Chief Executive Officer or Chief Operations Officer.
• Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the job.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Human Resources or related field;
• At least three years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience in a position of similar scope and size of organization.
• Demonstrated leadership, administrative, and supervisory abilities
• Strong knowledge of federal and state employment laws and labor regulations
• Experience advising executive leadership and/or Board of Directors

Preferred

• Master’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field
• Professional HR certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR)
• Experience in unionized healthcare, behavioral health, or nonprofit environments
• Experience in labor relations including collective bargaining negotiations and administering CBAs;
• Ability to work independently and in cooperation with others;
• Exceptional organizational skills relative to the management of this position's priorities and in designing and implementing effective program services;
• Computer literate in software used by the Center;
• Exceptional interpersonal skills for working with a diverse workforce and community;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in all circumstances;
• Possess a commitment to interdisciplinary and community mental health center initiatives;
• A commitment to Inclusion, Equity, Diversity and Belonging; and
• An energetic and positive approach to the rapidly evolving changes and challenges of a complex workplace.