Employee Relations / Labor Relations Program Manager

Job Title: Employee Relations / Labor Relations Program Manager
Location: Remote

JOB DESCRIPTION

AgreeYa is a global Systems Integrator and is seeking an experienced, Employee Relations / Labor Relations Program Manager to join our growing team.

Role Overview

The Employee Relations / Labor Relations (ER/LR) Program Manager designs, standardizes, and implements a scalable ER/LR operating system. This role converts core ER/LR workflows into practical playbooks, decision tools, templates, and training that leaders and HR partners can execute consistently. The program manager drives implementation, adoption, and continuous improvement across key ER/LR workstreams, including investigations, performance management and corrective action, reductions in force, effects bargaining, grievance response, and negotiation preparation.

This is not a policy-only role. This is a builder and implementer who can run cross-functional programs, streamline execution, and improve capacity through clear standards and repeatable process design.

Primary Objectives

• Standardize ER/LR execution through clear playbooks and workflows that reduce variation, rework, and risk.
• Improve speed and quality of outcomes by simplifying steps, clarifying ownership, and embedding decision logic.
• Increase capacity by creating leader-ready tools and scalable documentation standards.
• Drive adoption through training, change management, and governance.

Key Responsibilities

1) Assess Current State and Build a Delivery Roadmap

• Inventory existing ER/LR processes, templates, and tools through structured stakeholder intake.
• Identify inconsistencies, bottlenecks, duplicated steps, documentation gaps, and risk exposure points.
• Create a prioritized roadmap based on volume, risk, cycle time, and business impact.

2) Design Standardized ER/LR Playbooks and Processes

• Convert priority workflows into standardized playbooks with step-by-step runbooks, process maps, and decision trees.
• Define escalation criteria, required documentation standards, and practical quality checks that improve defensibility and consistency.
• Establish role clarity and handoffs using a RACI model (Leader, HRBP, ER, LR, Legal) and clear SLAs where applicable.
• Create tools leaders will use in real time, including templates, scripts, checklists, meeting agendas, and documentation guides.
• Ensure playbooks reflect labor relations considerations when applicable (CBA obligations, grievance pathways, effects bargaining triggers, past practice risk, and readiness for information requests).

3) Implement and Drive Cross-Functional Execution

• Own the end-to-end program plan including milestones, dependencies, stakeholder mapping, risk log, and decision log.
• Facilitate working sessions, drive action tracking, and remove blockers across HR, Legal, Operations, and other partners.
• Operationalize workflows with clear handoffs and escalation pathways so execution is repeatable and consistent.

4) Change Management, Training, and Adoption

• Develop and execute rollout plans for each playbook, including communications and stakeholder enablement.
• Create leader and HR training materials such as quick guides, job aids, FAQs, and scenario based exercises.
• Facilitate training sessions and office hours to reinforce adoption and troubleshoot issues.
• Establish a feedback loop to refine tools based on usage and stakeholder input.

5) Measurement, Governance, and Continuous Improvement

• Define and implement success measures such as cycle time, rework rates, escalation trends, and documentation quality.
• Build a QA framework for high-risk workflows, especially investigations and discipline.
• Establish governance for playbooks and templates including ownership, approval workflow, version control, update cadence, and retirement rules.
• Scope Examples (Priority Workstreams)

Depending on business need and sequencing, scope may include:

• Workplace Investigations: intake triage, scope definition, evidence handling, credibility assessment, and report standards
• Performance Management and Corrective Action: coaching-to-documentation standards, decision logic, and escalation criteria
• Reductions in Force: planning, documentation guardrails, approvals, and communications sequencing
• Effects Bargaining: trigger analysis, notice strategy, preparation, documentation, and implementation sequencing
• Negotiations Support: proposal development, costing inputs, issue logs, meeting governance, and stakeholder alignment
• Grievance response documentation and process standards (as applicable)

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in Employee Relations and/or Labor Relations (or equivalent), including discipline, performance management, and investigations.
• Demonstrated experience building standardized processes and playbooks that drive execution consistency.
• Strong project or program management experience delivering cross-functional operational improvements.
• Working knowledge of labor relations fundamentals, including sensitivity to union environments, grievance processes, effects bargaining concepts, and negotiation preparation.
• Excellent writing, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong judgment and risk orientation; ability to build processes that are both practical and legally defensible.
• High confidentiality and discretion with sensitive employee information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in multi-state environments with complex compliance considerations.
• Experience integrating ER/LR workflows into case management or HR technology environments.
• Experience building ER/LR dashboards or scorecards for throughput, outcomes, and adoption.
• Formal investigations training or demonstrated expertise in investigative standards and report writing.

Core Competencies

• Builder mindset: creates structure from ambiguity and delivers usable work products.
• Operational rigor: clear plans, tight follow-through, pragmatic simplification.
• Influence without authority: aligns cross-functional partners and leaders.
• Practical risk management: embeds guardrails without creating bureaucracy.
• Change leadership: drives adoption, not just documentation.

Deliverables (Work Product Expectations)

• ER/LR process inventory and prioritized roadmap.
• Playbook packets for priority workflows, each including runbook, process map, decision tree, RACI, escalation criteria, SLAs, templates and checklists, and a leader quick guide.
• Implementation toolkit including rollout plan, training materials, communications, office hours plan, and adoption measures.
• Governance model including owners, version control, update cadence, and change control process.
• Metrics framework including definitions and recommendations for tracking outcomes and adoption.