Employee Relations / Labor Relations Program Manager (Remote)

MUST HAVE's { Please make sure these appear in every company description on the resume! }

• 7 + years as a Program and Project Manager with in ER / LR working on process optimization, implementing new processes, building playbooks and other flipbooks and visuals for companies to adopt. "Process Adoption" etc
• 7+ years of experience in { ER/LR } Employee Relations and Labor Relations including discipline, performance management, and investigations
• 7+ years experience converting core ER/LR workflows into practical playbooks, decision tools, templates, and training manuals that leaders and HR partners can execute
• 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.
• Experience integrating ER/LR workflows into case management or HR technology environments.
• Experience building ER/LR dashboards or scorecards for throughput, outcomes, and adoption.
• Strong project or program management experience delivering cross-functional operational improvements AND strong stakeholder management experience.

• This person can come from being a Consultant at one of the Big Top 10 consulting Firms in the country OR come from Starbucks or Adobe, or Healthcare of Tech sectors

Full Job Description ---

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