• DIRECTOR / EMPLOYEE & LABOR RELATIONS
  • Central Michigan University

Position Information

  • DIRECTOR / EMPLOYEE & LABOR RELATIONS

    Position Number: S-3634

    Position Summary:

    The Director of Employee and Labor Relations serves as the university’s chief spokesperson in staff collective bargaining negotiations and labor relations and is responsible for fostering constructive labor-management relationships that support the university’s strategic goals and financial sustainability. The Director oversees the administration of collective bargaining agreements, provides expert guidance on employee relations issues, and plays a key role in promoting a fair, respectful, and effective workplace culture.

    Required Qualifications:

    Bachelor’s degree, preferably in labor and industrial relations, human resource management, business administration, or a related field.
    Six years of relevant professional experience, specifically in human resources or directly associated field of employee relations management.
    Three years of experience in labor/employee relations.
    Experience with collective bargaining and grievance resolution and conducting sensitive workplace investigations.
    Ability to interpret and apply complex collective bargaining agreements and employment policies.
    Knowledge of labor and employee relations laws.
    Strong organizational, decision-making, and analytical skills, along with conflict resolution and negotiation skills.
    Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with the ability to build trust and collaborate.
    Ability and willingness to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships.
    Demonstrated competence in using personal computers and computer software applications.
    Ability to perform the essential functions and requirements of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

    Preferred Qualifications:

    Advanced degree in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Law (JD), or a related field.
    Demonstrated experience as a chief spokesperson or lead negotiator in union contract negotiations.
    Experience working in a higher education environment.
    Training or certification in workplace investigations, conflict resolution, or mediation.
    Familiarity with HRIS systems.
    Experience administering performance management processes.

    Duties & Responsibilities:

    Serves as the university’s chief spokesperson in staff collective bargaining negotiations, developing and executing strategies aligned with institutional strategic goals and supporting financial sustainability.
    Prepares, maintains, and archives data and documentation for collective bargaining purposes.
    Reviews and recommends updates to contract language.
    Administers collective bargaining agreements, ensuring compliance with labor laws, university policies, and negotiated terms.
    Advises departments and leadership on interpretation and application of contract provisions.
    Oversees the grievance and dispute resolution process, including informal resolutions, formal hearings, mediation, arbitration, and special conferences with union partners.
    Provides strategic recommendations on exceptions to policies and advises leadership on grievance settlements and related labor issues.
    Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with union representatives to proactively address and resolve issues of mutual concern.
    Advises supervisors and department leaders on a wide range of employee relations matters, including performance management, discipline, layoffs, involuntary terminations, and referrals to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP ).
    Conducts investigations into workplace misconduct, including allegations of harassment, violence, or violations of university policies, ensuring accurate documentation and maintenance of employee relations and investigative records.
    Represents Employee & Labor Relations/Human Resources on university-wide committees and coordinates the election process for staff representatives to the Police Oversight Committee.
    Manages communications related to employee and labor relations matters, including recurring university-wide notifications.
    Maintains fiscal oversight of the Employee Relations unit budget and assigned cost centers.
    Collaborates with HR leadership to advance Human Resources initiatives in alignment with strategic goals, regulatory requirements, and collective bargaining agreements.
    Performs other similar and related duties, as assigned.

    Supervision Exercised:

    None.

    Employee Group: Professional & Administrative -Salary

    Staff Pay Level:

    Pay Range: $120,000 - $135,000 per year

    Division:

    Department: Human Resources - Employee Relations

    Position Status: Regular

    Position End Date:

    Employment Status: Full-Time

    FTE: 1.00

    Position Type: 12 month

    Weekly Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed

    Location: 1200 S Franklin St, Mt Pleasant, Michigan, 48859

    Posting Ends:

    Open Until Filled: Yes

    About the Department:

    About CMU:

    Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.

    We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

    CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.

    Central is home to 17 men’s and women’s Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.

    CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It’s part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state’s largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.

    Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city’s central location in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

    CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.

    CMU Leadership Standards:

    Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.

    We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.

    Please review the https://www.cmich.edu/docs/default-source/president's-division/president's-office/leadershipstandards_posterb36018d4-e03b-4687-b885-e28376513297.pdf?sfvrsn=eb2e2255_3 before applying for this position.

    Message to Applicants:

    Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering a broadly diverse and inclusive campus that respects all social identities, experiences, and perspectives. In an effort to further this initiative, we are especially interested in candidates who will advance and promote an inclusive and supportive environment for every member of our university community.

    You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.

    Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.

    Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit recommendation letters. If you wish to include recommendation letter(s) that are not required, please utilize Recommendation Letters.

    To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/6212044

    CMU , an AA/EO institution, strongly and actively strives to increase diversity and provide equal opportunity within its community. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex‐based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight (see https://www.cmich.edu/offices-departments/OCRIE).
    If you wish to see “EEO is the Law” posters, please https://www.cmich.edu/docs/default-source/president's-division/ocrie/eeo-is-the-law-poster.pdf?sfvrsn=8ae1a123_10.
    CMU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, including admission and employment, and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 not to discriminate in such a matter.
    Inquiries about the application of Title IX can be made to CMU’s Title IX Coordinator, the US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary, or both.
    CMU’s Title IX Coordinator can be reached at:

    Phone: 989-774-3253
    Office: 103 E. Preston St.
    Bovee University Center, suite 306
    Mount Pleasant, MI 48858
    Email: titleix@cmich.edu

    Copyright ©2025 Jobelephant.com Inc. All rights reserved.

    https://www.jobelephant.com/

Organization Information

  • https://www.cmich.edu
  • https://apptrkr.com/6212044