Employee & Labor Relations Specialist – Strategic Initiatives

The Employee & Labor Relations Specialist – Strategic Initiatives supports key labor and employee relations priorities across the U.S. organization. The role combines labor relations experience with strong analytical, project execution, and cross-functional capabilities in a complex, highly unionized environment. 

The Specialist will actively support collective bargaining preparation and participation, labor initiatives, organizational capability development, workforce analysis, process improvement, and modernization. The role requires the ability to understand business and operational objectives and translate labor, workforce, and contractual information into practical actions that improve execution and business performance. 

The successful candidate will bring a strong foundation in labor and employee relations, sound judgment, analytical capability, strong written communication, and the ability to structure complex issues and drive work through implementation. 

Primary Responsibilities: 

Collective Bargaining & Labor Support: 

• Support national collective bargaining preparation, including issue development, research, proposal tracking, data analysis, stakeholder coordination, training coordination and delivery, bargaining materials, and work stoppage and other readiness activities. 
• Participate in national bargaining, assigned bargaining subcommittees, and other negotiations workstreams. 
• Labor liaison for work stoppage preparation work stream. 
• Research collective bargaining agreements, bargaining history, precedents, workforce information, and operational issues to support labor strategy and decision-making. 
• Support the development of proposals, Memorandums of Understanding, side letters, and other labor agreements tied to business and workforce initiatives. 
• Support local bargaining preparation and maintain visibility to key issues, milestones, dependencies, and required decisions. 
• Evaluate contractual, operational, financial, and management-rights implications associated with labor issues and proposed actions. 

Strategic Initiatives & Execution: 

• Lead, coordinate or support assigned Employee & Labor Relations initiatives from planning through implementation, establishing clear objectives, ownership, milestones, and measures of success. 
• Contribute to workforce communication and engagement strategies that improve employee understanding, strengthen connection to business priorities, and advance Employee & Labor Relations objectives. 
• Analyze and synthesize complex labor, contractual, operational, and workforce information into clear recommendations, executive materials, action plans, and implementation strategies. 
• Support process mapping, data cleansing, knowledge management, and AI-enabled initiatives that modernize Employee & Labor Relations capabilities. 
• Drive implementation and adoption of assigned initiatives, ensuring actions are translated into sustainable processes and operating practices. 

Organizational Capability & Workforce Insights: 

• Support training and development initiatives that enhance organizational capability and strengthen core labor and employee relations skills. 
• Develop practical tools, materials, and reporting mechanisms that improve decision-making, consistency, and execution. 
• Analyze workforce and labor information, including absenteeism, grievances, employee feedback, operational data, and other indicators, to identify trends, risks, and improvement opportunities. 
• Translate workforce data and plant-level insights into clear findings, recommendations, and action plans for Employee & Labor Relations leadership. 
• Benchmark internal and external practices to identify opportunities for improvement and simplification. 
• Maintain regular connectivity with manufacturing locations to understand workforce and operational issues and ensure centrally developed initiatives are practical and executable. 

Manpower Movement and Planning/ Workforce Management: 

• Assist with development, management and administration of special programs. 
• Assist with manpower movement and planning including layoffs, recalls and hiring. 

Basic Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 3 years of progressive labor relations, employee relations, Human Resources, or related experience, preferably in a unionized operating environment
• Working knowledge of collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance processes, investigations, and union-management relationships
• Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating projects and initiatives
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability, including the ability to evaluate data, contract language, business requirements, and complex labor issues
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information, identify key implications, and develop concise written materials and recommendations that support decision-making and execution
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to develop decision-ready presentations, recommendations, bargaining materials, and implementation plans
• Demonstrated judgment, initiative, and ability to structure ambiguous issues, identify risks and alternatives, and recommend a path forward
• Ability to manage competing priorities and influence across functions and organizational levels
  
  

      Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience participating in collective bargaining, bargaining subcommittees, or negotiations workstreams
• Experience with workforce analytics, process improvement, organizational training, knowledge management, or technology-enabled transformation
• Familiarity with U.S. labor law and the National Labor Relations Act