Director, Academic Workplace Relations

CSU Careers•Northridge, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At CSUN we aspire to continually grow as an inclusive, cooperative community! CSUN strives to be a destination workplace, where everyone understands that they belong to a community that is vital in advancing student success and providing exemplary service to all stakeholders. We foster an environment of success, both for our students and our employees. We have a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as being an employer of choice. You will also have the opportunity to realize your own personal goals and be recognized for the work you do and enjoy the unique value the CSUN community can offer. As a leader you will have the opportunity to thrive in a community in which our leaders share common traits as identified in our Leadership Principles https://www.csun.edu/leadership-principles . If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.

Requirements

Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a job-related field.
Equivalent to five years of progressively responsible professional/administrative experience; with two of the five years in a supervisory role.
Two of the five years of leadership experience in employee relations, including resolving/processing complaints, conducting workplace investigations, conflict prevention and resolution, advocacy, mediation, or comparable work experience.
Ability to manage complex faculty conduct concerns, investigations, and conflict resolution processes with fairness and consistency.
Skilled in facilitating productive conversations, coaching, restorative practices, and collaborative problem-solving.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including report writing, stakeholder consultation, and sensitive correspondence.
Strong knowledge of employment regulations, collective bargaining agreements, higher education policies, and compliance frameworks.
Ability to build trust and work effectively with faculty, administrators, Human Resources, Equity and Compliance, unions, and shared governance groups.
Demonstrated experience developing and delivering training and professional development; experience with mediations and conflict resolution in the workplace; understanding of the intersection of free speech and academic freedom; ability to maintain appropriate confidentiality; ability to collaborate and effectively communicate within and across work units.
Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues within and across departments and divisions.
Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Labor Relations, Human Resources Management, Organizational Planning/Policy, Legal Studies, or a closely related field, or a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited institution.
Training and experience with multiple mediation methods.
Demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in all aspects of academic and administrative leadership.
Experience in a collective bargaining environment in a university setting.
Knowledge of CSU/California policies, procedures, and regulations pertaining to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Academic Employee Relations (ER), and Other Conduct of Concern (OCC).

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs, the Director of Academic Workplace Relations position serves as a central resource for faculty conduct matters, providing guidance, case coordination, training, policy implementation, and collaborative support.
The incumbent works closely with university partners to address concerns, encourage positive workplace interactions, and promote accountability, fairness, and professional conduct.
Under the supervision of Faculty Affairs leadership, serve as the primary administrator responsible for addressing faculty-related conduct concerns, including academic Employee Relations (ER), Other Conduct of Concern (OCC) and unprofessional behavior not reaching the level of policy violation.
Oversee the intake, acknowledgment, and assessment process for reported faculty-related unprofessional behavior, Employee Relations (ER), and Other Conduct of Concern (OCC) cases.
Ensure fair, prompt, and neutral resolution processes, balancing supportive services with institutional accountability.
Develop and execute, in coordination with Faculty Affairs leadership, faculty-facing training on professional conduct, academic Employee Relations (ER) and Other Conduct of Concern (OCC) expectations, conflict resolution, and effective performance management.
Track, monitor, and analyze trends in faculty conduct concerns, reporting data to university leadership and systemwide HR in coordination with Faculty Affairs leadership.
As a leader, demonstrates a commitment to student success that is mission aligned with the university’s vision, values and priorities.
Establishes an ethical and collegial work environment, promoting a collaborative, accountable and inclusive team.
Encourages a courageous and resilient solution-oriented environment by participating in new opportunities to further the mission of the university.
Participates in developing initiatives that further support the campus mission with a service-oriented and catalytic mind set.
Strengthens employees by being communicative and a talent builder that develops team attributes, furthering departmental goals.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Lead diverse teams to support the operational mission and vision of employers by fostering an ethical, inclusive and collegial work environment.
Demonstrated ability to support ongoing improvement through courageous, resilient, and catalytic leadership.
Lead varying initiatives through a collaborative, service-oriented and communicative approach.
Demonstrated commitment to employee development, recognition, and accountability to further operational goals.