Director, Employee Relations & Labor Relations - Americas region

Thermo Fisher Scientific • Durham, NC

1d • Onsite

About The Position

As a member of the Culture and Colleague Engagement platform, the ER/LR Director will be responsible for advising on and conducting sensitive investigations of potential policy and/or Code of Conduct violations, managing and developing Employee Relations Advisors, ensuring consistent high quality case management, as well as, leading initiatives to strengthen culture programs focusing on ethical business practices across the North America and LATAM regions. This role will also lead the Americas Labor Relations strategy across union and non-union environments, including collective bargaining negotiations, labor risk assessment, union avoidance initiatives, campaign management, and proactive employee engagement strategies designed to support a positive and legally compliant workplace culture.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience supporting Employee Relations efforts in a matrixed organization
• Expert level applied knowledge of employee relations issues (including performance management), risk management practices, and investigative practices
• Proven ability to develop and manage a high performing team
• Extensive experience conducting and managing investigations into workplace complaints
• Experience identifying and resolving complex issues while assuming leadership roles in ambiguous or unfamiliar situations
• Demonstrated ability to collaboratively work with multiple internal stakeholders, including internal/external counsel, HR partners, compliance, internal audit, and other business leaders to develop and implement sound, balanced, and thorough solutions aligned with our cultural values.
• Exceptional analytical skills: comfortable working with large amounts of data, formulating insights, constructing recommendations, and communicating learnings to all levels of the organization
• High Emotional Intelligence and strong interpersonal skills with a track record of influencing and providing consultative guidance to senior leaders around complex organizational issues.
• Ability to handle highly sensitive information with absolute confidentiality and professionalism
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment and able to adapt to changing business conditions and needs
• Significant experience developing and leading labor relations strategies within complex, matrixed organizations.
• Proven experience serving on labor negotiation team or key strategist in collective bargaining negotiations.
• Deep understanding of U.S. labor laws, including the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), union organizing processes, collective bargaining obligations, and labor risk management practices.
• Demonstrated experience managing labor relations matters in both unionized and non-union environments, including union avoidance initiatives and campaign response strategies.
• Ability to influence senior leaders during high-risk labor relations matters with sound judgment, business acumen, and strategic decision-making capabilities.

Nice To Haves

• Masters in HR, Juris Doctor, or other specialized training in labor/employee relations preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of Employee Relations Advisors who work across business groups to assist HR Partners and managers in resolving employee relations issues in the workplace
• Investigate complex, high-risk, or sensitive employee relations cases and actively oversee ER Advisors’ workload to ensure ER case management is consistently of high quality and efficiency
• Provide expertise and consultation to HR Partners on ways to address employee behavior and performance concerns, including assisting on the development and delivery of appropriate feedback or corrective action that aligns with company values and processes
• Interpret and apply understanding of company employment policies and practices to provide advice, guidance, or clarification on employee relations matters
• Analyze ER data, highlight key trends and provide insights that lead to the formulation of recommendations that drive positive employee relations programs and process improvements
• Facilitate investigation training and other ER training initiatives to deliver best practice investigation tools and knowledge to the North America and LATAM HR teams.
• Provide thought leadership on embedding a true continuous performance improvement culture, including review and management of updates to Performance Improvement Program procedures and associated supporting PIP plan materials to include Manager and HR training materials.
• Develop and execute labor relations strategies aligned with business objectives, operational priorities, and organizational culture across unionized and union-vulnerable environments.
• Lead collective bargaining negotiations, including preparation, bargaining strategy development, economic analysis, and proposal development.
• Partner with business leaders, Legal, HR, and Operations to assess labor relations risk and develop mitigation strategies related to organizing activity, workforce changes, restructuring, and operational decisions.
• Provide strategic guidance and leadership during union organizing efforts and other labor-related activities while ensuring compliance with applicable labor laws.
• Design and implement proactive union avoidance and positive employee relations strategies that strengthen organizational culture, leadership effectiveness, and employee trust.
• Provide oversight and support to site HR/LR leaders in matters such as grievance management, arbitration preparation, and dispute resolution processes in partnership with Legal and operational leadership.
• Monitor labor relations trends, legislative developments, and external labor market activity to proactively advise leadership on emerging risks and opportunities.
• Develop and facilitate labor relations training for HR, managers, and business leaders focused on lawful employee communications, labor risk mitigation, and effective workforce management practices.

Benefits

• We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, religion, color, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, veteran status, age or disability status.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director