EMPLOYEE RELATIONS LIAISON

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

1d•$96,000 - $110,400•Hybrid

About The Position

The Division of Campus Community Safety leads planning, prevention, response and recovery for the UW through three key emergency and safety response units: UW Emergency Management, UW SafeCampus, and UW Police (in Seattle). We have an outstanding opportunity for an Employee Relations Liaison. Reporting directly to the Vice President for the Division of Campus Community Safety (DCCS), and with day-to-day guidance and collaboration provided by the Executive Office Associate Director for Employee Relations, the DCCS Employee Relations Liaison is responsible for pro-actively providing leadership, consultation, expert advice and project execution regarding employee relations to subunits of the Division, which includes: - Vice President's Office - SafeCampus - Emergency Management - Husky Assist - UW Police Department (Seattle campus) Areas of leadership, guidance, execution and consultation for the Division include: policy, rule, and law interpretation; recruitment and retention strategies; reasonable accommodation; complaint resolution; leave administration; labor relations; performance management and corrective action; workplace violence, workplace culture and other training. The ER Liaison must develop service strategies, processes, and programs that are responsive to, and anticipatory of, the needs of DCCS units. This position is expected to partner closely and collaboratively with the Executive Office Human Resources (EOHR) Team and central UW Human Resources (UWHR) on all issues, cases, and matters related to employee relations, ensuring continuity of service and consistency in best practices and policy guidance. The Employee Relations Liaison must demonstrate excellent management and administrative judgement, discretion in handling sensitive HR matters, and skill in analyzing complex human resources issues. As the subunits of the Division may have different goals, business cultures, and other attributes, the ER Liaison must also demonstrate flexibility, excellent judgement, and problem-solving skills in providing high quality service to subunits. Because of the relative size of UWPD compared to other DCCS units, a large amount of time and effort is expended with UWPD. The ER Liaison is expected to stay current and informed of all HR policies and procedures and actively integrates and implements them as needed. The duties assigned to this position can be highly sensitive and dynamic and require the incumbent to be flexible, respectful, ethical, supportive, and discrete. The ER Liaison must be able to analyze and identify appropriate solutions or next steps to any number of nuanced issues. The successful candidate must be capable of managing multiple and competing priorities with frequently tight deadlines skillfully, reliably, accurately, and confidentially while demonstrating discretion and independent judgement in all areas of operation. Input and demand come from multiple directions, people, organizations, and activities. Managing this breadth and complexity requires a good working relationship with colleagues, excellent communication and organizational skills, an ability to deal with the unexpected, an acceptance of a certain level of stress, an ability to maintain an optimistic outlook, a capacity for innovation, and a willingness to embrace change and process improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Four years of increasingly responsible senior human resources experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Strong analytic and problem-solving skills
Demonstrated excellent customer service skills
Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
High level of attention to detail and accuracy
Demonstrated high level of professionalism and judgment
Fundamental awareness of core policies and processes related to human resource operations
Demonstrated experience and ability to interpret complex policies, rules, and laws including: FMLA, ADA, union contracts, Washington Administrative Code.
Demonstrated experience with training design and facilitation with particular focus in elevating skill levels and capacity of supervisors and managers.
Demonstrated ability to: Connect genuinely with all levels of an organization. Provide consultative client service with diverse groups of people in a team environment Model leadership and consultative direction to staff establishing professional partnerships that further the organization's mission. Work in a collegial manner within a team setting providing leadership and assistance to staff in developing effective working relationships. Provide consultative advice regarding complaint resolution. Apply knowledge of good management practices, performance management, employment law, conflict resolution, and general compensation. Provide formal informational and training presentations which demonstrate excellent writing and communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in higher education
Experience leading through change

Responsibilities

Employee Relations, Engagement, and Culture Working closely and collaboratively with the Vice President and other DCCS leadership, serve as a strategic partner and cultural steward for DCCS. Drive processes and initiatives (recognition programs, surveys, direct outreach etc.), to create a culture of appreciation, inclusivity, and purpose. Maintain and propel workplace culture and anti-bias training and other activities for UWPD and the unique needs of a law enforcement workplace. In partnership with the Associate Director for Employee Relations and central UWHR partners, facilitate complaint resolution process. Provide guidance to the Vice President and other DCCS unit leadership responding to employee complaints. Working in partnership with the Associate Director for Employee Relations, conduct investigations to resolve allegations and work with parties towards resolution of employee complaints or negotiate settlements and prepare settlement agreements. In close partnership with the Associate Director for Employee Relations, lead performance management and corrective action processes. Launch and maintain proactive and collaborative approach to the annual performance review process. Educate and guide supervisors on preparing for the annual review process, including developing general resource guides as well as offering 1:1 coaching and guidance to unit managers. Act as liaison to facilitate communication with other functional Human Resources units when specialized knowledge or interpretation is needed. Serve as an expert resource drawing from a broad base of human resources/employment knowledge for day-to-day human resources advice and counsel. Serve as primary contact and principal resource for all departmental employee relations needs.
Recruitment & Retention Strategy and Management Engage with DCCS leadership and unit managers to develop and implement recruitment strategies. Work directly with hiring managers to create position-specific recruiting and outreach plan, including developing engaging and compelling job postings and creative sourcing strategies. Working closely with the DCCS HR Specialist, design and optimize recruitment workflows and systems, especially for structured hiring pipelines for UWPD roles. Work with or on behalf of hiring department to review and vet applications; conduct phone screens; and, as needed, sit-in or facilitate interviews. Ensure an equitable and bias-free review process that assesses skills and fit. Provide regular updates to leadership and hiring managers regarding recruitment and onboarding statuses. Build and expand onboarding programs to ensure new employees feel welcomed, informed, and connected from their first day and beyond. Research, develop, and implement retention strategies, including outreach (regular check-ins, pulse surveys, etc.) tracking metrics, and market research.
Policy & Compliance Evaluate unit practices and ensure compliance with laws, rules and policies; design, develop, implement, manage HR-related processes, services, and programs that comply with regulatory requirements while meeting or maintaining operational needs. Develop and drive implementation strategies that maintain continuity of operations and anticipate future needs of DCCS. Advise employees and supervisors regarding institutional procedures. Conduct outreach and comprehensive consultative advice on leave administration. Advise members regarding the provisions of laws and rules governing various types of leave use, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Ensure that the Division remains in full compliance with labor agreements. Educate and inform leadership and managers regarding the interpretation and application of labor agreements. In partnership with the Associate Director for Employee Relations, assist in responding to and resolving employee grievances. May participate on contract negotiation teams. Complete regular and ad-hoc audits of position and employee data to ensure compliance with UW policies and DCCS best practices, including but not limited to tracking and ensuring completion of required trainings, telework agreements, and other personnel records. Work closely and collaboratively with the wider Executive Office Human Resources team on all issues, cases, matters intersecting HR Operations and Employee Relations to ensure comprehensive and seamless support to units.
Special Projects and Committees Independently manage and prioritize special projects as assigned by the Vice President or self-identified and recommend and implement solutions. Research, gather materials and resources, and report on status and progress. Serve on and/or lead project teams/committees; identifying, coordinating, and facilitating resources; and providing additional support for projects, investigations, and audits. Represent and advocate for DCCS in external committees and/or working groups. Drive effective and frequent communication and collaboration among various DCCS project owners and stakeholders; proactively and independently follow up on priorities and issues; acting under delegated authority of the Vice President, define and execute common goals and processes for optimal efficiency. Proactively provide regular status reports to the Vice President on projects and issues, highlighting key priorities, identifying possible challenges, and making recommendations or presenting solutions.