Executive Director, Labor Relations & Employee Services

Providence Public Schools • Providence, RI

7d

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief Talent Officer, the Executive Director of Labor Relations and Employee Services provides strategic leadership and oversight for the District’s labor relations, employee relations, and employee services functions. This position serves as a key advisor to executive leadership, campus and department administrators, and employees on matters involving collective bargaining, employee relations, employment practices, workplace policies, investigations, performance management, and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. The Executive Director is responsible for developing and maintaining effective labor-management relationships while ensuring consistent, equitable, and legally compliant employment practices across the District. The position leads the District’s labor relations strategy, including collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance management, and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements and District policies. In addition, the Executive Director oversees employee service functions designed to provide responsive, high-quality support throughout the employee lifecycle. This leader establishes service standards, develops scalable processes, identifies opportunities for continuous improvement, and promotes a culture of accountability, trust, respect, and exceptional employee service. The ideal candidate is a highly credible HR leader who combines strong labor relations expertise with sound judgment, business acumen, conflict-resolution skills, management skills, and the ability to navigate complex and sensitive employee matters in a large, diverse educational environment.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master degree from an accredited college or university in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, Education, Organizational Psychology, or a related field.
• Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience in human resources, labor relations, employee relations, or a related field.
• Experience working in a public-sector, governmental, or K-12 education environment.
• Experience with public-sector labor laws and regulations.
• Demonstrated experience leading labor relations, collective bargaining, employee relations, or comparable employment functions.
• Experience managing collective bargaining relationships and multiple bargaining units.
• Experience advising senior leaders and managers on complex employee and labor relations matters.
• Experience leading or managing professional HR staff.
• Experience leading HR transformation, employee experience, or shared-services initiatives.
• Experience using HR analytics and workforce data to inform organizational decisions.

Nice To Haves

• Juris Doctorate degree
• Professional HR certification such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable certification.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership and oversight for the District’s labor relations, employee relations, and employee services functions.
• Serves as a key advisor to executive leadership, campus and department administrators, and employees on matters involving collective bargaining, employee relations, employment practices, workplace policies, investigations, performance management, and compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• Develops and maintains effective labor-management relationships.
• Ensures consistent, equitable, and legally compliant employment practices across the District.
• Leads the District’s labor relations strategy, including collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance management, and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements and District policies.
• Oversees employee service functions designed to provide responsive, high-quality support throughout the employee lifecycle.
• Establishes service standards, develops scalable processes, identifies opportunities for continuous improvement, and promotes a culture of accountability, trust, respect, and exceptional employee service.

What This Job Offers

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