Sr. Manager, Employee & Labor Relations

Lakeside HR Group•Center City, MN

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

Lakeside HR Group has partnered with our client to recruit an Employee Relations leader. Our client is a mission driven leader in behavioral health. This organization blends science, compassion, and lived experience to support individuals and families affected by substance use and mental health conditions. This is a senior, hands-on Employee Relations leadership role responsible for building and leading a fair, consistent, and legally compliant employee relations function. The Employee Relations Leader serves as a trusted advisor to leaders and HR partners, manages complex and sensitive cases, and plays a critical role in shaping workplace culture. Labor relations experience, including union environments, collective bargaining considerations, and grievance management, is essential for success in this role.

Requirements

Significant experience leading employee relations in complex organizations, including demonstrated labor relations experience in union or union-adjacent environments.
Strong working knowledge of employment law and compliance requirements at the state and federal level.
Proven expertise conducting workplace investigations and managing sensitive, high-risk employee relations matters.
Ability to influence and coach leaders with confidence, empathy, and sound judgment.
Excellent communication, documentation, and analytical skills.
Experience partnering cross-functionally with Legal, Compliance, and HR teams to drive consistent and equitable outcomes.
Commitment to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and mission-aligned workplace culture.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage the full lifecycle of employee relations cases, including investigations, performance concerns, corrective action, conflict resolution, and complex employee issues.
Conduct thorough, impartial investigations using established methodologies and documentation standards.
Provide expert guidance and coaching to leaders to ensure fair, consistent, and legally sound application of policies and practices.
Serve as a subject matter expert in labor relations, including unionized environments, grievance handling, and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements.
Partner closely with HR Business Partners, Legal, Compliance, and Centers of Excellence to mitigate risk and ensure alignment with employment law and organizational policy.
Represent Human Resources on the Policy Governance Team by ensuring HR policies are regularly reviewed, legally compliant, and aligned with organizational values and operational needs.
Monitor state and federal employment law developments and recommend policy updates as needed.
Analyze employee relations trends, engagement data, and turnover metrics to identify systemic issues and recommend proactive solutions.
Collaborate with Learning & Development and organizational partners to deliver training and resources that strengthen manager capability in communication, conflict resolution, and employee relations best practices.