Director, Labor Relations - 128318

Updated: about 1 month ago
Location: La Jolla, CALIFORNIA
Deadline: ;

Special Selection Applicants: Apply by 03/07/2024. Eligible Special Selection clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

UC San Diego Health has been caring for the community for more than 50 years. The system is one of five academic medical centers within the 10-campus University of California System, collectively known as UC Health. Combined, these medical centers comprise the fourth largest health care delivery system in California and train nearly 50% of the state's medical students and medical residents. UC San Diego Health has a three part mission of clinical, research and teaching excellence. The system includes three hospitals operating under one license, including UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest, Jacobs Medical Center in La Jolla, and East Campus medical center as well as various ambulatory clinics and other facilities throughout the county to deliver care to the entire region. UC San Diego Health Sciences is comprised of the School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and our Student Health and Well-Being Department.

The Director, Labor Relations oversees the management, preparation, and administration of labor relations resources for UC San Diego Health and Health Sciences. The role involves setting objectives, creating work plans, and assigning tasks to direct reports. Additionally, the Director reviews and approves recommendations for labor relations programs, practices, collective bargaining agreements, negotiations and participates in the development, modification, and execution of policies with both immediate and organization-wide impact. Reporting to the Health Chief Human Resources Officer, the Director represents the organization in systemwide labor relations negotiations and plays a critical role in maintaining positive labor-management relations within the academic health system. The position involves making decisions that significantly impact organizational operations and are legally enforceable. The individual is responsible for preventing risk and achieving goals that minimize the employee issues, operational challenges, and serious delays in overall schedules.

Key Responsibilities
- Establishes department priorities and goals, delegates work assignments and manages fiscal and HR resources to ensure the achievement of goals and objectives. Responsible for administering all collective bargaining agreements for the organization and final responsibility for interpreting the agreements. Has final responsibility for conducting local negotiations in various bargaining units.
- Responsible for administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements for the organization; conferring with senior managers as necessary.
- Makes recommendations and implements decisions on issues (operational and budget processes, staff FTE, finance, human resources and space planning) that have department-wide impact.
- Guides administrative dispute process.
- Represents the organization in proceedings, grievances and final and binding arbitrations.
- Develops and guides effective bargaining strategies that will lead to desired outcomes. Conducts local negotiations in various bargaining units and ensures contracts comply with statutory requirements, and meet needs of the organization and union management. Advises senior leadership on controversial situations, negotiations, or influencing and persuading other senior level managers.
- Works in a highly collaborative manner with people of diverse cultures and at all levels to effectively advise location managers and human resource professionals on highly complex labor relations and employment law implications relating to individual and location issues or courses of action and to build consensus with other organizations regarding labor relations objectives, writing contract language, developing bargaining strategies, addressing concerns of employees, and maintaining effective relationships with the unions.
- Provides strategic oversight and develops a team of labor relations specialists to educate, support and coach leaders, managers and employees as they navigate the Labor Relations: processes, collective bargaining agreements, negotiations, etc. ds- Provides management oversight for assigned labor relations staff by establishing priorities and delegating work assignments effectively, ensuring proper adherence to collective bargaining policies and procedures.
- Effectively manage assigned staff, including developing individuals and providing cross training.
- Meets annual goals assigned by leadership and remains within allocated budget guidelines.
- Advises senior management on employee and labor relations matters. Advises organization management in employee and labor relations matters and recommends changes to policies.
- Manages, through subordinate supervisors, the coordination of activities of a department with responsibility for results in terms of costs, methods, and employees.
- Manages the individuals who serve as chief spokesperson in face-to-face negotiations and is charged with achieving agreements within parameters defined by organization management.

  • Bachelor’s degree in a related area, and eight or more years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of experience, education and training.

  • Advanced knowledge of labor/ employment law, and the principles and techniques of labor negotiations which must be continually updated.

  • Requires highly effective negotiation and communication skills. Must be aware of the dynamics associated with each negotiation in order to effectively represent the organization's interests.

  • Demonstrated ability to handle extremely difficult or volatile situations/ individuals. Requires skills associated with working in a highly collaborative manner.

  • Requires advanced knowledge of the principles of advocacy, and applicable state and federal laws and court decisions.

  • Recognizes issues that have organizational impact or future implications and advises manager appropriately.

  • Requires specialized knowledge of other areas with human resources function including compensation, employee relations, and employee benefits.

  • Position requires highly effective decision-making, problem solving, critical thinking, project and initiative management and organizational leadership skills.

  • Must have thorough knowledge of the organization's policies and procedures relating to budget and HR-related matters.

  • Functions as a proactive, collaborative partner along with HR leader in defining LR issues and strategies.

  • Five or more years of progressive leadership in a directly relevant role with increasing responsibility for labor relations and negotiations.

  • Substantial experience within a large, complex healthcare organization.

  • Experience within University of California health system.

  • Labor Relations experience within California.

  • Must be able to work various hours and locations based on business needs.

  • Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.


Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $124,400 - $243,600 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $59.58 - $116.67

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).


If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands-on practice and in-person skills assessment; online-only certification is not acceptable.

UC San Diego Health is the only academic health system in the San Diego region, providing leading-edge care in patient care, biomedical research, education, and community service. Our facilities include two university hospitals, a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Shiley Eye Institute, Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center, the only Burn Center in the county, and and dozens of outpatient clinics. We invite you to join our team!

Applications/Resumes are accepted for current job openings only. For full consideration on any job, applications must be received prior to the initial closing date. If a job has an extended deadline, applications/resumes will be considered during the extension period; however, a job may be filled before the extended date is reached.

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community .

UC San Diego Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, gender identity or sexual orientation. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://www-hr.ucsd.edu/saa/nondiscr.html

UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.

UC San Diego Health maintains a marijuana and drug free environment. Employees may be subject to drug screening.



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