Head of Employee & Labor Relations

The Metropolitan Museum of Art•New York, NY

1d•$240,000 - $275,000•Onsite

About The Position

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online. Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world. At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity. Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always. Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued. Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission. Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity. Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve. GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES: The Head of Employee & Labor Relations is responsible for the full scope of labor and employee relations activities across The Met. Reporting to the Chief HR Officer and working in partnership with Counsel’s Office and the Diversity and Inclusion Office, you are responsible for strengthening and maintaining a proactive and consistent strategy & approach to labor relations, employee relations, and compliance with labor law. Through leadership and expertise, you will ensure a positive work environment, fair treatment of all employees, and compliance with all labor laws. You will manage the Employee and Labor Relations team and will work in partnership with all other HR teams and functions. You will support negotiation and administration of the Museum’s collective bargaining agreements for three (3) unions and provide guidance and counsel on all labor matters.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree required, Master’s or Juris Doctorate (J.D.) in relevant area preferred.
10 years of experience in employee and labor relations, investigations, compliance with employment law, and disciplinary actions.
Experience working in a unionized environment.
Working knowledge of federal, state and local laws that govern employment policies and practices and of nondiscrimination laws and compliance regulations including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the ADEA).
Strong skills in conflict resolution, problem solving, interviewing and investigations.
High degree of empathy balanced against an ability to provide direct feedback and confront witnesses with difficult information.
Excellent judgment with the ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential information.
Strong and effective interpersonal skills; the ability to listen well, remain respectful and diplomatic in the face of difficult and uncomfortable situations surrounding an investigation.
Positive, inclusive, proactive, and can-do attitude driven by high level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build strong working relationships and effectively influence and communicate throughout all levels of the organization.
Excellent planning, organization and time management skills, attention to detail and ability to simultaneously handle multiple investigations.
Ability to work independently and among a diverse group of peers in a high-pressure environment.

Nice To Haves

Professional Human Resources Certification or Senior Professional Human Resources certification a plus.

Responsibilities

Foster a positive workplace environment.
Work closely with the CHRO and Senior Leaders to ensure the organization is building and maintains positive and constructive relationships with the Metropolitan Museums labor unions.
Act as a strategic partner with the CHRO to develop, implement, and maintain collective bargaining agreements for each of the Museum’s three (3) unions.
Manage the Employee and Labor Relations team.
Oversee workplace policies, employee relations, and collective bargaining agreements with the Museum’s three (3) labor unions.
Directly, and through the ELR team, provide guidance and counsel on labor and employee matters to managers of all levels across the Museum on labor and employee relations topics.
Serve as a member of The Met’s bargaining committee in collective bargaining negotiations for all three (3) unions.
Manage and maintain positive and constructive relationships with The Met’s three (3) labor unions.
Serve as the main point of contact for union representatives.
Interpret, administer, and disseminate the substance of collective bargaining agreements to all levels of management and ensure consistent interpretation, application and compliance with collective bargaining commitments.
Provides CHRO and Senior Leadership (as appropriate) with updates regarding status of employee warnings, grievances, investigations and disciplinary matters.
Oversee the day-to-day implementation of The Met’s collective bargaining agreements.
Oversee the ELR team administering of the grievance process, from investigation to resolution.
Participate in disciplinary meetings as appropriate, ensuring all relevant parties at The Met are appropriately briefed.
Serve as a member of the Labor-Management Committee(s).
Build collaborative and productive working relationships across the Museum.
Provide strategic employee relations support, thought partnership, and coaching to senior managers across the Museum.
Oversee the employee concerns process, ensure consistency and prompt response in all employee and labor relations matters.
Oversee Museum investigations.
Partner with Counsel’s office to ensure prompt, thorough and fair investigations of complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
Stay updated on labor laws, regulations, and industry trends to ensure compliance; share appropriate updates proactively with members of leadership.
Assist in the developing, updating, and communicating HR policies, procedures, and guidelines.
In partnership with Counsel’s office, update the employee handbook to reflect changes in Museum policies.
Develop and maintain a strong system for documenting employee-related issues, which can include disputes, conflicts, misconduct, discrimination, harassment, or any other labor and employee related matters.
Provide rigorous data analysis and reporting solutions based Museum needs, highlighting key trends in employee and labor relations to actively drive proactive solutions.
Work in partnership with the Talent Team’s Learning and Development lead to develop and implement management training programs on issues such as corrective action, grievance administration, and contract interpretation.
Work in partnership with the Talent Team’s Learning and Development to ensure the Museum is compliant with all required anti-discrimination and anti-harassment training, as well as other relevant trainings in accordance with Federal, State, and City Law.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
Long-term disability coverage
Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
Free financial-planning services
Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
25% discount for staff in Museum shops
A subsidized staff cafeteria
Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions