DIRECTOR, EMPLOYEE AND LABOR RELATIONS at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

About the Department

Plans, directs, and manages a major Employee and Labor Relations Department responsible for facilitating effective relationships with and between critical stakeholders to ensure their interests are met in a manner which supports safe and reliable transportation throughout Los Angeles County and the surrounding region.

This position directs a team that provides strategic guidance on labor issues, interprets and applies collective bargaining agreements, manages complex grievance processes, and supports contract negotiations. This position also serves as a key liaison with union representatives, develops labor policies and strategies, ensures compliance with labor laws and Metro standards, and oversees departmental performance, staffing, and budget.

Recruitment Timelines: Interviews are projected to be scheduled for the week of September 22, 2025. These dates are subject to change. We encourage you to monitor your governmentjobs.com profile and emails for the latest updates.

Position Duties

• Directs the activities of an Employee and Labor Relations team responsible for facilitating respectful relationships that move Metro's agenda forward

• Interprets and applies collective bargaining agreements

• Assists both the chief and co-chief negotiator during contract negotiations

• Prepares and presents written and oral reports to management, the Board of Directors, and outside agencies

• Develops strategies and goals for an Employee and Labor Relations team

• Acts as a management representative in meet and confer meetings with the unions over matters effecting wages, hours, and working conditions

• Responsible for the performance of an Employee and Labor Relations team providing first-level advice and training to management

• Responsible for the performance of an Employee and Labor Relations team handling union grievances at the second and third level of the grievance process

• Serves as a point of contact for union officials in the absence of the Deputy Executive Officer, Employee and Labor Relations

• Resolves employee and/or union grievances at the lowest level

• Negotiates sound and innovative solutions to agency problems

• Develops policies, practices, and systems to assist in the proper administration of the collective bargaining agreements and grievance avoidance

• Develops and recommends changes to the labor contracts, procedures, and practices

• Establishes and implements department goals and objectives

• Complies with Metro's efficient and effective bill paying standard to ensure project and cost center invoices are paid in a timely manner

• Oversees, monitors, and adheres to department/unit budget, goals, and schedules which comply with agency-wide fiscal responsibility; manages agency resources to meet business goals

• Develops and delivers quality projects from inception to close-out on time and within scope and budget

• Supervises, trains, mentors, and motivates assigned staff

• Communicates and implements safety rules, policies, and procedures in support of the agency's safety vision and goals; and maintains accountability for the safety performance of all assigned employees

• Contributes to ensuring that the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies and programs of Metro are carried out

May be required to perform other related job duties

Minimum Qualifications

A combination of education and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Additional experience, as outlined below, may be substituted for required education on a year-for-year  basis. A typical combination includes:

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Public or Business Administration, Law, or a related field; Master's or Law degree in a related field preferred

Experience

• Five years of relevant management-level experience in employee and labor relations, including experience supporting a Chief Negotiator in contract negotiations; some positions in this class may require specialized experience in area of assignment

Certifications/Licenses/Special Requirements

• A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions

 

Other Qualifications

Knowledge of (defined as a learned body of information that is required for and applied in the performance of job tasks)

• Theories, principles, and practices of employee and labor relations management
• Applicable local, state, and federal laws, rules, and regulations governing public sector labor/employee relations
• Federal, state, and local public transit regulations
• Current theories, principles, and practices of human resources management
• Financing and budget principles
• Public sector fiduciary and reporting standards/mandates
• EEO and affirmative action principles and goals
• Current and effective management theory and strategies

Skill in (defined as the proficient manual, verbal, or mental utilization of data, people, or things)

• Planning, organizing, and directing the work of a labor and employee relations department
• Maintaining effective and cooperative relationships with and between management and unions
• Determining strategies to achieve goals
• Establishing and implementing policies and procedures
• Conducting complex research and analysis
• Critical thinking
• Identifying and analyzing problems, recommending solutions, and evaluating outcomes
• Exercising sound judgment and creativity in making decisions
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing
• Interacting professionally and working effectively with various levels of Metro employees and outside representatives
• Preparing comprehensive reports and correspondence
• Mediating and negotiating
• Exercising self-awareness
• Supervising, training, mentoring, and motivating assigned staff

Ability to (defined as a present competence to perform an observable behavior or produce an observable result)

• Compile, analyze, and interpret complex data
• Accept and promote diversity of thought and approach
• Persuade and build a consensus
• Innovate and negotiate effectively
• Understand, interpret, and apply laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, contracts, budgets, and labor/management agreements
• Make financial decisions within a budget and plan financial and staffing needs
• Represent Metro before the public
• Develop talent
• Read, write, speak, and understand English

Special Conditions

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by the employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Metro provides reasonable accommodation to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions

• Typical office situation
• Close exposure to computer monitors and video screen

Physical Effort Required

• Sitting at a desk or table
• Operate a telephone or other telecommunications device and communicate through the medium
• Type and use a keyboard and mouse to perform necessary computer-based functions
• Communicating through speech in the English language required

(EC)

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