Senior Director Employee and Labor Relations

• Position Type:
  Administration/Senior Director Labor Relations
  
• Date Posted:
  9/9/2026
  
• Location:
  CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICE
  
• Date Available:
  10/01/2026
  
• Closing Date:
  Open until filled

Bargaining Unit: Exempt
Work Year: 12 months
Work Day: 8 hours per day
FTE: Full time, 1.0 FTE
Salary: $162,699 per year

Job Summary
Under the direction of the chief human resources officer, the senior director of Employee and Labor Relations oversees all aspects of employee and labor relations for the Anchorage School District, including employee discipline, grievance processing, contract interpretation and administration, and labor contract negotiations. The senior director also provides training and guidance to supervisors and staff on union contracts and employee discipline, and facilitates conflict resolution and mediation programs. The position has a retirement association with the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).

Job Requirements
The following are required:

• A juris doctorate degree and license to practice law.
• Five years of experience practicing employment or labor law or a related legal field, or experience in employee and/or labor relations in a supervisory or management-level capacity.
• Knowledge and experience in collective bargaining, grievance handling, mediation, arbitration, contract administration, employee discipline, employment practices, and performance evaluation.

The following are preferred:

• Licensed to practice law in the State of Alaska.
• Professional Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) certification or equivalent, such as SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.
• Knowledge of and experience working with federal and state labor laws.
• Experience working within a large organization with a unionized workforce, particularly in a public school district or public higher education setting.
• Experience presiding over adversarial proceedings in labor and employment.
• Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly both verbally and in writing, and to present a written analysis of facts, policies/rules/contract in a simple, coherent style.
• Interpersonal and professional skills and demeanor that engender trust and confidence.
• Self-motivated with the ability to be flexible and adaptable in a dynamic work environment.

Essential Job Functions

• Interprets, administers, and negotiates collective bargaining agreements under the direction of the chief human resources officer.
• Provides direction and guidance and acts as a resource for supervisory staff with grievance response responsibilities.
• Counsels school principals, administrators, and employees regarding disciplinary policies and procedures, compliance with collective bargaining agreements, and Anchorage School Board policies, rules, and regulations.
• Ensures ASD's compliance with school board policies and municipal, state, and federal laws as they relate to employment practices.
• Administers Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance processes, including the reasonable accommodation interactive process, through cross-departmental coordination.
• Represents ASD in internal grievances, in hearings with external agencies, and in arbitration.
• Serves as spokesperson in labor contract negotiations.
• Reviews and coordinates the administration of employee discipline (oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension, dismissal) with relevant supervisory staff.
• Develops and coordinates training for principals, supervisors, and staff in areas of employee discipline, harassment prevention and response, professionalism, workplace conduct expectations, effective leadership strategies, and other employee and labor relations topics.
• Represents the department at school board and board committee meetings and at community events as directed by the chief human resources officer.
• Supervises employee relations specialists and other staff as directed by the chief human resources officer.
• Makes routine employment decisions by setting goals, monitoring performance, and taking appropriate follow-up actions as necessary.

Physical /Mental Demands
The physical demands of this job require frequent standing, walking, sitting, speaking and hearing. Specific visual abilities are also required. The employee is regularly required to reach with his/her hands and arms and occasionally lift items weighing less than 40 lbs. Additionally, the employee must be able to understand vague and implicit instructions, be able to readily recall facts and details, handle conflict and make effective decisions under pressure. The employee must have the ability to effectively manage the stress of working with students, parents, and other employees representing diverse cultures, personalities, and work styles in a dynamic work environment.

The Anchorage School District is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all individuals with a qualified physical or mental disability.

Work Environment
Work is performed in a professional environment with a wide variety of individuals having differing functions, personalities and abilities, including working with diverse groups of people in a variety of different settings.

While performing the duties of this job the employee may be regularly exposed to a video display. The employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Additional Job Information
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties as requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

Anchorage School District (ASD) employees must possess the ability to read and write in English. This also includes the ability to communicate in English with school staff, co-workers, and the public; as well as have the ability to comprehend and carry out oral and written directions and understand and follow English instructions and written documents.

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a satisfactory criminal background check. For certificated positions, this is in addition to the background check conducted through the certification process with the Alaska State Department of Education and Early Development (DEED).

This position may be required to work in ASD facilities on the military installations (JBER). Please visit the government REAL ID website for additional information.

The Anchorage School District is an equal employment opportunity employer.