Director, Employee and Labor Relations

Overview

Reporting to the Vice President for Talent Management and Human Resources Services, the Director of Employee and Labor Relations will establish and lead a new team providing specialized HR consulting on employee- and labor relations (ELR), human resources policy, case management, and workplace standards to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) community.

DFCI, with over 10,000 employees (including ~700 in two bargaining units), is located primarily in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, Chestnut Hill, Foxborough, Milford, and the Merrimac Valley. As part of our strategic HR transformation to support institutional growth, we are creating a new Center of Expertise (CoE) for Employee & Labor Relations. The team will collaborate with our new People Strategy team (which provides talent advisory services, manager capability and employee support), the Office of the General Counsel, institutional leaders, managers, and employees to foster a lawful, fair, inclusive, and productive work environment that supports our important mission.

The successful Director will need to gain a strong understanding of DFCI's priorities, clinical and research operations, matrixed leadership model, financial context, stakeholder dynamics, and employment-related risks and obligations, and be able to translate them into effective employee- and labor relations strategies. Acting as a thought leader and trusted advisor on people-related matters, this role will require strategic and institutional thinking, the agility to manage a broad range of complex ELR situations and scenarios, a talent for gaining agreement and alignment across parties, and the ability to gain and sustain trust.

Work Location: Hybrid, with 2-3 days per week remote, and 2-3 days per week onsite (Remote work limited to New England states)

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Responsibilities

The Director of Employee and Labor Relations will:

• Strengthen the employment experience, organizational stability, and employer reputation of DFCI by providing ELR expertise, and promoting sound, effective people practice.
• Offer guidance to managers and HR generalists on common employee relations issues, including conduct, performance, and absenteeism, and handle complex cases.
• Conduct situational assessments and develop findings and recommendations for improvement. Manage the response, investigation, and resolution of formal, employment-related complaints.
• Create standards, policies, and processes for both voluntary and involuntary changes to employment for individuals or groups. Coach and advise the assigned HR generalist, managers, and employees during individual or group transitions.
• Help the organization move through and beyond challenging people-related situations and issues, incorporate lessons learned, and prevent future recurrence. Take responsibility for anticipating and avoiding future problems.
• Oversee HR employment policy and compliance, ensuring clear, up-to-date policies for the core workforce as well as for contingent workers, and affiliates primarily employed elsewhere.
• Effectively represent Dana-Farber in day-to-day labor relations, contract negotiations, labor disputes, and workforce disruptions.
• Define and communicate the service model and standards for ELR, ensuring appropriate responsiveness to clients and collaboration/follow-through with other HR functions.
• Manage and mentor the ELR team. Set clear team goals and drive continuous improvement.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Will initially led a team of two Employee Relations Consultants with anticipated growth in the coming years.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (years of relevant HR experience may count towards degree requirement)
• Minimum of 10 years of people strategy (generalist), HR consulting and/or employee/labor relations in a large, complex organization
• Successful history as a senior HR practitioner providing strategy and sound, insightful advice to senior leaders and managers on people-related matters.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduate degree in HR, industrial/labor relations, business, law, or related fields
• PHR or SPHR certification
• Experience in non-profit sectors such as higher education, academic medicine, research, health care, biomedical/pharma, research, or government or in management consulting to organizations in these sectors
• Exposure to employment and labor law. Experience with collective bargaining and working in a mixed (union/non-union) environment.
• Proficiency in HR competencies including business acumen, talent management, agility, HR data, relationship management, and strategic consulting.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Strategic, institutional mindset with strong judgment, presence, and credibility
• Able to effectively recognize, mitigate and monitor Dana-Farber’s employment risks, while acting with integrity, respect, and fairness to all involved.
• High integrity, able to earn and sustain the trust of others. Able to investigate and assess formal and informal complaints with impartiality, professionalism, and complete confidentiality. Actively brokers agreements and resolutions. Can de-escalate or stabilize difficult and sometimes ambiguous situations.
• Attention to detail and the ability to look at data, evidence and fact patterns and identify trends and draw sound, defensible conclusions.
• Knowledge of best practices in HR/employment policies and practices; expert on and advocate for effective people, ER, and LR practices
• Able to navigate through resistance and setbacks effectively. Anticipates barriers and adjusts in ways that move issues and situations forward. Protects the resilience of self and team.
• Solid understanding and commitment to principles and practices for inclusion and belonging, diversity, and equity. Applies these values in the conduct of employee and labor relations.
• High degree of computer literacy (e.g., MS Office, familiarity with enterprise HR information systems such as PeopleSoft or Workday, service management systems such as Zendesk or ServiceNow, and HR case management systems such as Acuity)
• Self-directed with exceptional relationship-building, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other groups as protected by law.

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