Senior Manager, Employee and Labor Relations

The Global Human Resources Division of Human Rights Watch (HRW) is seeking a Senior Manager to oversee our employee and labor relations processesand help build a cultureof respect, productivity, and trust across the organization. The Senior Manager will provide global employee relations consultation and guidance to staff, managers, and senior leadership, serve as the HR liaison to staff, assist with collective bargaining processes globally, assist with internal investigations, and oversee the exit interview processes.

This position will be based in our New York or Washington DC office. This position is part of the Global Human Resources team, reporting to the Global Human Resources Director.

The successful candidate may have the option to work remotely but should be based in, or willing to relocate to, the Washington DC or New York City area.

Responsibilities:

1. Advise and guide departmental leadership, managers, supervisors and staff to proactively address employee relations issues in accordance with organizational policies, procedures and best practices;
2. In coordination with the CPCO and the HR Director, serve as the liaison to staff, including staff covered under Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) or Works Councils in the US and globally, by:
   • Participating in regular meetings with designated representatives,
   • Managing implementation of and training managers on HR policies and terms of CBAs or other agreements,
   • Assisting with negotiation preparation and ongoing administration,
   • Liaising between Works Councils and other relevant team with HRW; and
   • Overseeing consultation and grievance processes, as needed.
3. Provide support to complaint mechanisms and complex investigations into unlawful workplace activity or violations of organizational policy, procedures or code of conduct, including by facilitating effective and approachable communications throughout each process to all involved and providing progress updates, as needed, in collaboration and consultation with the GeneralCounsel’s Office and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Office;
4. Log and trackemployee issues, create action plans to follow through and address issues as they are raised in a timely manner;
5. Identify trends and create reports for HR and other senior leaders based on metrics and data.
6. Oversee the exit interview processincluding conducting interviews and compiling data to identify trends across the organization to make recommendations to proactively address workplace concerns;
7. Collaborate with HR, DEI, and GC on developing new approaches to strengthen staff and manager relationships, through the development of trainings, coaching, resources, restorative practices, and policies;
8. Partner with other members of the Global Human Resources Division, the General Counsel’s office, and the DEI Office on projects, as needed;
9. Maintain the strictconfidentiality of sensitive information;
10. Travel to other HRW officesas needed, for meetings, trainings, etc.; and
11. Carry out other duties as required.

Qualifications:

Education: A bachelor's degreeor equivalent work experience is required.

Experience: A minimum of five years of relevant work experience working in human resources with labor relations experience, preferably in a global setting , is required.

Related Skills and Knowledge:

1. Interpersonal skills and the ability to listen, interact and communicate effectively and emphatically with all levels of globally diverse staff and other key stakeholders are required.
2. Experience advising management and senior staff on a wide range of employee relations issues, including interpersonal, management, wellbeing, DEI, and other issues is required.
3. Demonstrated knowledge of labor-management relations, collective bargaining agreements, and processes within the US is required. Knowledge and experience with collective bargaining processes and Works Councils globally is highly desirable.
4. Experience in the mediation of difficult conversations and the ability to navigate conflict and ambiguity to work towards a common solution is required.
5. A strong knowledge of HR best practices and employee relations strategies is required; A general understanding of employment law on a global scaleis desirable.
6. Excellent written and oral communication skills in Englishis required; fluencyin French or other languages is highly desirable.
7. Critical thinking and analytical abilityis required.
8. Organizational skills and ability to multitask and set priorities are required.
9. Experience with a globally diverse and multicultural workforce, contributing to inclusion and equity through effective employee relations, and to diversity, multi-cultural experience, and sensitivity to issues of marginalization, discrimination, and harassment are required.

Salary and Benefits: HRW seeks exceptional applicants and offers competitive compensation and employer-paid benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance. HRW offers a relocation assistance package and will assist employees in obtaining necessary work authorization, if required; people of all nationalities are encouraged to apply. The salary range for this position if based in the US is USD 88,000-96,000.

How to Apply: Please apply by December 15, 2024, by visiting our online job portal at careers.hrw.org and attaching a cover letter and resume, preferably in PDF format. No calls or email inquiries, please. Only complete applications will be reviewed, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with your application submission or requirea disability related accommodation, please email recruitment@hrw.org. Due to the large response, application submissions via email will not be accepted and inquiries regarding the status of applications will go unanswered.

Human Rights Watchis strong becauseit is diverse. We activelyseek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Human Rights Watch does not discriminate on the basis of disability, age, gender identity and expression, national origin, race and ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record. We welcome all kinds of diversity. Our employees include people who are parents and nonparents, the self-taught and university educated, and from a wide span of socio- economic backgrounds and perspectives on the world. Human Rights Watch is an equal opportunity employer.

Human Rights Watch is an international human rights monitoring and advocacy organization known for its in-depth investigations, its incisive and timely reporting, its innovative and high- profile advocacy campaigns, and its success in changing the human rights-related policies and practices of influential governments and international institutions.