Labor Relations Manager

Labor Relations Manager

Puget Sound Energy is looking to grow our community with top talented individuals like you! With our rapidly growing, award winning energy efficiency programs, our pathway to an exciting and innovative future is now. PSE's Human Capital Services team is looking for qualified candidates to fill an open Labor Relations Manager position! Specific details regarding the work arrangements for this position will be discussed in further detail during the interview process.

Job Description Puget Sound Energy is seeking a strategic and experienced Labor Relations Manager to lead the design, planning, and execution of our labor relations programs, policies, and practices. This role is critical to establishing and maintaining strong, productive labor-management relationships across a complex, unionized workforce. Approximately one-third of our employees are represented by unions under three collective bargaining agreements. In this role, you will serve as a key advisor to leadership and management at all levels, providing expert interpretation of collective bargaining agreements, overseeing grievance administration including arbitration, and ensuring consistent and effective application of contract terms.

You will lead labor negotiations and strategies. In addition, you will coordinate ongoing labor-management committee activities and partner closely with internal and external legal counsel as needed. You will directly manage a labor relations advisor as well and have responsibility over the bidding functions performed by an HR specialist. You will assist in coaching and developing other HR professionals, and establish a proactive, aligned, and outcomes-driven approach to labor relations.

A key priority will be consistency, communication, and transparency in how agreements are administered and how decisions are made.

Job Responsibilities Employee Safety, Development & Team Building
- Provides employees with coaching, feedback, and developmental opportunities and builds effective teams:
Demonstrates a passion for safety. Promotes and supports a culture of total safety including eliminating at-risk behaviors. Sets clear expectations and holds employees accountable for performance as well as safety goals/targets where applicable. Oversees training and development of employees directly and indirectly managed and makes effective staffing decisions. Challenges and inspires employees to achieve business results. Accountable to ensure employees adhere to legal and operational compliance requirements, as well as safety standards.

Conducts and ensures the completion of performance reviews and development plans. Provides coaching, direction, and leadership support to team members in order to achieve employee, business, customer, and safety results. Facilitates and guides management decision making on labor relations issues with the LR and HR Staff. Provides professional understanding and consistent interpretation of labor laws, collective bargaining agreements, disciplinary policy matters and past practice.

Provides perspective on issues of a similar nature at other utilities or businesses in the region. Leads contract negotiations team. Represents the company at the bargaining table, selects team members for negotiations, coordinates the preparation of proposals from the company, analyzes and advises the company on proposals from the union, coordinates the final documents and implementation of contracts after ratification.

Provides coaching, advice and support to HR Staff as they proceed through the grievance process up to the arbitration step. Works with management and HR Staff to achieve resolution of grievances at the lowest possible level. Represents the company in arbitration if resolution is not practicable and works with appropriate legal support to prepare for and present the company's case.

Coordinates and participates in ongoing labor/management committees with the assistance of HR Staff. Selects committee members, participates with HR Staff in preparing agenda and works with management team on topics of mutual concern between the union(s) and the company. Leads the development of…