Director, Labor Strategy & Litigation

Reassignment Applicants:
Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

The Director, Labor Strategy & Litigation is a key organizational leader responsible for designing and executing comprehensive labor strategies that align with UC San Diego Health's mission, operational priorities, and risk tolerance. This role leads a team of subject matter experts who provide high-level labor guidance across the enterprise, resolve complex issues with potential legal exposure, and cultivate constructive labor-management relationships within a highly unionized, fast-paced academic healthcare environment.

As a senior member of the Health Human Resources leadership team, the Director serves as a strategic advisor to executives and departmental leaders, advancing organizational interests both locally and systemwide. The role requires sophisticated judgment in assessing labor-related risks and guiding decisions that carry significant operational, legal, and precedent-setting implications.

The Director is responsible for the strategic implementation of multiple systemwide and local collective bargaining agreements, proactively identifying opportunities to mitigate disputes and determine when to pursue or resolve administrative labor litigation. In partnership with internal stakeholders and external and internal counsel, this leader develops pre-litigation assessments, case strategies, and settlement recommendations that balance organizational objectives, legal risk exposure, precedential impacts, and negotiation posture.

Performs other related HHR leadership duties as assigned.

Labor Litigation Strategy

• Leads the development and implementation of comprehensive labor litigation strategies aligned with organizational goals and risk tolerance.
• Directs pre‑litigation assessment, case strategy, and settlement evaluation in collaboration with internal stakeholders and external counsel.
• Oversees defense of unfair labor practice charges, grievances proceeding to arbitration, administrative hearings, and court litigation.
• Determines when to pursue settlement versus litigation, balancing legal risk, operational impact, precedent‑setting implications, and financial exposure.
• Ensures consistent legal positions across bargaining units and maintains alignment with collective bargaining agreements and statutory requirements.
• Advises executive leadership regarding litigation risk, exposure, and strategic implications for broader labor relations objectives.
• Monitors trends in labor and employment law and proactively adjusts strategy, policies, and negotiation posture to mitigate future legal risk.
• Guides the administrative dispute process.
• Represents the organization in proceedings, grievances, and final and binding arbitrations.

Management and Leadership

• Establishes department priorities and goals, delegates work assignments, and manages fiscal and HR resources to ensure the achievement of goals and objectives.
• Provides management oversight for assigned labor relations staff by establishing priorities and delegating work assignments effectively, ensuring proper adherence to collective bargaining policies and procedures.
• Makes recommendations and implements decisions on issues (operational and budget processes, staff FTE, finance, human resources and space planning) that have department‑wide impact.

Advice/Counsel/CBA Administration

• Responsible for administering all collective bargaining agreements for the organization and has final responsibility for interpreting the agreements.
• Responsible for administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements for the organization; conferring with senior managers and Office of the President as necessary.
• Develops and guides effective bargaining strategies that will lead to desired outcomes.
• Conducts local negotiations in various bargaining units and ensures contracts comply with statutory requirements and meet the needs of the organization and union management.
• Works in a highly collaborative manner with people of diverse cultures and at all levels to effectively advise location managers and human resource professionals on…