Lead Labor Relations

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Lead, Labor Relations provides strategic leadership and enterprise coordination for complex labor relations programs, initiatives, and bargaining activities across FirstEnergy’s represented workforce. This role serves as a senior labor relations subject matter expert and strategic advisor to business, HR, Operations, Legal, and Labor Relations leadership.

The Lead is accountable for leading complex, cross-functional labor relations initiatives; developing and implementing enterprise labor strategies; strengthening consistency in collective bargaining and contract administration; and providing analytical and strategic support on matters with significant operational, financial, workforce, or employee-relations impact.

The role provides substantive leadership of labor relations work while operating primarily through program ownership, subject-matter expertise, influence, and cross-functional leadership rather than direct people management.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Labor Relations Strategy & Program Leadership

* Lead enterprise labor relations programs and initiatives that support business strategy, workforce objectives, operational performance, and constructive union-management relationships.
* Translate labor strategy into actionable programs, workplans, governance processes, and measurable outcomes.
* Lead complex, cross-functional labor initiatives involving multiple business units, bargaining units, or operating locations.
* Identify enterprise labor risks, emerging trends, and opportunities and develop recommendations for senior leadership.
* Establish program standards, processes, and governance that improve consistency across represented operations.

Collective Bargaining Strategy

* Lead planning and strategic preparation for significant or complex collective bargaining activities.
* Develop bargaining strategies, proposals, research, costing scenarios, data analyses, and supporting materials.
* Partner with Lead Negotiators and Labor Relations leadership to promote consistency in bargaining strategy and outcomes.
* Evaluate proposed settlements for alignment with enterprise labor strategy, business objectives, financial considerations, and operational requirements.
* Provide strategic support during high-risk or complex negotiations and labor disputes.

Contract Administration & Labor Governance

* Provide senior-level expertise regarding collective bargaining agreement interpretation, past practices, work rules, and labor-management issues.
* Develop enterprise approaches to recurring or complex contract interpretation issues.
* Identify inconsistencies in contract administration and recommend approaches that strengthen enterprise alignment.
* Support implementation and communication of negotiated contract provisions.
* Develop tools, standards, and governance practices that strengthen contract administration and labor relations execution.

Complex Grievance, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution

* Provide strategic leadership for significant grievances, arbitrations, mediations, and other complex labor disputes.
* Assess business, operational, financial, and labor-relations implications of significant cases.
* Partner with Legal and business leaders in developing case strategy, evidence, testimony, and resolution approaches.
* Identify trends across grievances and disputes and recommend systemic solutions to address recurring issues.

Labor Analytics & Workforce Insights

* Develop and utilize labor relations analytics to identify emerging workforce trends and business risks.
* Analyze grievances, arbitration activity, absenteeism, discipline, labor costs, contract provisions, and other workforce indicators.
* Translate labor and workforce data into actionable insights and recommendations for senior leadership.
* Develop executive-level analyses and presentations supporting labor strategy and business decisions.
* Evaluate labor implications of workforce planning, restructuring, productivity initiatives, and organizational change.

Strategic Business Partnership

* Serve as a senior labor relations advisor to HR, Operations, Legal, and business leadership.
* Advise leaders on complex labor matters, workforce strategies, productivity opportunities, organizational changes, and labor risk.
* Lead cross-functional labor relations projects requiring coordination across multiple business and functional organizations.
* Support significant organizational transformation or operational initiatives affecting represented employees.
* Build effective relationships with internal stakeholders and union representatives to facilitate constructive issue resolution.

Policy, Compliance & Labor Practices

* Lead development and continuous improvement of labor relations policies, practices, tools, and governance processes.
* Monitor developments in labor law, labor market practices, collective bargaining, and employee relations that may affect FirstEnergy.
* Partner with Legal to support compliance with applicable federal and state labor laws and collective bargaining agreements.
* Promote consistent application of labor policies and practices across represented operations.

Labor Relations Capability & Knowledge Management

* Develop tools, resources, playbooks, and training that strengthen labor relations capability across HR and operating leadership.
* Facilitate labor relations education for leaders on contract administration, grievance management, bargaining, and other labor topics.
* Capture and share lessons learned from negotiations, grievances, arbitrations, and significant labor matters.
* Provide technical guidance and mentorship to Labor Relations professionals as a senior subject matter expert.

Qualifications

Required

* Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Industrial Relations, Labor Relations, or related discipline.
* 8-10 years progressive labor relations experience in a unionized environment.
* Demonstrated experience supporting or leading collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance resolution, arbitration, and complex labor relations matters.
* Demonstrated experience leading complex programs or cross-functional initiatives.
* Strong understanding of labor law, collective bargaining agreements, grievance/arbitration processes, and union-management relations.
* Demonstrated ability to analyze complex workforce and labor issues and translate findings into business recommendations.
* Strong executive communication, negotiation, influencing, and conflict-resolution capabilities.

Preferred

* Master’s degree, JD, or advanced Labor/Industrial Relations degree.
* Electric utility, energy, industrial, manufacturing, or other highly unionized operating-environment experience.
* Experience leading multi-location or multi-bargaining-unit labor initiatives.
* Experience supporting significant organizational transformation involving represented workforces.

Work Environment & Travel

* Reporting location to be determined.
* Regular engagement with operating locations and represented workgroups.
* Travel to bargaining sessions, union meetings, arbitrations, business locations, and corporate meetings as required.

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