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About the Role

The Senior Manager, Labor & Employee Relations serves as a strategic advisor and subject matter expert on a broad range of labor and employee relations matters. This role provides leadership, direction, and hands-on expertise across collective bargaining, union relations, policy development, workplace investigations, and employee-facing programs that promote a respectful, legally compliant, and productive work environment. The Senior Manager supervises the Labor & Employee Relations Senior Coordinator / Manager and partners closely with legal counsel, business leaders, and HR Business Partners to advance organizational objectives and mitigate risk.

Responsibilities

Lead and co-lead collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, including preparation of management proposals, costing analyses, and strategy development.
Oversee CBA operationalization: train managers and HR partners on contract administration, track compliance, and resolve interpretive disputes.
Manage the union grievance process end-to-end, including Step hearings, mediation, and arbitration preparation; advise on response strategy.
Maintain constructive, professional relationships with union representatives and serve as a primary point of contact during the contract term.
Direct and personally conduct complex, sensitive, and high-risk employee relations investigations, including Title VII mandatory investigations (harassment, discrimination, retaliation), and workplace violence or threat-of-violence matters.
Ensure investigations are conducted in accordance with EEOC guidelines, California DFEH/CRD requirements, and organizational policy; produce clear, well-reasoned written findings and recommendations.
Review and resolve escalated workplace harmony complaints and interpersonal conflict matters using root cause analysis and restorative practices.
Partner with legal counsel on litigation-risk matters, administrative charges (DFEH, NLRB, EEOC), and response strategies.
Lead HR policy audits: assess existing policies against current federal and California law (FEHA, CFRA, FMLA, NLRA, AB 5, SB 553, and others), identify gaps, and drive remediation.
Draft, revise, and implement HR policies and standard operating procedures; coordinate approval and communication workflows.
Monitor California and federal legislative developments; assess organizational impact and advise leadership proactively.
Design and maintain L&ER dashboards and metrics: grievance trends, investigation cycle times, case outcomes, policy exception rates, and training compliance.
Conduct root cause analysis on recurring ER themes and develop proactive interventions (training, manager coaching, process changes).
Present findings and recommendations to HR leadership and senior stakeholders in clear, accessible formats.
Directly supervise the Labor & Employee Relations Senior Coordinator/Manager: set performance expectations, provide coaching and development, manage workload allocation, and conduct performance reviews.
Serve as a trusted advisor to HR Business Partners, department leaders, and frontline managers on ER matters and best practices.
Design and facilitate training programs on topics such as supervisor ER skills, union awareness, investigation protocols, and workplace respect.
Communicate proactively with stakeholders on case status, timelines, and outcomes; manage expectations in high-volume or high-urgency situations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Business Administration, or a closely related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in labor and employee relations, with demonstrated expertise in all of the following: CBA bargaining and administration, union grievance management, Title VII mandatory workplace investigations, HR policy audits, workplace harmony/conflict resolution, and L&ER analytics.
Working knowledge of relevant federal and California employment law, including FEHA, NLRA, Title VII, FMLA/CFRA, ADA/FEHA disability, FLSA, and applicable California Labor Code provisions.
Experience supervising, mentoring, or formally leading at least one direct report.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to prepare clear, thorough investigation reports and present complex information to varied audiences.
Demonstrated ability to manage high-volume caseloads, prioritize competing demands, and keep stakeholders consistently informed without prompting.
Proactive work style with strong initiative — anticipates issues, identifies solutions, and moves work forward independently.

Skills

Collective bargaining
Union relations
Policy development
Workplace investigations
Employee relations
HR policy audits
Workplace harmony/conflict resolution
L&ER analytics
FEHA
NLRA
Title VII
FMLA/CFRA
ADA/FEHA disability
FLSA
California Labor Code
Supervision
Mentoring
Written communication
Verbal communication
Case management
Prioritization
Proactive problem-solving
HRIS systems (Workday, SAP, etc.)
ER case management tools

Location

San Francisco, California

Work Type

Hybrid
Full-Time

Experience Level

Senior

Education Level

Bachelor's degree

Salary/Compensations

$135,000 - $145,000

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

About the Company

The California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, research center, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.
Our extensive collections span plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history.
We are a diverse team of leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who work collaboratively to advance knowledge and inspire action through science and storytelling.
When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation.
Whether you're working behind the scenes in research or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.
Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values!
Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world.
The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.
The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences.

Equal Opportunity

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).