Director, Employee Relations

ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 25 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles’ Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy. To learn more, visit www.LAalliance.org.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Director, Employee Relations is a thoughtful culture creator and leader responsible for ensuring best practices on a wide range of employee relations issues including compliance with policies and procedures, providing consultation and guidance on complex and challenging employee matters, and conducting investigations. Reporting to Alliance’s Vice President of Employee Relations & Engagement, the Director, Employee Relations will serve as a trusted resource and strategic partner to staff members, and leaders to create a community premised on trust and equity, where all staff feel a sense of belonging, can be productive and successful in achieving their professional and personal goals, and can positively contribute to Alliance’s mission in support of scholars. 

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Employee Relations Functional Leadership 

• In collaboration with the Vice President, Employee Relations & Engagement, establish the long-term vision, goals, and strategies to continue to refine Alliance’s employee relations processes such as performance management, management consultation, complaint resolution, and compliance.
• Audit existing processes and workflows, augment, streamline, and refine as required by new policies, laws, and Alliance initiatives.
• Refine and maintain employee relations tracking systems; collect and analyze employee relations data and prepare periodic reports and identify actionable insights.
• Provide guidance and support to staff on the complaint reporting process, including conducting fair and impartial investigations, and providing timely responses to staff complaints with the ability to navigate guidance based upon represented and non-represented staff members.
• Provide individual and/or group consultation, recommendations, guidance, and professional support to staff members and leaders regarding the interpretation and application of employee relations and associated policies, practices, and procedures with a people centered lens.
• Investigate reports and allegations of misconduct and advise on recommendations and actions.
• Review and update the Employee Handbook and develop and recommend new policies.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant state and federal labor and employment laws, regulations, and policies.

Cross-Functional Leadership 

• Regularly assess and report on employee morale with an attitude of continuous improvement, constantly seeking opportunities to better support staff members and leaders and foster their professional development while supporting positive employer/employee relationships that promote a high level of professionalism and motivation.
• Maintain effective professional relationships with organizations, as well as other stakeholders within Alliance.
• Project manage cross-functional issues to create/maintain an inclusive environment, assist in navigating challenges, and work with leadership to escalate and resolve systemic concerns.

Training & Capacity Building 

• Communicate current and new employee relations policies and procedures to staff. 
• Leverage data to provide insights that drive decision-making and tie constructive themes back to productive Employee Relations training, mentoring, and coaching to leaders.
• Support the onboarding and training of new staff and new managers to Alliance relative to Employee Relations matters.
• Research, identify, and interpret current and emerging employee relations issues, trends, and opportunities; develop and implement responsive programs, initiatives, and communications.
• Facilitates training for all staff on employee relations policies and procedures.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL HAVE

• Strong interpersonal and consulting skills with the ability to build relationships with, influence, and coach leaders across all levels of the organization and hold them accountable to metrics.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-layered organization and build strong relationships with all layers of staff members.
• Effective conflict resolution, facilitation, and consultation skills and skills in fact-finding, analysis, problem-solving, and consulting to identify problems and recommend solutions.
• Experience in labor relations matters relative to collective bargaining.
• Excellent judgment, political sensitivity, and ability to maintain confidentiality and act collaboratively and discreetly.
• Independent thinker who can provide strategic thought leadership.
• Ability to collect and analyze data, qualitative and quantitative, to set the strategic direction for their work.
• Outstanding project management skills with strong attention to detail and ability to efficiently and simultaneously manage multiple multi-month projects to completion.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
• Demonstrated cultural competency and understanding of systems of oppression, equity, and inclusion.
• Understanding of urban school environments and school culture challenges; ability to link employee performance to scholarly impact.
• Exposure to talent functions and the ability to leverage the interdependencies of the talent team to maximize impact.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• 4+ years of progressive professional work experience in a related field

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is dedicated to promoting equity and transparency within our team, offering competitive salaries commensurate with experience, as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is Exempt.

• We strive to be the best employer possible by offering excellent benefits for our employees and their families. Please click HERE for more information about our health benefits, retirement options, as well as our paid holidays and leave.
• Relocation: Individuals residing outside of the Greater Los Angeles area are eligible for a relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners. 
• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth by providing substantial professional development support. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

WORK LOCATION

This position is a hybrid role which will include a combination of working from home, our network office, and travel to school sites. The successful candidate will be given a $400 work-from-home set-up allowance and receive a monthly stipend of $100.

COMPENSATION

$100,000.00 - $140,500.00

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit an application. If you advance to the next step, you will be contacted for a phone screen and/or interview. Only candidates who advance will be contacted.

If you would like to view the progress of your application, you can log in to your Candidate Home Account by signing in at the top right of our jobs page.

Unfortunately, we are not able to sponsor or support applicants on visas at this time or in the foreseeable future.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, anti-racist, pro-Black community that celebrates diversity, equity, and the unique identities of all scholars and staff. Nearly two-thirds of our teachers and administrators identify as people of color, reinforcing our commitment to representation and the power of diverse role models. We recognize the richness of the cultures and communities we serve, and we believe that embracing and empowering these identities is essential to the success and pride of our scholars. Working at Alliance means joining a movement to drive transformative change, nurture resilience, and build lifelong, meaningful connections with scholars and their communities.

Champion Alliance’s Anti-Racist, Pro-Black Mission: The strongest candidates will bring a commitment to Alliance’s mission of building an anti-racist, pro-Black community that prioritizes the success and well-being of Black and Brown scholars. Candidates should have a passion for promoting equity through anti-racist, student-centered teaching practices that celebrate racial and cultural identities. This role is rooted in service to systemically underserved communities in Los Angeles, helping scholars graduate “college-ready” with pride in who they are.

This job description is subject to change at any time based on the evolving needs of the organization.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools are tuition-free public charter schools that do not discriminate against any scholar, parent, community member, or staff member based on actual or perceived ancestry, age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

• Alliance College-Ready Public Schools requires that all team members complete a LiveScan background check and TB clearance.

• Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the requirements, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they match every criterion. If you think you meet some of the qualifications, but don't necessarily check every box in the job description, we encourage you to still apply. If you have questions contact the Talent Acquisition Team at [email protected].