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 26 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 advice 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 employees, managers, and school 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. 

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 activities 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 

• Provide guidance and support to staff on the grievance process, including conducting fair and impartial investigations, and providing timely responses to staff complaints. 

• Provide individual and/or group advice, guidance, and professional support to supervisors, staff, administrators, and staff members concerning the interpretation and application of employee relations and associated policies, practices, and procedures 

• Investigate disciplinary matters 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 

• Supervise a junior staff member on the day-to-day operations of Employee Relations 

Cross-Functional Leadership 

• Regularly assess and report on employee morale with an attitude of continuous improvement, constantly seeking opportunities to better support employees 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 managers

• 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 CANDIDATES 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 teachers, school leaders, and other home office and school-based staff 

• 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

• At least 4 years of progressive professional work experience in a related field and a Bachelor’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university

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.

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is exempt.

• 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. 

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plan options that are covered at 100% of monthly premiums for individual employees and at least $1,000 per month towards medical family plan premiums. Please click HERE for more information on health insurance.

• Retirement: Alliance Home Office employees are eligible for a retirement allowance equal to 7.5% of their regular yearly earnings. Please click HERE for more information on retirement.

• Paid Leave: Regular full-time 12-month employees receive 8.5 weeks of vacation and paid time off. Full-time employees accrue 3 weeks of flexible paid time off per year and receive 27 other paid holidays as part of our network calendar.

• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth and development. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

COMPENSATION

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.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested candidates should submit an application. Please note that only candidates who are selected for an interview will be contacted.

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 be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the safety of our students, family, and staff. Team members may apply to seek a medical exemption. Regardless of your current vaccination status, our team can advise you on how to fulfill this important requirement so that you can start the position in a timely way.

• 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 Staffing Team at JoinUs@laalliance.org.