Job Details

Sr. Manager, Labor and Employee Relations page is loaded

Sr. Manager, Labor and Employee Relations

Apply locations Anchorage, Alaska time type Full time posted on Posted 2 Days Ago job requisition id JR100468

At Alaska Communications, we're committed to putting our team first, always being customer focused, having a can-do attitude, owning our results and always acting with integrity. This is what we hire for and what our team members exhibit each day. Want to make an impact with us?

POSITION SUMMARY

This position reports to the Human Resources Director and partners closely with Business Leaders to address both strategic and tactical Employee and Labor Relations matters that are vital to the company's success. The role provides expert guidance and serves as a key resource in shaping and implementing employee and labor relations strategies along with talent acquisition plans that foster a positive and high-performing workplace culture.

In addition to managing labor relations and serving as the primary liaison with Union representatives, this position plays a central role in driving employee engagement, supporting leadership development, and ensuring consistent and fair application of HR policies and practices. The role also leads core HR activities such as employee engagement surveys, performance management, and workforce planning—ensuring alignment with organizational goals. This position will also manage our full-time recruiter, and partner with Business Leaders and internal clients to develop an effective and forward-thinking recruitment process supporting near-term and long-term workforce needs. Our recruiting goals are to identify, attract, hire, develop, and retain the employees required to meet long-term organizational objectives and values. The ideal candidate brings a balanced approach to employee and labor relations, with a strong commitment to cultivating a collaborative work environment that supports both business performance and employee success in a dynamic and evolving telecommunications landscape.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s)

• Serve as the primary liaison with union representatives and lead all aspects of labor relations, including contract interpretation, grievance resolution, labor-management meetings, and collective bargaining. Provide strategic counsel to leadership on labor matters, proactively address conflicts, and ensure compliance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

• Collaborate with business leaders on employee relations strategies that support a positive and productive work environment. Provide guidance on policy application, conflict resolution, and performance management.

• Drive employee engagement initiatives, including administration and analysis of engagement surveys. Partner with leaders to develop and implement action plans that enhance workplace culture and employee satisfaction.

• Support performance management processes by advising on goal setting, coaching, corrective action, and performance improvement strategies.

• Contribute to workforce planning by analyzing staffing needs, identifying talent gaps, and supporting succession planning and organizational development efforts.

• Administer leave programs, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations and consistent application across the organization.

• Facilitate training and coaching to managers on employee relations best practices, leadership development, and compliance with employment laws and company policies.

• Ensure compliance with employment laws such as the ADA, FMLA, and other federal/state regulations; recommend policy updates to maintain legal and operational effectiveness.

• Partner with HR leadership and business stakeholders to analyze turnover trends, identify root causes, and implement strategies to improve retention and employee experience.

• Participate in cross-functional HR initiatives to enhance employee experience, streamline processes, and strengthen organizational culture.

• Develop an innovative and proactive talent acquisition strategy consistent with Company goals and values. Maintain processes, tools, and standards that maximize the effectiveness of recruiters and hiring managers.

• Plan, direct, supervise, and coordinate the work activities of the recruitment staff.

• Parter with HR leadership to set the department's strategic direction to meet or exceed workforce planning and staffing requirements of the Company.

• Partner with HR leadership and key Business Leaders to address turnover matters in any area of the business. Identify the root causes of turnover. Identify solutions such as recruiting, marketing, training, and behavioral management initiatives to minimize turnover. Build metrics and scorecards that capture measurable improvements in selection, motivational rewards, and retention.

• Partner with managers, directors, and VPs to deliver talent plans, succession plans, and demographic models in order to meet current and future demand for qualified people.

• Perform other duties and complete projects not specified on this job description, as assigned.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Leadership - Ability to influence others to perform their jobs effectively and to be responsible for making decisions.

• Communication Skills - must have excellent oral and written communication skills. Position will require frequent preparation and delivery of detailed plans and proposals. Strong communication/interpersonal skills with emphasis on decision-making, conflict management, and team building. Must have ability to develop work plans, work effectively as a member of a team, report on status of projects, and represent the team in meetings and/or with the client, and be able to coordinate issues identification and resolution between internal clients and the external vendors.

• Customer Focus - Ability to manage customer relationships, communication and centricity. Take overall accountability for customer relationships, provide "account management" functionality, and act in the capacity of a solution provider. Ability to communicate with customers effectively, on a proactive basis, and manage the communication process. An attitude that the customer is the key to success and keeping the customers' interests are paramount.

• Organizational Development - Build and lead staff/teams using coaching, mentoring skills. Hire and lead a team of staff or multiple teams, with background and experience in performance development, evaluations, etc. Ability to serve as a mentor or coach for individuals or teams, develop skills, identify developmental opportunities and invest in building high performing teams.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A Bachelor's degree; applicable experience may be substituted for education on a year for year basis.

Experience: Minimum: Six (6) years of experience in human resources with at least three (3) years of professional experience specializing in most, if not all aspects of employee and labor relations including collective bargaining, contract administration, mediation, fact-finding, grievance administration and resolution, and arbitration preparation and presentation. Applicable college level education may be substituted for the non-specialized experience on a year for year basis.

Preferred: Proven experience in evaluating, preparing and taking unresolved grievances through the arbitration process. Experience in the telecommunications industry, preferably for an integrated customer-focused service provider. Knowledge of the Alaska labor market and Alaska labor unions. PHR or other HR / Labor certifications.

We hope you'll join us as we change lives through technology.

About Us

For more than 120 years, our team has served Alaskans with critical telecommunication services. As technology becomes increasingly woven into our lives, we're focused on delivering world-class connectivity solutions to our customers, from family homes to statewide enterprises. With career opportunities across the Last Frontier, our team takes pride in serving customers and giving back to our local communities.

Exciting challenges are in front of us. We're actively building Alaska's fastest internet with fiber to the home. In rural Alaska, we're building a state-of-the-art network to bridge the digital divide for communities that have gone unserved for too long.

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