Sr Manager, Labor & Employee Relations

About the California Academy of Sciences

Founded in 1853, the California Academy of Sciences is a globally renowned, AZA-accredited non-profit scientific and cultural institution located in the heart of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Home to a world-class planetarium, aquarium, rainforest, research institute, and natural history museum—all under one living roof—our mission is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration.

Our living collection reflects Earth’s vast biodiversity, consisting of nearly 60,000 animals representing over 800 species. Our research collections are the largest west of the Mississippi,  spanning nearly 46 million plants, animals, fossils, and cultural artifacts from across the globe and throughout history. Our diverse team includes leading biodiversity scientists, educators, storytellers, designers, and communicators who are passionate about advancing knowledge and catalyzing action through science and storytelling.

Whether you're conducting research behind the scenes or engaging the public on the museum floor, your work will help connect people to the natural world and empower them to protect it.

Organizational Culture

When you join the California Academy of Sciences, you become part of a mission-driven community that values curiosity, collaboration, and innovation, and celebrates its accomplishments together. Staff share a commitment to executing a new strategic plan that will strengthen the organization's financial foundations, cultivate a vibrant internal culture, and foster smart growth to secure the Academy’s future.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are motivated to contribute to our mission. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every qualification for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. The specific onsite/hybrid schedule for this position is listed below.

About the Opportunity

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.

Key Responsibilities

Labor Relations & Collective Bargaining

• 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.

Employee Relations & Workplace Investigations

• 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.

Policy Development & Compliance

• 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.

Analytics, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• 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.

Team Leadership & Stakeholder Partnership

• 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.

Qualifications

Required

• 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.

Preferred

• SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or CLRP (Certified Labor Relations Professional) certification.
• Experience in a unionized environment with multiple CBAs across different bargaining units.
• Experience at an organization with California operations including PAGA exposure.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems (Workday, SAP, etc.) and ER case management tools.

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

Compensation and Benefits:
The salary range for this position is $135,000 - $145,000. Actual compensation will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications and aligned with the internal peer group. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours per week, hybrid (three days / week on site)

How to Apply:  Interested candidates should submit a resume and application through our Careers Page portal.

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).