Arena Careers

About the Obama Foundation

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone.

We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together.

That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation’s first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where—together—they made their home.

But that approach extends to all our work, whether it’s holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity.

As President Obama has said, “we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.” So join us.

For more information, please visit www.obama.org.

Purpose of the Role

The Director, Labor and Employee Relations will be responsible for an array of employment-related functions including, but not limited to, investigations of internal complaints regarding equal employment opportunity and other workplace policies, employee discipline/involuntary terminations, development and administration of workplace policies, and other workforce matters. You will play a key role in executing and enhancing existing employment practices and workplace policies/best practices to maintain legal compliance, improve employee relations, and ensure the work environment at the Foundation is equitable and enriching.

Using a thorough understanding of workplace best practices, organizational dynamics, and comprehensive experience, this role engages with stakeholders located across our locations and partners closely with business leaders, HR Business Partners, and the legal department.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate all aspects of employee relations programs and related functions.
• Create an environment of positive employee relations and coaching by respecting confidentiality, establishing trust and credibility, being seen by employees as approachable and fair, and balancing business with employee needs.
• Partner with legal and other constituents to design and deliver training to managers, employees and HR business partners on relevant employee relations compliance topics and recent employment law updates
• Counsel employees on concerns related to applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws including Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and other similar federal and state laws in all applicable jurisdictions
• Assists managers and supervisors in understanding and implementing company policies related to performance, discipline, and related topics
• Develop an employee relations case management system/process to log and track case progress, disciplinary actions, and metrics to gather insights, confirm consistency of actions, determine trends, and develop proactive strategies to remediate risk within the business
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Reports on trends in employee relations matters and develop and propose strategic solutions to address those trends.
• Expert interpretation and dissemination of labor and employment matters
• Employee relations and labor management training in collaboration with the learning and development manager
• Creative solutions to complex matters as identified to uphold and advance Foundation values
• Dispute resolution processes
• Compliance processes related to all human resources functional areas to include, reporting requirements, state employment jurisdictional matter

Required Qualifications

• Extensive and demonstrable labor and employment experience, including drafting and managing collective bargaining agreements, working in coordination with outside counsel as well as representation with external agencies
• Problem-solving mindset with ability to balance legal risk and business impact
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Thorough understanding of human resources and labor relations principles, practices, and procedures
• Excellent interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships with employees, boards, officials, directors, and other stakeholders
• Working understanding of statistical concepts and methods of data collection
• Ability to compile, research, and analyze information and compose and present comprehensive reports
• Ability to acquire a thorough understanding of the organization's hierarchy, jobs, qualifications, compensation practices, and the administrative practices related to those factors
• Proficient in Google Suite
• Juris Doctorate strongly preferred

In the interest of employee health and safety during the pendency of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Obama Foundation is requiring that all prospective employees present proof that they are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, or seek a reasonable accommodation for religious or medical reasons, prior to their first day of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.