Job Details

Director of Labor Relations

Location: Support Center - Las Vegas, NV 89119 US (Primary)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Human Resources

Join our Support Center and be a pivotal resource to our field and distribution teams – where innovation, cross‑functional collaboration, and career growth come together in an exciting environment! The Director, Labor Relations for WHSmith North America is a strategic and hands‑on leader who drives positive employee relations while managing the full spectrum of union matters for a multi‑site travel retailoperation. This role partners closely with Field Operations, the People team, Central Operations, internal and external legal counsel, and union representatives to sustain a high‑performing, people‑first culture across union and non‑union environments. The leader will have responsibility for Labor Peace Agreements, labor relations issues, collective bargaining, and manage ongoing unionized employee relations, including grievance and arbitration processes.

Benefits

• Employee Discount
• Employer‑Paid Life Insurance
• Flex Time Off
• Disability Insurance
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• 401(k) with company match

Strategy & Partnership

• Serve as the primary point of contact for union‑related matters and a trusted advisor to senior leadership on labor strategy, risk, and opportunities.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with union representatives and internal stakeholders to resolve issues proactively and sustain trust.
• Align labor strategies with business goals and a consistent colleague experience across stores/distribution centers.

Positive Employee Relations (PER)

• Design and deliver positive employee relations (PER) initiatives, including proactive engagement strategies, listening mechanisms, and issue‑spotting routines in locations with high turnover and/or low engagement.
• Coach field leaders on respectful workplace, leadership communication, and early resolution practices that reduce escalations and grievances.
• Analyze engagement and employee relations metrics to identify themes and recommend targeted interventions.

Labor Peace Agreements (LPAs)

• Lead the negotiation, implementation, and governance of LPAs in existing and new business, ensuring alignment with operational needs and local requirements, leveraging outside counsel expertise.
• Create playbooks and training for field leaders on LPA obligations, operating rhythms, and reporting protocols.
• Monitor compliance and partner with outside counsel on updates, audit readiness, and risk mitigation.

Union Campaigns

• Lead company efforts related to union organizing activity, ensuring all actions are consistent with applicable labor laws, including the NLRA, LPAs, and company policy.
• Coordinate communications, training, and field readiness; advise leaders on appropriate conduct and messaging.
• Track key metrics related to organizing activity, maintain appropriate documentation, and elevate issues and risks in a timely manner, consistent with applicable labor laws.

Collective Bargaining

• Collaborate with outside counsel to develop bargaining strategies (economic and non‑economic), proposals, and costing models in partnership with Legal, Total Rewards, and Finance.
• Play a key role in negotiations, collaborating with outside counsel on bargaining calendars, caucuses, and stakeholder updates.
• In coordination with outside counsel, ensure timely contract ratification, implementation, and change management. Maintain contract libraries and summaries for operational use.

Unionized Employee Relations

• Oversee grievance, mediation, and arbitration processes—ensuring thorough investigations, timely responses, and consistent outcomes.
• Interpret and apply collective bargaining agreements; create practical guidance for supervisors and the People team.
• Build constructive working relationships with union reps/stewards; resolve site‑specific issues before they escalates in partnership with onsite leadership.

Training, Enablement & Communications

• Create and deliver training on PER, union do's & don'ts, CBA administration, and manager capabilities for union and non‑union environments.
• Develop communications toolkits for leaders and HR to ensure clarity, consistency, and compliance.
• Partner with LMS Administrator to ensure online training is current to policies and compliance training in areas of responsibility is completed as required by leaders.

Reporting, Risk, Compliance & Metrics

• Ensure compliance with NLRA and applicable state/local laws; partner with outside counsel on investigations, ULP charges, and regulatory filings.
• Establish and report labor relations KPIs (e.g., grievance rates, arbitration outcomes, campaign activity, LPA compliance, bargaining cycle times).
• Prepare and communicate updates on labor activities to leadership, including the development and delivery of presentations to the executive leadership team and North American Board of Directors.
• Conduct root‑cause analysis; recommend system/process changes to reduce recurrence.

Cross‑Functional Leadership

• Partner with People team on hiring strategies in union environments; with Operations on scheduling, staffing, and work rules; and with Safety on compliance.
• Collaborate with Chief People Officer on external messaging when appropriate.

Qualifications

• 5‑7 years of progressive labor/employee relations experience, including direct involvement with union campaigns and collective bargaining in multi‑site retail, grocery, specialty, big box, logistics, or hospitality.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Industrial/Labor Relations, Business, or related field; advanced degree or JD a plus.
• Demonstrated experience administering CBAs and managing grievances/arbitrations.
• Strong knowledge of NLRA and relevant state/local regulations; experience with LPAs and neutrality agreements preferred.
• Proven ability to build trust with union representatives and internal leaders, balancing advocacy and business needs.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and influence skills; comfortable leading negotiations and executive updates.
• Analytical mindset with experience in costing proposals and using data to drive decisions.
• Willingness to travel 10–30% to stores, distribution centers, and bargaining locations.
• High integrity and ability to manage sensitive information with utmost confidentiality.
• Critical thinking & problem‑solving skills along with the ability to independently prioritize work.
• Bilingual (Spanish) or multilingual skills preferred.

Additional Requirements

• Frequent sitting
• Limited standing, walking, climbing, crouching, bending, pushing, or pulling
• Limited travel or overnight
• Occasional travel or overnight
• Frequent travel or overnight; including international
• Normal or corrected vision and hearing
• Can distinguish varying or specific colors, patterns, or materials
• Fluency in English is required for training, customer interactions, and ensuring compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Typically, indoors
• Typically, at a consistent temperature
• Lift 0–25 lbs.
• Use of fine motor hand functions
• Advanced computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and experience with a merchandising software platform.