Director, Labor Strategy & Litigation - 138741

The Director, Labor Strategy & Litigation is a key organizational leader responsible for designing and executing comprehensive labor strategies that align with UC San Diego Health's mission, operational priorities, and risk tolerance. This role leads a team of subject matter experts who provide high-level labor guidance across the enterprise, resolve complex issues with potential legal exposure, and cultivate constructive labor-management relationships within a highly unionized, fast-paced academic healthcare environment.

As a senior member of the Health Human Resources leadership team, the Director serves as a strategic advisor to executives and departmental leaders, advancing organizational interests both locally and systemwide. The role requires sophisticated judgment in assessing labor-related risks and guiding decisions that carry significant operational, legal, and precedent-setting implications.

The Director is responsible for the strategic implementation of multiple systemwide and local collective bargaining agreements, proactively identifying opportunities to mitigate disputes and determine when to pursue or resolve administrative labor litigation. In partnership with internal stakeholders and external and internal counsel, this leader develops pre-litigation assessments, case strategies, and settlement recommendations that balance organizational objectives, legal risk exposure, precedential impacts, and negotiation posture. Performs other related HHR leadership duties as assigned.

Key Responsibilities

Labor Litigation Strategy:
* Leads the development and implementation of comprehensive labor litigation strategies aligned with organizational goals and risk tolerance.
* Directs pre-litigation assessment, case strategy, and settlement evaluation in collaboration with internal stakeholders and external counsel.
* Oversees defense of unfair labor practice charges, grievances proceeding to arbitration, administrative hearings, and court litigation.
* Determines when to pursue settlement versus litigation, balancing legal risk, operational impact, precedent-setting implications, and financial exposure.
* Ensures consistent legal positions across bargaining units and maintains alignment with collective bargaining agreements and statutory requirements.
* Advises executive leadership regarding litigation risk, exposure, and strategic implications for broader labor relations objectives.
* Monitors trends in labor and employment law and proactively adjusts strategy, policies, and negotiation posture to mitigate future legal risk. * Guides the administrative dispute process.* Represents the organization in proceedings, grievances, and final and binding arbitrations.

Management and Leadership:
* Establishes department priorities and goals, delegates work assignments, and manages fiscal and HR resources to ensure the achievement of goals and objectives.
* Provides management oversight for assigned labor relations staff by establishing priorities and delegating work assignments effectively, ensuring proper adherence to collective bargaining policies and procedures.
* Makes recommendations and implements decisions on issues (operational and budget processes, staff FTE, finance, human resources and space planning) that have department-wide impact.

Advice/Counsel/CBA Administration:
* Responsible for administering all collective bargaining agreements for the organization and has final responsibility for interpreting the agreements.
* Responsible for administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements for the organization; conferring with senior managers and Office of the President as necessary.
* Develops and guides effective bargaining strategies that will lead to desired outcomes. Conducts local negotiations in various bargaining units and ensures contracts comply with statutory requirements and meet the needs of the organization and union management.
* Works in a highly collaborative manner with people of diverse cultures and at all levels to effectively advise location managers and human resource professionals on highly complex labor relations and employment law implications relating to individual and location issues or courses of action and to build consensus with other organizations regarding labor relations objectives, writing contract language, developing bargaining strategies, addressing concerns of employees, and maintaining effective relationships with the unions.
* Manages the individuals who serve as chief spokespersons in face-to-face negotiations and is charged with achieving agreements within parameters defined by organization management.

• Bachelor's degree in related area and eight or more years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of experience, education and training.
• Experience within healthcare, higher education, and unionized environments and the issues unique to these settings.
• Experience in Labor Relations, Employee Relations, and/or labor/employment litigation roles.
• Labor litigation strategy and arbitration experience
• Experience in alternative dispute resolution, labor contract negotiations, and/or formal settlement negotiations.
• Proven ability to appropriately manage competing work assignments in a fast-paced environment and set appropriate priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to handle extremely difficult or volatile situations/individuals. Requires skills associated with working in a highly collaborative manner.
• Advanced knowledge of the principles of advocacy, and applicable state and federal laws and court decisions.

• Master's degree in Labor Relations/Industrial Relations and/or JD.
• Experience with HEERA/PERB/EEOC/CA Dept of Civil Rights.
• Experience with UC staff personnel policies/procedures and systemwide union contracts.
• Academic healthcare human resources experience.
• Experience navigating case management systems or other related HR systems to analyze and utilize metrics.
• Current University of California employee.

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.
• Must be able to work various hours and locations based on business needs.