divh2Employee Labor Relations Manager/h2pThe Employee Labor Relations Manager serves as a strategic partner responsible for strengthening workplace culture, mitigating labor risk, and supporting positive employee relations across a large, multi-brand restaurant organization. This role partners closely with HR, Operations, Legal, Corporate Communications, Brand Leadership, and Franchise Business Consultants to champion a culture of high engagement to mitigate the risk of unionization. The role also proactively addresses labor relations issues, supports HR compliance, and reinforces company values while maintaining a strong pulse on external labor trends and internal workforce trends./ppThis role requires a strong blend of labor relations expertise, cultural intelligence, and operational fluency within high-volume, frontline environments./ph3Responsibilities/h3ulliServe as the subject matter expert on labor relations, including union activity, workplace disruptions, and concerted employee activity./liliAdvise HR and Operations leaders on labor?risk mitigation strategies and best practices for restaurant and field?based environments./liliPartner with Legal, Corporate Communications, Risk, and HR to support responses to labor organizing efforts, unfair labor practice (ULP) allegations, and related investigations./liliMonitor labor trends, regulatory developments, and organizing activity impacting the restaurant industry and relevant geographic markets./liliOwn and manage the Culture Index/Heatmap framework, identifying high?risk locations, enterprise patterns, and operational implications while integrating insights into business decision?making./liliProvide senior leadership with regular updates on the external labor landscape, internal risk trends, cultural indicators, and proactive prevention strategies./li/ululliSupport the design and execution of culture initiatives that promote company values and strengthen a workplace rooted in respect, fairness, and inclusion across diverse brands and markets./liliPartner with HR Business Partners and Operations to identify cultural friction points and recommend practical, scalable, and sustainable solutions./liliAnalyze engagement results, exit feedback, and employee relations trends to surface insights and drive proactive, data?informed action plans./liliContribute to the development of culture?focused communications, toolkits, and training resources to enable field and operational leaders./li/ululliServe as a trusted advisor to Operations leaders and Franchise Business Consultants on complex and sensitive employee relations matters, balancing legal risk, brand values, and operational needs./liliCollaborate with Legal, Compliance, Risk, Corporate Communications, and HR Centers of Excellence to ensure alignment on policies, messaging, and response strategies./liliSupport brand?specific employee relations and labor needs while maintaining consistency with enterprise labor relations standards and culture expectations./li/ululliAssist in the development, review, and rollout of employee relations and labor?related policies, guidelines, and compliance standards./liliConduct ongoing monitoring and interpretation of HR legislation to assess enterprise impact across operations, financials, workforce practices, culture, and policy requirements./liliSupport training initiatives for managers and field leaders on respectful workplace practices, labor law fundamentals, and effective employee communication./liliDevelop and manage playbooks, toolkits, and response frameworks for labor relations scenarios common in the restaurant and franchise environment./li/ulh3Education Qualifications/h3ulliBachelors in Human Resources, Labor Relations, or a related field/liliMasters in Human Resources Labor Relations and/or J.D./li/ulh3Experience Qualification/h3ulli5+ years of progressive experience in labor relations, employee relations, HR, or a closely related function/li/ulh3Knowledge, Skills or Abilities/h3pRequired/pulliStrong working knowledge of U.S. labor and employment laws, including the NLRA and relevant state and local regulations./liliStrong consultative skills with the ability to translate complex regulations into clear, actionable guidance./liliDemonstrated ability to influence without authority and operate effectively as an individual contributor./liliExcellent judgment, discretion, and professionalism when managing sensitive or complex situations./liliStrong interpersonal, coaching, and advisory skills./liliExceptional written and verbal communication skills./liliAbility to balance compliance, culture, and operational realities./liliAnalytical mindset with the ability to identify trends, diagnose root causes, and recommend solutions./liliComfortable working in fast?paced, ambiguous environments./liliAbility to manage projects and deliver high?quality work independently./li/ulpPreferred/pulliExperience supporting unionized or union-adjacent work environments./liliExperience working within a multi?brand, franchise, or highly decentralized business model./liliFamiliarity with change management principles, employee engagement strategies, or organizational culture initiatives./liliHR or labor relations experience in the restaurant, retail, hospitality, or service?based industries./liliExperience partnering across Legal, Risk, Communications, and Operations in a matrixed environment./li/ulpInspire is a multi-brand restaurant company whose portfolio includes more than 33,000 Arbys, Baskin-Robbins, Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin, Jimmy Johns, and SONIC restaurants worldwide. Were made up of some of the worlds most iconic restaurant brands, but were much more than just a restaurant company. Were a team of hundreds of thousands who individually and collectively are changing the way people eat, drink, and gather around the table. We know that food is much more than a stapleits an experience. At Inspire, thats our purpose: to ignite and nourish flavorful experiences./p/div