Position Purpose
The Senior Labor Relations Partner serves as the organization's primary expert on labor relations, providing strategic and tactical guidance in a unionized, regulated utility environment. This individual contributor role leads labor relations activities, advises leaders on collective bargaining agreement interpretation and application, and partners closely with unions to support stable, respectful labor-management relationships. The role also provides flexible support across employee relations and employee experience initiatives, ensuring continuity and balanced expertise across the team.
Core Responsibilities
Note: This is not an all-inclusive listing.
Serve as the primary labor relations advisor supporting a workforce with multiple collective bargaining agreements
Lead day-to-day labor relations activities, including contract interpretation, grievance management, and labor-management meetings
Provide guidance to leaders on discipline, performance management, and workplace issues within the context of labor agreements
Support preparation and execution of collective bargaining activities in collaboration with HR leadership and legal counsel
Monitor labor trends, arbitration outcomes, and contractual issues to identify risks and inform strategy
Partner with Employee Relations to ensure consistency between labor agreements, employment policies, and management practices
Provide employee relations support as needed, including investigations, conflict resolution, and policy interpretation
Pinch hit on employee experience and engagement initiatives by advising on workforce sentiment, trust, and labor impacts
Advise leaders on respectful labor-management practices and effective communication with represented employees
Collaborate with Human Resources, Legal, Safety, and Operations to align labor strategies with organizational objectives
Ensure labor relations practices comply with labor laws, collective bargaining agreements, and internal standards
Behavioral Competencies
Note: These are in addition to MGE's Core Competencies.
Manages Conflict - Effectively navigates high-risk, sensitive labor situations
Judgment and Decision Making - Applies sound judgment in complex labor and employee matters
Builds Effective Relationships - Establishes credibility and trust with union leaders and stakeholders
Manages Complexity - Balances operational needs, labor agreements, and regulatory considerations
Courage - Addresses difficult labor and employee issues with professionalism and confidence
Communicates Effectively - Delivers clear, calm, and purposeful communication in challenging situations
Skills
Labor Relations - Advanced; leads contract administration, grievance resolution, and labor-management interactions
Collective Bargaining Agreement Interpretation - Advanced; applies contractual language accurately and consistently
Employee Relations - Proficient; supports investigations, discipline, and conflict resolution when needed
Stakeholder Influence & Advisory Skills - Advanced; advises leaders with confidence and credibility
Regulatory & Legal Awareness - Proficient; understands labor law considerations in a regulated utility environment
Employee Experience & Engagement Awareness - Proficient; assesses workforce sentiment and supports engagement efforts
Education
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Business, or a related field
Experience
7-10 years of experience in labor relations or human resources, including significant experience working with unionized workforces and administering collective bargaining agreements
Experience in a regulated or capital-intensive environment preferred
Work Location
This hybrid role is based at our Madison, WI headquarters. While three days onsite is the minimum, team collaboration and business needs may require additional in-office presence.
Pre-employment will require satisfactory completion of a background check and drug screen.
We are an AA/EOE employer and consider all qualified candidates without regard to protected status.