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