Employee Relations Officer

Austin Community College

Highland Business Center,

ID: 7138843 (Ref.No. R-4024)
Posted: April 7, 2023
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Job Description

Job Posting Closing Times: Job postings are removed from advertising at 12:00 A.M. on the closing date e.g., at midnight on the day before the closing date.

If you are a current Austin Community College employee, please click this link to apply through your Workday account.

Austin Community College is a public two-year institution that serves a diverse population of approximately 41,000 credit students each Fall and Spring semester. We embrace our identity as a community college, as reflected in our mission statement. We promote student success and community development by providing affordable access, through traditional and distance learning modes, to higher education and workforce training, including appropriate applied baccalaureate degrees, in our service area.

As a community college committed to our mission, we seek to recruit and retain a workforce that:

Reflects the diversity of our community
Values intellectual curiosity and innovative teaching
Is attracted by the college's mission to promote equitable access to educational opportunities
Cares about student success and collaborates on strategies to facilitate success for under-represented populations
Welcomes difference and models respectful interaction with others
Engages with the community both within and outside of ACC

Commitment to Equity and Inclusion

ACC is committed to the ongoing systemic changes needed to ensure the increased recruitment, inclusion, retention, and completion of historically underserved and underrepresented populations. Through continual strategic community engagement and professional development of administrators, faculty, staff, and students, the college demonstrates its dedication to fostering a culture and climate for equitable outcomes.

ACC is proud to serve a diverse student body as an open-access and low-cost institution. Dedicated faculty members are excellent professors who help students achieve their educational goals and are sensitive to our students' diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. In 2017 our faculty adopted a Statement of ACC Faculty Values. This Statement affirms that ACC's faculty members value collaboration, service, agency, scholarship, inclusion, and teaching, all of which attest to our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our mission.

Job Posting Title:

Employee Relations Officer

Job Description Summary:

Responsible for the implementation and operation of the College’s Employee Relations Office including: management of the employee grievance process; upholding administrative rules and policies; serving as a resource regarding employment matters; and training and compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The focus of this role is to facilitate the resolution of employee and supervisor concerns regarding non-discrimination based issues.
Provides employee relations expertise and services to include, but is not limited to: advising employees and supervisors, guiding complex workplace investigations, facilitating the informal resolution of concerns, and managing investigation findings and recommendations.

Job Description:

Description of Duties and Tasks

Receive, promptly respond, and manage grievances. Communicates with all parties regarding the status of a grievance and the appeal process.
Advises administrators, supervisors and employees in the management of workplace concerns and grievances, and ensures procedures are followed in accordance with College policy and procedure.
Collaborates with District-wide stakeholders to execute thorough investigations.
Facilitates positive employee relationships through the use of coaching, resource referrals, and other supportive measures.
Conduct investigations related to workplace complaints, including recommendations for the prompt and equitable resolution of cases.
Partner with People Operations (HR) to improve the workplace environment through the development, implementation, and evaluation of employee training; and evaluation and recommendation of appropriate changes to College policies and procedures to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.
Lead the efforts of the Grievance Review Council, to include an annual report summarizing the state and use of the grievance process and recommendations for improvement.
Manages and coordinates the work of the Grievance Appeals Committee.
Provides appropriate referral for employees and advises on continuous improvement to ensure physical and psychological safety in the workplace.
Collaborate with key partners and stakeholders to ensure timely, consistent, and proactive education and training on issues pertaining to employee relations, including, but not limited to, policy, employee wellness, and performance.
Stays abreast of pertinent state and federal laws relating to employee relations and in the higher education sector.

Knowledge

Serve as a content expert on employee complaint resolution.
Human Resource principles and management practices, and conducting lawful investigations.
Dispute resolution, mediation, and effective complaint resolution procedures.
Advanced understanding of effective employee grievance resolution practices.
Proven experience handling situations with differing perspectives and working through conflicts for the best possible outcomes for everyone involved.
Use of professional discretion in facilitating crucial conversations.
Expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in the workplace.

Skills

Manage a complex caseload, multiple priorities, and procedural timelines.
Exceptional interpersonal, writing, and presentation skills.
Expertise in communicating with individuals who are directly impacted by decisions.
Ability to influence and guide supervisors to ensure equitable, transparent and consistent decision making.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with a wide variety of individuals.
Effective management, implementation, and planning skills.
Attention to detail and follow-through.
Use tact, discretion and sound judgment when working with sensitive and personal information.

Technology Skills

Use of a variety of spreadsheet, word processing, database, and presentation software.
Ability to develop and analyze reports and statistical data in a variety of mediums.
Use a sophisticated interactive database system for case management.
Ability to coordinate and execute results among stakeholders in a remote/hybrid environment.

Required Work Experience

Five years related work experience.

Preferred Work Experience

Five to seven years of related work experience in employee relations and/or dispute resolution.
Supervisory experience.

Required Education

Bachelor's degree.

Preferred Education

Master’s degree in a related field such as human resources management, conflict resolution, organizational management/leadership, or higher education administration.

Special Requirements

Licenses/Certifications; Other

Valid Texas Driver's License and reliable transportation for travel in the Austin area as required.

Other Preferred Qualifications

Human Resource Professional Certifications.
Certification in workplace investigations.
Mediation Certification.
Counseling or administrative experience in higher education.

Physical Requirements

Work is performed in a standard office or similar environment.
Subject to standing, walking, sitting, bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling.
Occasional lifting of objects up to 10 pounds.
Occasional travel between campuses as needed

Safety

Work safely and follow safety rules. Report unsafe working conditions and behavior. Take reasonable and prudent actions to prevent others from engaging in unsafe practices.

Salary Range

$82,756 - $103,445

Reports to Director, Equal Opportunity Compliance Office

Number of Openings:

Job Posting Close Date:

April 20, 2023

Clery Act

As required by the US Department of Education, employees are required to report violations under Title IX and, under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), select individuals are required to report crimes. If this position is identified as a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified, trained, and provided resources for reporting.

Disclaimer

The above description is an overview of the job. It is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities of the job, nor is it an all-inclusive list of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Duties and responsibilities may change with business needs. ACC reserves the right to add, change, amend, or delete portions of this job description at any time, with or without notice. Employees may be required to perform other duties as requested, directed, or assigned. In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made by ACC at its discretion to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.

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