The Senior Employee & Labor Relations Consultant is responsible for developing, managing, and implementing a comprehensive labor relations strategy for Coca Cola’s North America Operating Unit (NAOU) operations and for collaborating as appropriate with the Global Human Rights partner on labor relations issues of potential brand import or global significance.

The Senior Employee & Labor Relations Consultant partners with the business, HR function and COE’s to develop and execute this labor strategy across North America and is accountable for the successful, efficient, effective, legal implementation of labor relations activity from strategy formulation and design to collective bargaining and contract administration, to tracking and analyzing results, to promoting positive employee relations across the system.

What You’ll Do:

• Formulate, develop, and execute overall labor relations strategy – including operational and Total Rewards/benefits-related matters - within North America (US and Canada) partner with Global Human Rights as necessary; track all labor-related results.

• Consult, advise and educate senior leadership on regular basis about all labor relations issues of strategic importance including impact on labor relations/labor agreements due to operational changes; partner with senior leadership and strategic business partners to determine/develop short and long-term business strategy relative to LR impacts in both bargain and non-bargain locations and to implement needed operating flexibilities to promote maximum workforce productivity, efficiency and effectiveness; partner with other COEs to develop and implement front-line benefit and wage strategies.

• Lead strategic planning process for and execute to conclusion (as key and lead spokesperson) contract negotiations in partnership with operations, human resources, legal, public affairs, security, and finance functions.

• Lead an efficient and cost-effective process to manage and administer NAOU's collective bargaining agreements and associated grievance processes, up to and including managing labor arbitration matters, to minimize financial and legal risk to the organization; interact with Union sponsored health/pension funds to ensure legal and contractual compliance; provide guidance and direction to field HRBPs concerning CBA interpretation, application and grievance resolution/responses.

• Lead NAOU's positive employee relations efforts and enable the embedment of a culture of active employee engagement and positive manager communication.

• Work with the legal department and employee relations COE partners as well as outside counsel to ensure all labor-related legal issues are managed cost effectively and appropriately.

• Remain current with key state/provincial and federal labor/employment and benefit laws and legislation; provide training as necessary to field HRBPs to ensure compliance with relevant legal changes.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in law, labor law, human resources or a related field required; Preferably candidate will hold a post graduate qualification, e.g.: Masters, JM, JD

• 8-10+ years of labor relations and employment law experience or equivalent job experience required

• Extensive knowledge regarding employee and labor relations, the National Labor Relations Act, the National Labor Relations Board, and state and federal employment laws

• Demonstrated experience with mediation and other dispute resolution systems and techniques. Experience managing a dispute resolution program or grievance program.

• Demonstrated experience managing collective bargaining agreements. Experience with interest-based negotiations and problem solving strongly preferred.

Functional Skills:

• Deliver results, collaborate, and create value through partnerships with unions, customers, and key stakeholders.

• Strong technical Labor Relations expertise through the provision of consulting, management, and delivery of dispute resolution - management of grievances.

• Effective negotiation and consulting skills.

• Ability to analyze/ interpret and apply complex labor agreements, work rules/ policies. Ability to analyze/ interpret and apply legal/ labor precedent to CBA application and administration.

• The ability to identify and build ER/ LR emerging capabilities, governance from legislative/ case law changes and employee’s life cycle audit - Identify risk reduction measures and models of best practice.

• Strong analytical skills through the delivery of deep-dive analytics on ER/ LR data to provide understanding around the drivers of employee behavior and forecast of employee profile.

• Leadership and technical expertise in employee-leader dialogue and development of leader capability in line with ER/LR and business strategy.

Growth Behaviors:

• Growth Mindset: Demonstrates Curiosity. Welcomes failure as a learning opportunity.

• Smart Risk: Makes bold decisions/recommendations.

• Externally Focused: Understands the upstream and downstream implications of his/her work. Tracks and shares external trends, best practices, or ideas.

• Performance Driven & Accountable: Has high performance standards. Outperforms her/his peers.

• Fast/Agile: Removes barriers to move faster. Experiments and adapts. Thrives under pressure and fast pace.

• Empowered: Brings solutions instead of problems. Challenges the status quo. Has the courage to take an unpopular stance.

Our Purpose and Growth Culture:
We are taking deliberate action to nurture an inclusive culture that is grounded in our company purpose, to refresh the world and make a difference. We act with a growth mindset, take an expansive approach to what’s possible and believe in continuous learning to improve our business and ourselves. We focus on four key behaviors – curious, empowered, inclusive and agile – and value how we work as much as what we achieve. We believe that our culture is one of the reasons our company continues to thrive after 130+ years. Visit Our Purpose and Vision to learn more about these behaviors and how you can bring them to life in your next role at Coca-Cola.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class. When we collect your personal information as part of a job application or offer of employment, we do so in accordance with industry standards and best practices and in compliance with applicable privacy laws.