Labor Relations Coordinator or Specialist (Confidential)

Are you a labor relations professional looking to make a massive impact? Join the University of Alaska as our newest Labor Relations Coordinator or Specialist; we are currently recruiting for two positions! In this critical role, you will have a front-row seat to high-level strategic planning, directly assisting the leaders who shape and effectuate labor relations policy for the University. You will also provide direct support to the University’s collective bargaining efforts, including preparation for and participation in negotiations. 

If you thrive in a fast-paced, intellectually stimulating environment and want to leverage your expertise in contract interpretation, collective bargaining, and dispute resolution, we want you on our team!

This position is being recruited at a range level and may be filled as a Labor Relations Coordinator (Grade 79) or Labor Relations Specialist (Grade 80), depending on the selected candidate’s qualifications and experience.

About the Position & Our Team

The UA Labor & Employee Relations team is a collaborative, fast-paced team dedicated to fostering a fair, compliant, and thriving workplace. We handle exciting challenges every day, offering tremendous opportunities for professional growth, hands-on collective bargaining experience, and the chance to work directly with senior administrators and legal counsel. Team members support negotiation strategy development, proposal analysis, and on‑the‑ground bargaining activities.

Because of the nature of the work, this position qualifies as a confidential employee under the Alaska Labor Relations Act.

This is an in-person role with typical office hours, occasional evening or extended hours during active bargaining or grievance proceedings, and periodic travel.

To Thrive in This Role

You must be a highly organized, communicative, and analytical professional who can effectively interpret labor contracts, collaborate with senior leadership, and exercise exceptional judgment in handling sensitive, confidential information. A sense of humor and the ability to remain flexible and good‑natured during complex or high‑pressure labor situations are highly valued.

Your day-to-day impact will depend on your classification level:

• At the Coordinator Level (Grade 79): You will handle tasks that assist leadership in formulating labor relations strategy, prepare confidential bargaining materials, attend grievance meetings, provide logistical and analytical support during collective bargaining negotiations, and advise supervisors on employee-relations matters.
• At the Specialist Level (Grade 80): You will take on responsibilities with increased complexity, independence, technical expertise, decision-making authority, or process leadership. You will serve as a subject matter expert, lead the evaluation of labor disputes, conduct independent research in support of bargaining proposals, actively assist in the development and presentation of bargaining positions during negotiations, and design and deliver labor-relations training for management.

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications for at least one level to be considered.

• For the Labor Relations Coordinator (Grade 79):
  • Bachelor’s degree in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
  • Two (2) years of professional experience in labor relations, employee relations, or human resources.
• For the Labor Relations Specialist (Grade 80):
  • Bachelor’s degree in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of training and experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
  • Three (3) years of professional experience in labor relations, employee relations, or human resources.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Labor Relations, Human Resources, Employment Law, or Public Administration.

• Experience in public-sector or higher-education labor relations.

• Experience supporting collective bargaining or grievance administration.

• Familiarity with Alaska labor law.

Position Details:

This is a full-time, exempt staff position complete with both a competitive salary and full employee benefits package. UA provides a generous compensation package that includes retirement options, annual leave, 12 paid holidays per year, tuition waivers for employees and family members, and affordable medical, dental and vision care coverage. New hires will be placed on the UA Staff Salary Schedule. This position is a range recruitment at Grade 79 or Grade 80. Placement and salary will be based on qualifications, experience, and internal equity.

Please upload a cover letter, resume, and the names and contact information for three (3) professional references (outside of UA) with your application (required). Candidates selected for interviews will be required to pre-submit a writing sample.

We review applications on a rolling basis. Because we may close the posting once a sufficient pool of qualified candidates is established, we encourage early submission. Please note that once a viable pool is identified, further applications may not be reviewed.

The University of Alaska (UA) reserves the right to require employees to work on-site at the UA facilities. Hybrid and remote work may be approved for employees based in Alaska at the University's discretion. Remote work for employees based outside the State of Alaska may be approved only in exceptional circumstances or when required by the position's job duties.

📃To view the full list of job responsibilities, please click HERE.

☎️If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Sarah Randazzo, Signers' Business Office HR Coordinator, at sjrandazzo@alaska.edu.

*To be eligible for this position, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without restriction.  Applicants who now or may in the future require visa sponsorship to work in the United States are not eligible.

The University of Alaska (UA) is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing this application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the ADA team at ua-ada@alaska.edu.

The University of Alaska (www.alaska.edu) is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer and Educational Institution.  The University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination (www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

The successful applicant is required to complete a background check. Any offer of employment is contingent on the background check.

Your application for employment with the University of Alaska is subject to public disclosure under the Alaska Public Records Act.

All employees at the University of Alaska are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism when conducting or engaged in university business.

*Each university within the University of Alaska system publishes an Annual Security and Fire Safety Report which contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking; the procedures the University will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Noncampus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University or a recognized student organization; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus.  The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.  

Access to the reports is available at:

UAA: (Addresses Anchorage campus, Aviation Technology Complex, JBER - Elmendorf Extension, JBER - Richardson Extension, Kenai Peninsula College - Kachemak Bay campus, Kenai Peninsula College - Kenai River campus, Kodiak College, Kodiak High School Extension, Matanuska-Susitna College, Prince William Sound College, and Prince William Sound College - Cordova Extension) Online: https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/students/safety. Request a paper copy in person: UAA Police Department Office at Room 114 of Eugene Short Hall on the Anchorage campus / UAA Dean of Students Office at Room 122 of Rasmuson Hall on the Anchorage campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-786-1120 or police@uaa.alaska.edu / 907-786-1214 or uaa_deanofstudents@alaska.edu. 

UAF: (Addresses Fairbanks Campus, Bristol Bay Campus, Chukchi Campus, Community and Technical College, Kasitsna Bay Campus, Seward Marine Center, Tok Campus, Kuskokwim Campus, and Northwest Campus) Online: https://www.uaf.edu/orca/files/ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: UAF Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability on the 3rd Floor of Constitution Hall. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-474-7300 or uaf-orca@alaska.edu.

UAS: (Addresses the Juneau Auke Bay Campus, Juneau Technical Education Center, Sitka Campus, & Ketchikan Campus) Online: https://uas.alaska.edu/equity-and-compliance/docs/clery/UAS_ASFSR.pdf. Request a paper copy in person: Hendrickson Building, Suite 202 on the Juneau campus. Request a paper copy by mail: 907-796-6371 or emailing uas.clery@alaska.edu.