Assistant Vice President of Employee Relations

Job description

Job Number #26-105

Suffolk County Community College is the largest community college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system, enrolling more than 26,000 students at its three campuses in Selden, Brentwood, and Riverhead, as well as its Culinary Arts Center in Riverhead. Established in 1959, the college offers a wide array of transfer-oriented associate degrees in the liberal arts and sciences; business; communications and the arts; computing and cybersecurity; health sciences; and many other areas. Career-facing degrees and certificates are offered in allied health professions, automotive technology, culinary and baking, manufacturing, and many other areas. The college provides high school concurrent enrollment opportunities to thousands of students each year through both Suffolk’s Beacon program and through on-campus early college classes. Designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution, Suffolk enrolls thousands of students in English Language Learning courses, and also serves more veterans and military-connected students than any other college in the SUNY system.

Suffolk County Community College is seeking an experienced Assistant Vice President to lead all aspects of employee relations within the college as a trusted advisor to college leadership, faculty, and staff, through coaching, training, and guidance on complex employee relations matters including discipline, performance management, workplace investigations, conflict resolution, and policy compliance while supporting the college's goals for engagement, retention, and strategic effectiveness. Reporting to the Vice President for Human Resources (VPHR), this key role will contribute in fostering a culture of continuous improvement, respect and accountability.

Key Responsibilities

Conducts confidential workplace investigatory interviews with complainants, respondents, and witnesses; gathers and reviews relevant documentation and evidence including but not limited to allegations of misconduct and policy violations.

Prepares comprehensive investigative reports with findings and recommendations. Implements early intervention strategies to reduce conflict and foster accountability.

Assists managers in establishing action plans to address performance issues.

Serves as the subject matter expert to facilitates conflict resolutions and mediates disputes.

Partners with Legal Affairs, Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, and other relevant offices on investigations and compliance matters, as appropriate.

Tracks, analyzes, and reports on employee relations trends to inform policy development, training needs, and organizational improvements.

Provides training and guidance to administrators on complex employee relations issues, performance improvement plans, coaching and counseling.

Develops and implements investigation protocols, procedures, and documentation standards to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, collective bargaining agreements and college policies.

Facilitates and supports grievance administration, including interpretation and application of collective bargaining agreements and preparation of responses and supporting documentation.

Collaborates with the VPHR to identify and implement process improvements to enhance HR operations.

Ensures consistent and compliant application of HR policies, collective bargaining agreements, and civil service rules.

Oversight of the end-to-end reasonable accommodation process in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state/local regulations, and college policy.

Conducts timely and thorough assessments of accommodation requests including review of medical documentation, evaluating job requirements, and collaborating with HR staff, legal counsel and department leadership to ensure a fair and equitable process.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Strong judgment, discretion, and the ability to operate effectively both independently and in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Extensive experience conducting workplace investigations, including writing comprehensive investigative reports.

Strong knowledge of employment law, labor relations, and compliance requirements.

Experience working in a unionized environment with multiple collective bargaining agreements.

Has a deep understanding of FMLA, ADA, and state-specific leave regulations.

Task-oriented with proven ability to drive positive results.

Demonstrated ability to manage complex and sensitive situations with confidentiality and sound judgment.

Excellent interpersonal, analytical, and communication skills.

Ability to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Strong organizational and documentation skills with attention to detail.

Exceptional analytical, evaluative, research, and critical thinking skills to arrive at valid conclusions, make informed recommendations, and action plans.

Strong work ethic, character and personal integrity with the ability to work with the utmost professionalism, discretion and confidentiality, as well as to establish and maintain productive working relationships

Qualifications:

Minimum

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university.

Seven (7) years of experience in labor relations /human resources conducting investigations; one (1) year of which must have been in a supervisory capacity.

Previous experience working in a large complex unionized environment.

NOTE: Additional relevant experience will be substituted for education on a year-to-year basis up to a maximum of two (2) years.

Preferred

Master’s degree in Human Resources, Labor Relations, Public Administration, or a related field or Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.

SHRM Certification or equivalent HR certification.

Experience in higher education and/or public sector environments.

The Assistant Vice President of Employee Relations is an exempt position; compensation will be based on the college's exempt salary and benefit plan. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental and vision, vacation days, deferred compensation, and a defined benefit (pension) plan.

The New York State Retirement and Social Security Law requires retirees of a public pension plan within the State or City of New York to disclose prior public employment and pension plan history for the purpose of establishing a retiree’s eligibility for employment.

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Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.