Senior Labor Relations Consultant (# 376537)
51University of Minnesota
1861 US-169, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, USA
$120,000 - $140,000
Human Resources
El cierre: 15 dic 2026
81 Industrial Relations Trabajos
Human ResourcesIndustrial Relations, Labor & Employee Relations
81 Trabajos encontrados
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What Industrial Relations Jobs in Universities Cover
Industrial relations (IR), also called employee relations or labour relations, is the part of HR that manages the formal relationship between a university, its staff and the unions that represent them. Typical roles include Employee Relations Advisor, Industrial Relations Manager, Labour Relations Specialist, Workplace Relations Consultant, Agreement Negotiator and Workplace Investigator.
This page lists current industrial relations vacancies at universities, colleges and research organisations.
⚖️ Day-to-Day Work
- Bargaining: preparing for and negotiating enterprise agreements or collective agreements with academic and professional staff unions.
- Interpretation: advising managers on how agreement clauses, awards and policies apply to workload, leave, pay and fixed-term contracts.
- Cases: handling grievances, disputes, performance and misconduct matters, and representing the institution before tribunals or arbitrators.
- Change consultation: running the formal consultation that agreements require before restructures, redundancies or new ways of working.
- Investigations: conducting or managing workplace investigations into complaints, bullying or research misconduct allegations.
Much of this work starts before a formal dispute, so practical guides such as 10 strategies for staff conflicts in higher ed and best practices for thoughtful layoffs in higher education are useful background for IR candidates.
Why Higher Education Is a Distinct IR Environment
Universities have high union density among academic staff compared with many private-sector employers, and academic freedom, intellectual property and workload models are often written into agreements. Examples of sector unions include the NTEU in Australia, UCU in the United Kingdom, faculty associations in Canada, and AAUP or AFT chapters in the United States. IR staff therefore need to understand both employment law and the norms of academic life, such as probation, promotion and research time.
Skills and Backgrounds Employers Want
- Detailed knowledge of employment and workplace relations law.
- Experience interpreting agreements and building a defensible case file.
- Negotiation and consultation experience, ideally with unions.
- Investigation training and clear, neutral report writing.
Many IR professionals come from legal, union, government or HR generalist backgrounds. Related specialties include equity and compliance and HR leadership, and you can browse every specialty on the main HR jobs board.
Why is Academic Jobs the place to find Industrial Relations Jobs worldwide?
Academic Jobs lists current university and higher education openings worldwide with filters that match how campuses hire — by job type, position, city, and institution. Use the search above to narrow the live list, then apply from the employer listing. Set an alert with the same filters so new posts reach you while they are still open.
This page is for job seekers who want higher-ed roles, not a generic job feed. The heading count is the number of matching jobs worldwide right now. That is the figure you should use when you decide whether to widen the region or keep filtering.
Frequently Asked Questions
⚖️What is the difference between industrial relations and employee relations?
They overlap heavily. Industrial relations usually refers to the collective side, such as unions and enterprise or collective bargaining, while employee relations often covers individual matters like grievances, performance and misconduct. Many university roles cover both.
🤝Do university IR roles involve working with unions?
Yes. Academic staff in particular have high union membership in many countries, so bargaining, consultation on change and dispute resolution with unions are central to the job.
📚Do I need a law degree for industrial relations jobs?
Not always. A law degree helps for senior and tribunal-facing roles, but many advisors hold degrees in HR, employment relations or business and build expertise through casework.
🔍Are workplace investigator roles listed here?
Yes. Universities often hire internal investigators or employee relations specialists to manage complaints, bullying and misconduct matters.
