Director of Employee Relations

Title: Director of Employee Relations

Position Type: Professional Tech Full time

College: Red Rocks Community College

Division: Office of the President

Department: RRCC Human Resources

Campus: RRCC Lakewood Campus

Location: Lakewood

Salary Range: $90,000 - $99,000

Who We Are:

Red Rocks Community College exemplifies extraordinary. We are dedicated to our Vision and Mission, which promote student achievement, staff empowerment, and community engagement. We live our values: Learning, Collaboration, Community, Belonging, and Empowerment.

RRCC seeks applicants who understand and have first-hand experience working with diverse populations, which may include but are not limited to, historically marginalized populations such as people of color, LGBTQ+ community members, veterans, first generation graduates, and people with disabilities.

Job Summary:

Red Rocks Community College seeks a Director of Employee Relations to lead complex employee relations work across the College. Reporting to the Senior Director of HR Operations, the Director serves as a trusted resource to employees, supervisors, hiring authorities, HR staff, and College leadership. The position independently manages sensitive matters from initial concern through resolution, facilitates applicable processes, supports clear communication, and ensures appropriate documentation and follow-through.

The Director oversees non-civil rights employee grievances, complaint processes, internal reviews, and appeals, labor relations, and related employment compliance. The position leads complex performance and conduct matters, including corrective action, progressive discipline, disciplinary action, faculty non-renewal, termination, due process, and classified personnel processes. The Director works directly with employees, supervisors, representatives, and decision-makers and participates in related meetings to provide guidance and help ensure process requirements are followed.

The Director serves as the primary Civil Rights and Title IX Deputy Coordinator for matters involving an employee respondent and coordinates the College’s responsibilities in support of processes conducted or overseen by the Colorado Community College System (CCCS) office. The position also serves on the College’s Behavioral Intervention Team and partners with Campus Police and other College areas regarding concerning employee behavior and workplace safety matters. The Director develops preventative education and supervisor resources and evaluates employee relations data and trends to identify opportunities for training and process improvement. This position is primarily performed on campus and requires regular availability during core on-campus hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some schedule flexibility and remote work may be available.

A successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Sound judgment and independent ownership: The ability to assess urgency, determine necessary next steps, manage complex matters through completion, and appropriately escalate significant concerns.
• Emotional intelligence, communication, and conflict-management skill: The ability to remain calm and credible in high-stress or emotionally charged situations, listen carefully, communicate difficult information clearly and respectfully, de-escalate conflict, and guide conversations toward productive next steps.
• Organization, prioritization, and follow-through: The ability to manage multiple sensitive matters, maintain accurate documentation, meet required timelines and coordinate with appropriate partners.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Knowledge of one or more of the following: employment law, employee relations, labor relations, due process, performance management, grievance and complaint resolution, or disciplinary practices, with the ability to learn and apply the remaining areas, as well as COWINS requirements, Colorado classified personnel processes, CCCS policies and procedures, and College protocols and guidelines.
• Strong fact-finding, documentation, case management, organization, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to remain calm, credible, and effective in high-stress or emotionally charged situations.
• Ability to apply diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility principles and use employee relations data and trends to support preventative education and process improvement.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, conflict-resolution, de-escalation, time-management, and professional judgment skills, including the ability to assess urgency, identify matters requiring immediate action, and prioritize competing responsibilities.
• Demonstrated initiative, accountability, and independent follow-through, including the ability to identify next steps, obtain needed information and resources, address barriers, and complete responsibilities with limited day-to-day direction.
• Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with employees, supervisors, College leaders, and other stakeholders while managing sensitive concerns that require timely action, ongoing follow-up, and appropriate escalation.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in employee relations, labor relations, workplace investigations, employment compliance, civil rights, Title IX, student conduct, legal affairs, or another closely related area involving investigations, complaint resolution, conduct matters, or due process.
• At least two years of direct experience conducting or coordinating internal reviews, investigations, grievances, complaint processes, conduct matters, disciplinary actions, appeals, or related resolution processes. Comparable experience in student conduct, civil rights, Title IX, or another setting may be considered when it includes fact-finding, documentation, procedural requirements, findings or recommendations, and case resolution.
• Completion of formal or on-the-job training in investigations, internal reviews, fact-finding, conduct processes, or complaint resolution.
  Preferred Qualifications
• Experience working in a human resources department or advising supervisors and employees on performance management, workplace concerns, investigations, grievances, or disciplinary processes.

Physical & Cognitive Demands

The following are some of the physical and cognitive demands commonly associated with this position.

• Occasionally moves, positions, and transports standard office supplies and equipment weighing up to 10 pounds.
• This is largely a sedentary role performed in an office environment. The position constantly uses a computer and routinely uses standard office equipment, including phones, copiers, and related technology. The position also requires occasional standing, walking, bending, reaching, and movement between offices, meeting locations, and campuses.
• Constantly communicates with employees, supervisors, College leaders, union representatives, CCCS partners, legal counsel, and other internal and external constituents. Must be able to receive, understand, and exchange accurate information in person, by telephone, virtually, and in writing.
• Cognitive demands include comparing, copying, computing, compiling, analyzing, coordinating, synthesizing, negotiating, communicating, instructing, problem-solving, and applying advanced interpersonal and professional judgment skills.
• Requires sustained attention and the ability to interpret and apply laws, policies, procedures, labor requirements, and other complex information. Must manage multiple confidential and sensitive matters, competing deadlines, interruptions, changing priorities, and situations requiring immediate assessment, action, consultation, or escalation.
• Regularly interacts with individuals who may be distressed, frustrated, escalated, or experiencing conflict. Must maintain a calm and professional presence, communicate effectively during emotionally charged situations, support de-escalation, maintain appropriate boundaries and confidentiality, and make sound decisions under pressure. Requires effective stress management, emotional self-awareness, and resilience.
• May require hours outside of regular office hours. May require work at both campuses. May require travel between campuses.

Starting Salary

Starting salary range for this position is $90,000 to $99,000 annually, commensurate with education and experience. This is a full-time, FLSA-exempt position. This position has been exempted from the State Classified System.

To Apply

All applicants must submit:

1. Resume
2. Detailed letter of interest (cover letter) addressing the job announcement.

Candidates will be evaluated based on their qualifications as related to the duties and responsibilities of the position. Candidates may redact any personally identifiable information on their materials including but are not limited to age, date of birth, and dates of attendance and date of graduation for educational institutions. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you have questions regarding this position, please contact us at HR@rrcc.edu.

Benefits

At RRCC, we value and uphold a commitment to a workplace that focuses on employees. In addition to rewarding and meaningful work, we offer a comprehensive selection of benefits to support our employees, including:

• Strong, flexible retirement benefits including Colorado PERA’s Defined Benefit Plan or Defined Contribution Plan. RRCC contributes 21.61% of your salary on your behalf. Supplemental retirement plans including 401(k), 403(b) and 457 plans are also available.
• Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and flexible savings benefits.
• Employee assistance services such as counseling, professional coaching, financial planning, and more, are available to you and members of your household at no cost through the Colorado State Employee Assistance Program (C-SEAP).
• Generous paid time off benefits including up to 15 hours of annual leave and 10 hours sick leave per month, 10 paid holidays per year, and up to 18 hours for academic and volunteer activities.
• Tuition assistance for employees and their eligible dependents at any community college within the Colorado Community College System or CCCOnline.
• State employees are eligible to participate in BenefitHub which offers discounts for retailers and services and other benefits resources.
• Employees may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Additional information about this program can be found on the Colorado Division of Human Resources website.

Notice to all Applicants

• Final candidate will be subject to successful completion of a background check, and, if applicable, a motor vehicle record review.
• Former employees of the Colorado Community College System, or one of its 13 colleges, who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination, must disclose this information in their application material.
• Final candidates are required to submit unofficial transcripts for non-instructional positions and official transcripts for instructional positions to Human Resources within thirty (30) days of hire.
• Direct deposit of payroll is a condition of employment.
• Red Rocks Community College participates in E-Verify.
• Red Rocks Community College is a tobacco and smoke-free campus.
• All RRCC employees, except student employees, contribute to Colorado PERA at a fixed percentage of their earnings and do not contribute to Social Security.
• Finalist must be willing to make Colorado their primary workplace.
• Employees may not have a combination of overtime exempt and non-exempt positions within the System at the same time. Employees in overtime exempt positions may be eligible for additional assignments, such as teaching or other non-instructional academic work, outside of their regular position duties. Payment for additional assignments shall be in accordance with the College’s or System Office’s applicable pay schedule for similarly situated positions where the work is being performed. Work on additional assignments must be completed when the employee is not receiving regular pay for another position and are subject to all applicable workload limits.

RRCC/CCCS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Red Rocks Community College and Colorado Community College System believes when all human qualities are regarded with dignity and respect and when everyone has access to the individualized support they need, all will have the opportunity to thrive. In all aspects of the employment process, decisions are made based on merit, competence, performance and business need without regard to sex, gender, race, color, age, creed, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, familial status, veteran or military status, pregnancy status, marital status, religion, genetic information, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law. Our Accommodations and Non-Discrimination policies, plus other helpful information, can be found publicly at https://www.rrcc.edu/disclaimers-and-legal-notices.

We also believe in going further. At RRCC we have a focus on equity and belonging. We strive to create a community in which everyone feels respected and valued for their unique talents and contributions, and where people from all backgrounds are able to achieve their goals. Red Rocks Community College acknowledges that inclusion and equity are multifaceted and complex concepts, and that our efforts in these areas will require innovation, intention, and an institutional commitment to these principles, across our entire college community.

Red Rocks Community College is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). As we move toward full HSI status, we are focused on servingness and are committed to creating a learning environment where equity is expected and our Latinx students thrive.

For information regarding Red Rocks Community College Security, including Clery Act/Crime Statistics for the campuses and surrounding area, please see the https://www.rrcc.edu/campus-police.