Senior Manager Labor Relations Americas

Summary

The role supports the development of Simplot’s labor relations strategy and leads its execution across Americas for Simplot’s Global Food division, ensuring local compliance within an industrial environment, and alignment with commercial objectives and company values. The Americas region includes 12 sites across Argentina, Canada, Mexico, and the USA.

This role works under the guidance of the Director Labor Relations & Compliance, and partners with Legal, Business, and HR leaders to ensure labor relations regulatory compliance, build labor relations capability, manage risk, and foster constructive, cooperative, and contemporary employee relations practices in the region.

Key focus areas include the following:

• Labor Relations Strategy & Capability: Support the development of a contemporary labor relations framework for Simplot’s Global Food division, and lead its implementation across the region. This includes building labor relations capability, monitoring and responding to grievances (in conjunction with the Simplot Legal Team, where applicable), and enhancing labor relations programs. The role ensures alignment with the broader global strategic framework while tailoring execution to meet local legislative and operational requirements.
• Labor Negotiations: Lead enterprise bargaining in the region, embedding the global bargaining framework. Deliver competitive, risk-mitigated outcomes aligned with market conditions and corporate strategy.
• Advice & Compliance: Drive labor relations compliance across the region by delivering expert strategic advice and support for both project initiatives and business-as-usual (“BAU”) operations. Prioritize regulatory alignment and proactive risk management.
• Litigation: Support employment and bargaining-related litigation in collaboration with the Simplot Legal Team, where applicable, ensuring commercially sound outcomes and effective risk mitigation.
• Projects: Partner with the business to deliver expert and practical labor relations advice related to projects and operational initiatives. Lead or support global labor relations compliance projects.
• Data-Driven Insights: Leverage technology, internal data, and performance metrics to generate actionable insights for senior leadership. Apply benchmarking and industry knowledge to inform strategic decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Labor Relations Strategy & Capability:

• Support the development and implementation of a contemporary labor relations framework for Simplot’s Global Food division.
• Lead or support the improvement of labor relations capability in the region across HR teams and business leaders, ensuring they have the capability to effectively manage frontline labor relations issues in accordance with applicable legislation and collective bargaining agreements (“CBAs”).
• Monitor grievance and complaint activities in the region, providing insights, recommendations, and support to address trends.
• Monitor regulatory conditions in the region to ensure ongoing compliance and identify opportunities to enhance existing programs or introduce new initiatives that better serve business needs or respond to changing regulatory conditions.
• Ensure constructive and cooperative relationships with the union, while maintaining union-free status in specific locations.
  
  

Labor Negotiations and CBA administration:

• Lead enterprise bargaining across the region in partnership with local HR and plant leaders, embedding the global bargaining framework to ensure consistent application in all negotiations.
• Manage industrial actions, bargaining-related disputes, and support the legal team as required with litigation.
• Leverage technology, internal data, key metrics, benchmarking, and industry knowledge to inform strategic decision-making.
• Build and maintain relationships with union officials and leaders, ensuring alignment with Simplot’s fair, flexible, and sustainable labor relations principles.
• Support the development and negotiation of any amendments outside of negotiation timeframes.
  
  

Advice and Compliance:

• Support continuous improvement and ensure ongoing labor relations compliance by owning and regularly updating labor relations documentation and content, reviewing and improving related processes, and identifying and addressing compliance risks.
• Stay current with and ensure the organization complies with all relevant labor laws and regulations.
• Deliver coaching and commercially sound labor relations advice to support both project initiatives and BAU operations, while ensuring effective risk mitigation.
• Partner with key stakeholders, including the HR and Legal teams, to support the resolution of labor relations issues, cases, and complaints.
  
  

Disputes and Litigation:

• Partner with local HR to investigate and resolve employee grievances, conflicts, and complaints.
• Partner with Legal regarding any litigation or administrative actions necessary to resolve labor disputes or grievances.

Projects:

• Partner with the business to deliver expert and practical labor relations advice related to projects.
• Provide guidance on labor relations risks, obligations, and opportunities to ensure alignment with applicable legislation, CBAs, and internal policies and values.
• Lead or support global labor relations compliance projects.

Typical Education

Bachelor's Degree (B.A. or B.S.) from 4 year college or university
Bachelors Degree focused on Law, Industrial Relations or Human Resources highly preferred
Relevant certification in labor relations highly preferred (example: Labor Relations Professional (CLRP), SHRM, etc..)

Experience Details

Other Information

Proven and demonstrated experience leading labor relations across multiple locations and multiple countries. Bi-lingual is an advantage, as this role will need to work closely with internal and external leaders in Argentina and Mexico.

This position may be based at our Simplot Headquarters in Boise, Idaho, or at one of our manufacturing locations in Othello, Washington; Pasco, Washington; Moses Lake, Washington; Caldwell, Idaho; or Grand Forks, North Dakota.