Employee & Labor Relations Associate

About the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world for everyone to experience and enjoy. The Museum lives in two iconic sites in New York City—The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. Millions of people also take part in The Met experience online.

Since its founding in 1870, The Met has always aspired to be more than a treasury of rare and beautiful objects. We are committed to fostering a collaborative and respectful work environment with a staff as diverse as the audiences we engage. Our staff members are art lovers who are passionate about working toward a common goal: creating the most dynamic and inspiring art museum in the world.

At The Met, every staff member – from security officers to researchers to scientists and beyond – lives by our core values of respect, inclusivity, collaboration, excellence, and integrity. 

Respect: Engage one another with collegiality, empathy, and kindness, always.

Inclusivity: Ensure that all are and feel welcome and valued.

Collaboration: Reach across boundaries to exchange ideas and work together toward our shared mission.

Excellence: Lead the cultural world in quality and expertise—and inspire curiosity and creativity.

Integrity: Hold ourselves to the highest moral standards, admit when we fall short, and then evolve. 

GENERAL STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES:

As the Employee and Labor Relations Associate, you will perform a wide variety of responsibilities related to employee and labor relations. You will serve as an integral team member of the HR Department, sharing knowledge and best practices to ensure fair, equitable, and consistent application of all Human Resources policies and collective bargaining agreements.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

• Foster positive management-union labor relations through appropriate verbal and written communications with managers, employees and union representatives.

• Perform a full range of labor relations activities related to the administration of collective bargaining agreements

• Provide guidance on labor matters to managers across the Museum on such topics as discipline (related to both workplace performance and attendance), grievances, workplaces disputes, terminations, the changing of working conditions, leave issues, and other issues

• Provide informed and consistent recommendations on the Museum’s policies, systems and structure

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date employee relations and labor relations records, including case files, grievance documentation, disciplinary actions, and arbitration materials

• Track and manage timelines for grievances, disciplinary actions, contract deadlines, and other labor-related activities to ensure compliance and timely processing

• Coordinate logistics for meetings, hearings, and labor-management discussions, including scheduling, document preparation, and follow-up actions

• Prepare routine and ad hoc reports on employee and labor relations metrics, trends, and case activity to support decision-making

• Assist in drafting and maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs), templates, and documentation related to labor relations processes

• Support data entry and maintenance within HRIS, case management systems, and tracking tools to ensure data integrity and reporting accuracy

• Assist with internal audits, document retention, and recordkeeping practices related to employee and labor relations

• Provide administrative support for training sessions, workshops, and communications related to labor relations and workplace policies

• Assist with research and preparation of information and data for use in grievance hearings, arbitration proceedings, labor/management initiatives and collective bargaining negotiations

• With the Recruiting and Employee Experience teams assist with onboarding new staff, ensuring new employees have a strong understanding of the Museum’s policies and procedures

• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree required.  Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or Psychology or related field preferred.

• 3 years of related labor and employee relations experience, investigations, compliance with employment law, and disciplinary actions

• Experience working in a union environment

• Understanding of federal, state, and local laws that govern employment policies and practices; and of nondiscrimination laws and compliance regulations including Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, and the American with Disabilities Act (ADA)

• Excellent judgment with the ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential information

• Strong and effective interpersonal skills, the ability to listen well, remain respectful and diplomatic in the face of difficult situations

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to build strong working relationships

• Excellent planning, organizing, and time management skills with a strong attention to detail

• Must be available to work onsite at the Museum 4 days a week.

• Professional Human Resources Certification or Senior Professional Human Resources certification, Coaching certification or Diversity and Inclusion certification a plus

COMPENSATION RANGE:

• Pay Range: $100,000.00 - $110,000.00 / Annually

The advertised pay scale reflects the good faith minimum and maximum salary range for this role. The advertised pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.

Visa Sponsorship

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Location Requirements

At time of employment, employees are expected to be located within commuting distance of the Museum. “Commuting distance” means that they are located in one of following states: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania (the “Tri-state and PA” areas), and be able to commute to and from the Museum in a single day.

Benefits Offerings

The Museum provides competitive compensation, and generous benefits and perks for all eligible employees. Note: Benefits Offering may differ based on Employee Status.

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 403(b) basic retirement plan and optional matching retirement plan with an outstanding employer match
• Considerable paid time off, including annual leave, sick leave, and 13 Museum holidays
• Long-term disability coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts & Health Savings Account (pre-tax income for eligible health care expenses)
• Commuter benefits (pre-tax income for parking or mass transit expenses)
• Free financial-planning services
• Financial assistance for relevant coursework, seminars, and training programs
• 25% discount for staff in Museum shops
• A subsidized staff cafeteria
• Access to the Museums Council pass, which grants free admission to various museums and cultural institutions

We recognize that it is highly unlikely that someone meets 100% of the desired attributes for a role. If much of this job description describes you, then please apply for this role.

The Met is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, The Met will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed in this process, please contact [email protected].  

The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.