Project Manager – Labor Relations (Collective Bargaining)

Job Title: Project Manager – Labor Relations (Collective Bargaining)
Location: Northwest Indiana (Candidates should be located in Chicago or Northwest Indiana)
Hybrid: Onsite Tuesdays and Wednesdays preferred (negotiable)
Duration: 5/1/25 through end of year (strong possibility of extension)
Hours/Week: 40 hours
Rate: $90/hour
Contract: W-2, U.S citizens only, no C2C or visa sponsorships

Scope of Services:

Our client, a large utilities provider, is seeking an experienced Project Manager with deep expertise in Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining environments to lead the coordination and execution of its Work Continuity Program. This high-visibility initiative is critical to the client’s readiness in the event of union labor disruptions and includes strategic planning, stakeholder coordination, and continuity operations planning related to both physical and clerical union labor contracts.

The PM will serve as a labor continuity subject matter expert (SME) and lead the effort to structure, track, and improve an enterprise-wide master plan involving multiple stakeholder groups. The ideal candidate will have direct experience managing projects in unionized utility environments and be confident in driving outcomes in politically and operationally sensitive contexts.

Role, Responsibilities & Deliverables:

• Develop and manage the Work Continuity Master Plan in preparation for upcoming collective bargaining negotiations.
• Organize and align multiple cross-functional stakeholder groups (e.g., HR, Operations, Legal, Contingent Workforce, Communications).
• Partner with labor relations teams to understand strategic priorities and dependencies related to potential work stoppages.
• Drive planning around alternative resourcing models, such as cross-training internal staff or onboarding temporary/contract workers.
• Create and maintain detailed project schedules, risk logs, communication plans, and stakeholder engagement matrices.
• Prepare executive-level reports and status updates for senior leadership.
• Monitor critical milestones, identify bottlenecks, and manage change requests.
• Act as a bridge between business, labor strategy, and operational execution teams.
• Support readiness exercises, tabletop planning sessions, and post-implementation reviews.

Skills & Experience:

• 8 years of project management experience, including direct ownership of enterprise-wide labor continuity or collective bargaining preparation projects.
• Strong understanding of union environments, including physical and clerical bargaining units.
• Previous experience in a utilities or energy sector organization strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to build project frameworks for high-risk, high-visibility initiatives with competing priorities.
• Experience with workforce continuity/resilience planning, labor disruption response, or strike contingency planning.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, including working with C-level audiences and legal/HR leaders.
• Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, SharePoint, Excel).
• Strong analytical, facilitation, and negotiation skills.

Education & Certifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, Industrial Relations, or related field required.
• PMP or equivalent project management certification preferred.
• Additional labor relations training or certification is a plus.

Salary : $80 - $90