Regional Director/Chief Mediator

at  Public Employment Relations Board

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Admission to the New York State Bar and six years of substantial experience, primarily under the Taylor Law or similar collective bargaining laws, in the field of labor relations, including but not limited to experience as the primary participant in collective negotiations, mediation, arbitration, or representation of management or labor in the settlement of grievances or disputes over terms and conditions of employment, or as a hearing officer. Three years of experience must be at a supervisory level, or one year at a managerial level.

Under the direction of the Chairman of the Board, the Directors of the Office Employment Practices & Representation (Public and Private) and the Office of Conciliation, the incumbent will be the Director of the Brooklyn Regional Office and perform three distinct roles:

• Administrator: Plans and coordinates the work of the Regional Office in consultation with the Chairman and program directors. Supervises staff and insures orderly operation of regional office.
• Administrative Law Judge: The incumbent performs duties consistent with the mission of the Office of Employment Practices and Representation (Public and Private). A substantial amount of time is spent in the preparation for and conduct of pre-hearing conferences, assisting the parties to reach an agreement; and conducting hearings if resolution is not possible. The incumbent engages in legal research and prepares correspondence and other writings in response to inquiries received from PERB’s constituents as well as appearing before clientele groups. The attorney prepares a proposed decision in representation matters and in improper practice cases a decision which, in both types of cases, contains a statement of the issue and relevant facts together with a discussion and analysis of appropriate precedents, and becomes binding on the parties if it is not appealed to the Board. This component comprises approximately 70% of the job duties.
• Mediator and Conciliator: Serves with extraordinary distinction as mediator on a significant number of important cases, particularly those impasse situations which are the most complex and delicate in nature. The incumbent serves in strike situations and is responsible to the Director of Conciliation with respect to the agency’s methodology for resolving the dispute. The incumbent serves similarly when disputes are handled by per diem panel or staff members, i.e., advises and suggests tactics and otherwise assists the neutral in deciding how best to bring about resolution of the dispute. The incumbent engages in numerous meetings prior to negotiations between particular parties to help set the tone for the actual negotiations; in the profession this type of activity is referred to as “preventive mediation”. This activity is year round and accounts for numerous settlements of issues before such issues are formally presented in negotiations.