Employee and Labor Relations Rep

King County

Job Location:

Seattle, OR - USA

Yearly Salary: $ 118205 - 149832

Posted on: 10 hours ago

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Summary

The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply including Black Indigenous and People of Color immigrants refugees women LGBTQ people with disabilities veterans and those with lived experiences.

Join Our HR Team!The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) has an exciting opportunity! We are seeking Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) Representative who will serve as a trusted advisor and consultant in day-to-day employee and labor relations matters to the managers supervisors and staff in positions with the Department of Community and Human Services. As a member of our dynamic HR teams your primary functions will be coaching and guiding leadership on employee and labor relations collective bargaining and employment laws; performance management labor contract administration and conducting investigations. Your work will be responsible for advising on complex employee performance management union contract interpretation workplace investigations disciplinary decisions and employee workplace complaints.

King Countys Department of Community and Human Services provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy happy and connected to community. Comprised of five divisions the Adult Services Division Behavioral Health & Recovery Division Children Youth and Young Adults Division Developmental Disabilities and Early Childhood Supports Division and the Housing Homelessness and Community Development Division DCHS is focused on delivering care and service with equity empathy and a commitment to the community we serve.

Job Duties

To be considered minimally qualified applicant must demonstrate a background that provides the knowledge skills and ability to:

Conduct and investigate employee complaints and conduct or supervise effective timely thorough and objective investigations.
Write investigative reports and present findings and recommendations to management.
Manage the day-to-day administration and interpretation of labor agreements and facilitate on-going communication and working relationships with employee representative organizations including coordination of joint labor-management committees.
Manage grievances and provide support in arbitration and/or mediation proceedings.
Advise managers and supervisors on sensitive labor and employee relations matters including grievance and arbitration procedures performance issues and disciplinary actions.
Serve as the department or division representative at the bargaining table and assist with contract implementations.
Provide Department Human Resources Manager with regular briefings.
Establish and maintain on-going effective relations with supervisors employees shop stewards and union officials to address all types of employee relations issues while ensuring a balance in representing all parties interests.
Advise and train on compliance with union contracts county code employment law and other applicable policies and procedures; includes responsibility for designing developing and delivering trainings as well as creating training materials manuals and resources.
Review analyze and provide input and enhancements to HRs practices and processes by contributing innovative ideas and recommending efficiencies.
Other duties as assigned.

Experience Qualifications Knowledge Skills

WE ARE LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES WHO HAVE:

Bachelors degree in a relevant field or any equivalent combination of education experience and skills that enables successful performance of the job.
Three years or more of progressively responsible experience with employee and labor relations issues including conducting employment workplace investigations and writing investigation reports advising on performance management issues interpreting and applying federal state and local employment rules and regulations as well as human resources policies and procedures.
Experience working in a highly unionized environment; public sector experience and experience in large complex organizations.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively at all organizational levels.
Comprehensive knowledge of labor law and collective bargaining principles and labor contract interpretation and administration.
Experience providing recommendations to management on labor negotiations and strategy.
In-depth knowledge of grievance arbitration and mediation proceedings.
Thorough knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations.
Demonstrated ability to resolve conflict build consensus and navigate sensitive or potentially litigious situations with discretion and confidentiality.
Strong analytical planning and problem-solving skills.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
A strong and proven commitment to the principles of equity and social justice.
Ability to work daily in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing priorities while maintaining accuracy and sound judgment.
Proficiency in commonly used MS Office applications.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE QUALIFICATIONS KNOWLEDGE SKILLS:

Knowledge of King Countysoperations mission and policies
Knowledge of and experience with Equal Opportunity Employment laws and the ability to analyze and evaluate employment discrimination cases.
Advanced skills in developing strategic recommendations for collective bargaining and advising senior management on labor strategy and negotiation proposals.
Experience in Labor Management and HR Systems such as Origami Labor Software People Soft and NeoGov.

ADDITIONAL POSITION INFORMATION:

This position has been designated Non-Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive department director or agency head all employees regardless of designation are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. For more detailed information please visit HR Policy County Operations During Emergency Situations and the King County Guidelines for Workforce Management in an Emergency.
The Department of Community and Human Services team works in a hybrid model with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is Chinook 401 5^th Ave Seattle WA 98104. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the departments hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime. Typical hours are Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm.
This position is not represented by a union and follows King County Personnel Guidelines.
Classification: Employee and Labor Relations

WHO MAY APPLY:

This recruitment is being reopened to ensure a sufficient candidate pool. The posting will remain open through May 16 2026. Candidates who previously applied are not required to submit a new application as their application is still under consideration.

This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must submit an online King County application and respond to the supplemental questions. Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the requested and relevant information in the online application and supplemental questionnaire. Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state see my resume are considered incomplete and will not be considered to be competitive. If you have any questions please contact Alicia Larsen .

Supplemental Information

Forbes named King County as one of Washington States best employers.

Together with leadership and our employees were changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nations best places to live work and play.

Guided by our True North we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting support and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply including Native American and people of color immigrants refugees women LGBTQ people living with disabilities and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race color religion national origin sex (including gender identity sexual orientation and pregnancy) age genetic information disability veteran status or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions including but not limited to recruitment hiring selection for training promotion transfer demotion layoff termination rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

SummaryThe Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply including Black Indigenous and People of Color immigrants refugees women LGBTQ people with disabilities veterans and those with lived e...