Chief of Staff

ABOUT SEIU LOCAL 509

SEIU Local 509 is a fast-growing, progressive union representing over 28,000 state workers, human service workers, higher education faculty and family child care providers in Massachusetts. This position is part of the Local’s communications department. In the current political environment, the union has a steadfast vision to increase participation and power among its rank-and-file membership.

SEIU Local 509 is part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), one of the largest and fastest-growing labor unions in the United States.

The Chief of Staff is a senior leadership role with primary responsibility for coordinating the programs and strategy of the union in collaboration with the President of the Local. This is a highly visible position that serves as a trusted advisor to union leadership and provides strategic guidance on policy, programs, campaigns, staffing, and organizational change. In addition to managing the daily operations of the union, the Chief of Staff coordinates with HR partners to support effective personnel management, IT partners to maintain and upgrade the Local’s infrastructure, and supervises members of the senior management team.

Reporting directly to the President, the Chief of Staff ensures that the union’s workforce, systems, and practices are aligned with its mission and advance its strategic priorities.

• Supervise management staff, as directed by the President of the Local
• Direct strategic planning initiatives for the Local and membership
• Periodically review the Local's programmatic structure and operational policies for efficiency and lead organizational change when appropriate
• Coordinate with the Field Service Director to support the strategic goals of each chapter and sector and ensure continual progress
• Work with the President to coordinate functions among all departments to ensure member engagement is fully supported
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the Local, as directed by the President of the Local
• Represent the Local in external matters as needed
• Serve as representative of the Local in labor-management matters and/or negotiations with the Local 509 Staff Union
• Collaborate with HR partners on personnel policies and the employee life cycle
• Consult with senior managers regarding department staffing needs
• Facilitate & supervise long-term projects involving multiple departments (e.g. major events, campaign coordination, change initiatives)
• Plan and direct monthly staff meetings and facilitate communication between senior leadership and staff at large
• Perform related work and union-wide duties as required
• Specific duties may change at the direction of the President of the Local

You will report directly to the President of the Local. As a manager, you will directly supervise managers of the Local’s programmatic operations. You share supervisory authority for all Local 509 staff, which may include interviewing, hiring, training, assigning, delegating, evaluating, promoting, transferring, investigating, disciplining, and terminating, as needed, alongside the Local’s outsourced HR partner.

This job is based in our Marlborough, MA office, but may work remotely as appropriate. Frequent travel within Massachusetts and occasional out-of-state travel is required. Working long hours, evenings, and weekends is often necessary; the baseline expectation is to work 37.5 hours across 5 days each week.

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Attending various outdoor events, sometimes for a full working day, even in potentially uncomfortable (but not unsafe) weather.

• Required qualifications for a successful candidate include:
  • Experience as an organizational leader in a labor union context
  • Demonstrated experience in supervision and leadership development
  • Demonstrated success in change management and guiding teams and organizations through transitions or adopting new practices
  • Strong project management experience, with the ability to manage multiple short and long-term projects and make effective use of the union’s…