Labor Relations Manager

Overview

Position Information

Bring your passion for employee and labor relations and advance your career with our exciting leadership opportunity. Join the County of Sonoma's Human Resources Department as our next Employee and Labor Relations Manager
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Starting salary up to $100.81/hour ($/year) and a competitive total compensation package!*

If you're motivated by building strategic business partnerships, thrive on intellectual challenges, excel in negotiation and conflict resolution, and enjoy the energy of working in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment while being part of a supportive team, come join us!

Working at the County of Sonoma offers opportunities for growth and development, a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of bettering our communities. Flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits include:

• Hybrid Telework – Schedule may be available depending on assignment
• Salary Advancement – Salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months at full-time) for good performance; annual increases thereafter until top of salary range
• Paid Time Off – Vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and 8 floating holidays per year
• Staff Development/Wellness – Annual benefit allowances up to $2,000 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions – 100% premium contribution for most employee-only and employee+family options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement – County contributions for post-retirement health benefits
• Retirement – Pension fully integrated with Social Security
• IRSP and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation – County contributions and matching
• Paid Parental Leave – Up to 8 weeks after 12 months of County employment
• Student Loan Debt Relief – Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility

Join Our Team:
The Human Resources Department (County HR) is a team of 60+ employees providing HR and risk management services to 32 agencies and 4,700+ positions. Services include benefits, classification, recruitment, training, employee and labor relations, EEO, HRIS, safety, risk management, and workplace violence prevention. We value customer service, collaboration, professionalism, proactive planning, flexibility, and innovative problem-solving. County HR is committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

The ELR Manager leads the County's Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) Program, reporting to the Director of Human Resources and under the direction of the County Executive and Board of Supervisors. The ELR Program supports all County departments, agencies, and special districts under the Board's jurisdiction, and affiliated entities.

In this role, the ELR Manager leads the ELR Unit within County HR (a team of five professionals and paraprofessionals) focused on delivering excellent customer service to County management and employees. The team researches, analyzes, and addresses complex employee and labor relations matters with open communication and collaborative problem-solving to align with Board priorities and HR best practices.

As manager of the ELR team and trusted advisor on sensitive personnel matters, the ELR Manager guides departments through complex employee relations issues, assesses risk, and recommends actions. This role manages grievances, negotiates, facilitates difficult conversations, maintains productive bargaining unit relationships, and leads contract negotiations. The ideal candidate exercises strong judgment and provides actionable recommendations with significant impact.

• Strong verbal and written communication, active listening, and ability to engage diverse audiences
• Critical thinking to interpret and analyze complex information for sound decisions
• Ability to manage multiple complex matters with attention to detail
• Negotiation skills to resolve disputes and build credibility with executives, department leaders, supervisors, union representatives, and staff
• Ability to interpret MOUs, policies, case law, statutes, and labor relations guidance
• Leadership to direct, mentor, and train staff

In addition to technical labor relations expertise, the ideal candidate brings…