Labor Relations Manager

Clackamas County; Oregon City (OR); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Clackamas County is seeking a dynamic Labor Relations Manager to oversee the ELR Division, administer collective bargaining agreements, and advise on grievances and investigations. The role requires leading negotiations, policy development, and strong leadership to guide a team of ELR professionals.

A Juris Doctorate and CLRP certification are preferred, with extensive union experience within the public sector.

Qualifications

• Seven years of related experience with four years in labor relations in a unionized environment.
• Experience conducting HR investigations and processing disciplinary actions.
• Experience administering collective bargaining agreements and working with unions.
• Negotiation experience as lead or chief negotiator.
• Experience supervising professional staff for at least two years.
• Knowledge of Oregon employment law, PECBA, and Oregon ERB.
• Experience with multiple union contracts within one organization.

Responsibilities

• Oversee ELR division activities and operations, including two analysts.
• Administer and interpret collective bargaining agreements and mediate disputes.
• Advise management on grievances, investigations, and performance actions.
• Develop bargaining strategies with Legal Counsel and support successor contracts negotiations.
• Lead interim bargaining during active labor contracts and coordinate amendments.
• Foster relationships with employees, unions, and stakeholders to improve labor relations.
• Provide high-quality support to county employees and implement strong ER practices.

Skills

Labor relations

Investigations

Grievance handling

Labor contract administration

Negotiations

Policy development

Leadership

Stakeholder communication

Conflict resolution

Employee relations

Education

Juris Doctorate

CLRP certification

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

This Job Posting closes at 11:59p.m. (Pacific Time) on Sunday, September 13, 2026.

Please Note: The application deadline may be extended to expand the pool of qualified candidates. Any recruitment timeline changes will be communicated to all who have initiated an application process or have submitted an application.

Recruitment Timeline

• Screening Interviews: Week of September 21st
• Stakeholder Interviews: Week of October 5th
• Final Interviews: Week of October 12th
• Target Start Date: Week of November 9th

Please note: This timeline is subject to change based on department needs.

JOB DETAILS AND QUALIFICATIONS

Clackamas County's Department of Human Resources (HR) is seeking a dynamic, solutions-driven human resources leader with an extensive background in labor relations to serve as the County's next Labor Relations Manager.

Reporting to the HR Director, the Labor Relations Manager will oversee and manage all Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) Division activities and operations. The ELR team includes two Analysts. The ELR Division provides employee relations consultation, corrective action guidance, and labor contract administration services to support effective workforce management and positive labor relations across the County.

This position is responsible for administering and interpreting collective bargaining agreements, mediating disputes, assisting in conflict resolution, and advising management in grievance or complaint investigations, corrective action, and performance management. Provide complex advice and counsel to the Human Resources Director, Human Resources Deputy Director, County Administrator, and Board of County Commissioners on labor matters. The Labor Relations Manager develops and implements collective bargaining strategies in partnership with Legal Counsel and supports successor contract negotiations. The County contracts with external Labor relations subject-matter experts to serve as lead negotiator for successor collective bargaining. The Labor Relations Manager is responsible for leading the interim bargaining process during the active term of existing labor agreements, which includes contract amendments, demands to bargain labor matters, and other labor-related changes as needed.

The Labor Relations Manager will facilitate and build relationships with employees, union leadership, and other stakeholders to foster a work environment that is responsive and supportive. The Labor Relations Manager will deliver high-quality support to Clackamas County employees as well as create systems of support that foster strong employee and labor relations practices.

The Ideal Candidate

With around 2,700 employees, 4 unions, and 8 collective bargaining agreements, Clackamas County has a highly unionized workforce. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in labor relations, experience working with multiple unions, conducting investigations, grievance handling, negotiating labor agreements, and policy development and implementation, while having a strong leadership background to provide guidance, support, and oversight to a team of ELR professionals.

Required Minimum Qualifications/Transferable Skills:*

• A minimum of seven (7) years of related experience that would provide the required knowledge and skills to perform the responsibilities of this position. At least four (4) years progressively responsible labor relations experience working in a unionized environment to include:
  • Conducting HR related investigations
  • Preparing and processing disciplinary actions
  • Administering and implementing collective bargaining agreements and working with unions
  • Resolving union grievances and unfair labor practices
  • Negotiating collective bargaining agreements, including serving as a lead or chief negotiator during labor negotiations
• At least two (2) years of experience directly supervising and managing professional-level staff
• Experience and knowledge of Oregon employment law, in particular the Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) and the Oregon Employment Relations Board.
• Experience working with multiple union collective bargaining agreements within a single organization.
• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Preferred Special Qualifications/Transferable Skills:*

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited institution
• Certified Labor Relations Professional (CLRP) certification
• Experience working in the public sector

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Driving is required for county business on a regular basis or to accomplish work. Incumbents must possess a valid driver's license, and possess and maintain an acceptable driving record throughout the course of employment.

*For veterans qualified for Veterans' Preference: If you believe you have skills that would transfer well to this position and/or special qualifications that relate to this position, please list those skills and/or qualifications in the open-ended question at the end of the application and explain how those skills and/or qualifications relate to this position.