Public relations Jobs in Santa Rosa, CA

Principal Employee and Labor Relations Analyst

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 Principal Employee and Labor Relations Analyst. Starting salary up to $75.14/hour ($156,826/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 leading a supportive team, come join us!

What We Offer

Working at the County of Sonoma offers expansive opportunities for growth and development, the ability to be a part of a challenging and rewarding work environment, and the satisfaction of knowing you're working to better our communities. You can also look forward to flexible work arrangements and excellent benefits including:

• Hybrid Telework - A schedule that meets the needs of our staff, department operations, and the communities we serve may be available depending on the assignment
• Salary Advancement - A salary increase after 1,040 hours (6 months when working full-time) for good work performance; eligibility for a salary increase for good performance every year thereafter, until reaching the top of the salary range
• Paid Time Off - Competitive vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year
• Staff Development/Wellness - Annual benefit allowances of up to $2,000 and ongoing education/training opportunities
• County Paid Health Premium Contributions - 100% premium contribution for the majority of employee-only and employee + family health plan options
• Post-Retirement Health Reimbursement Arrangement - County contributions to help fund post-retirement health insurance/benefits
• Retirement - A pension fully integrated with Social Security
• Incentive Retirement Savings Plan (IRSP) and 457 Voluntary Deferred Compensation - 3%/1.9% of salary County contribution to a 401(a), in addition to the County matching up to 1% of base salary in 401(a), based upon employee contribution
• Paid Parental Leave - May be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) after 12 months of County employment
• Student Loan Debt Relief County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education

Join Our Team

The Human Resources Department (County HR) is a team of 60+ employees who provide human resources and risk management services to 30 agencies, departments, and special districts that employ 4,700+ positions. These diverse services include employee benefits, classification plan management, recruitment and examination, countywide training, employee and labor relations, equal employment opportunity, HR information systems, occupational health and safety, risk management, and workplace violence prevention. Our mission is to be a trusted partner, providing our clients with HR services that work to effectively recruit, develop, and retain an outstanding workforce committed to providing quality public service. We value customer service, collaboration, professionalism, consistency, proactive planning, flexibility, and innovative problem-solving. County HR is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone who works with, for, and/or receives services from the County of Sonoma is welcomed, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Our Employee and Labor Relations (ELR) Unit in County HR is a team of five highly motivated, solution-driven professionals and paraprofessionals dedicated to delivering excellent customer service to County management, employees, and the affiliated entities we serve. We are supportive and collaborative, working together to successfully research, analyze, and address many difficult and complex employee and labor relations matters. Our team thrives on open communication and shared problem-solving, regularly sharing ideas, discussing cases, and refining recommendations to ensure consistent guidance and alignment with the Board of Supervisors' priorities and human resources best practices. Reporting to the ELR Manager, the Principal Employee and Labor Relations Analyst is responsible for supervising the ELR team and serving as a business partner to departments. Advising and collaborating with staff and County managers on the best application of rules, regulations, and best practices. If selected for the position, during onboarding, you will work closely with the ELR Manager and will ultimately work more independently, consulting and seeking guidance on highly complex employee and labor relations issues, including those with significant risk. You will also:

• Supervise a technician and three analysts, one of whom works as a Recruitment and Classification (R&C 50%) and ELR (50%) analyst
• Regularly represent the County and department clients as the lead negotiator in meet and confers related to employee safety, policy changes, transferring of bargaining unit work, change of work rules, etc.
• Ensure compliance with the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) and Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) statutes and rulings
• Perform in-depth research, gather information from a variety of sources, analyze findings, and provide recommendations for information requests, grievances, mediation, arbitration, and contract negotiations
• Support staff and management with difficult and complex contract interpretation, conducting discipline and performance management, and processing grievances
• Identify whether department issues may have widespread consequences across the broader organization and persuade staff and departments to ensure continuity of the County's philosophy on employee and labor relations issues
• Liaison with unions on employee relations issues and facilitate labor/management committees and other interest-based processes

The position's hours are typically Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and work is performed in an office environment. Depending upon operational needs, this position must work extra hours intermittently to complete specific tasks and during contract negotiations with the County's 14 different labor organizations. With manager approval, flexible scheduling and telework arrangements may be available.

What You Bring

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate that they can quickly assess problems and are a solution-oriented thinker with a strong customer-focused approach. They can communicate effectively with diverse groups of people, including staff, department heads, consultants, vendors, union representatives, and County officials. Additionally, we are looking for someone who is collaborative, adaptable, strategic, tactful, and detail-oriented, and who also:

• Has multiple years of negotiation and/or mediation experience, with a talent for uncovering solutions even in the most challenging situations
• Brings their well-developed analytical, critical thinking, judgment skills, and ability to see both details and the bigger picture
• Is proficient in current regulations and best practices in employee and labor relations and possesses a deep knowledge of public sector labor relations, including the MMBA and PERB decisions
• Demonstrates skills in researching, tracking, analyzing, synthesizing, and interpreting data with the ability to present information clearly and concisely, in a compelling way, to a variety of audiences
• Has superb organizational skills, including the ability to apply complex policies and procedures while meeting multiple competing deadlines
• Possesses high-functioning customer service skills with the ability to effectively address inquiries, coordinate services for various internal and external stakeholders, and maintain collaborative working partnerships with a variety of clients
• Is empathetic, maintains composure and professionalism in high-pressure or tense situations, and can assess the room and identify what information should be provided

Above all, the Principal Employee and Labor Relations Analyst demonstrates integrity, sound judgment, and a commitment to excellence. We value diverse lived experiences, and a sense of humor is a must! While the work is consequential and often confidential, we prioritize a supportive environment where our team can succeed and enjoy their time together.

Additionally, possession of a Senior Professional Human Resources (SHPR) certification and/or Certified Legal Risk Manager (CLRM) is welcomed.

We are interested in finding the best candidate for our position and will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, education, and training to meet the minimum qualifications described below. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and transferable skill set and how they set you up to be the best candidate for this position.

Bring Your Commitment to Public Service to the County of Sonoma The County of Sonoma is the place to live, grow, and build your career legacy. When you join the County of Sonoma, you'll have the freedom to explore the beauty of our county - its picturesque coastline, majestic redwoods, historic towns, fine dining, award-winning wineries, and a wide variety of entertainment and cultural activities. For additional information about the beauty of our community and the valuable services and support that the County provides our communities, please visit sonomacounty.gov and sonomacountyconnections.org.

This recruitment is being conducted to fill