Labor Relations Negotiator
King County, Seattle, WA, United States
Salary
$136,281.39 - $172,744.42 Annually
Location
Chinook Building 401 5th Avenue Seattle, WA
Job Type
Career Service (Exec)
Job Number
2026BHC26828
Department
EXEC - Executive's Office
Opening Date
03/20/2026
Closing Date
4/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA
Exempt
Bargaining Unit
Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines
Full- or Part-Time
Full Time
Hours/Week
40 hours/week
Summary
The King County Office of the Executive Labor Relations team is seeking an experienced and collaborative professional to join our office as a Labor Negotiator. This is an excellent opportunity to play a role in supporting progressive labor and employee relations at King County.
This position will serve as the County's spokesperson in collective bargaining and administration of complex labor contracts, including advising on the interpretation and application of labor agreements, discharging bargaining obligations, and conducting grievance hearings. In addition, this position may provide support in administrative hearings involving unfair labor practices, bargaining unit clarifications, union representation proceedings, classification appeals, grievances, and interest arbitration hearings. This position also serves as a strategic advisor to management on labor and employment laws, personnel matters, contract administration and briefs senior management and elected officials on labor policies and complex and/or county-wide labor relations issues.
This position will report directly to a Labor Relations Manager and have extensive contact with all levels of County management, elected County Officials, interagency professionals, labor union representatives, and legal counsel.
ABOUT THE OFFICE OFTHE EXECUTIVELABOR RELATIONS TEAM
This team is within the Office of the Executive, with approximately 16 employees, the majority are Labor Negotiators who negotiate and help administer the County's 80 Labor Agreements covering approximately14,400 http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/executive/labor- relations.aspx
Job Duties
Successful candidates for this position will, at a minimum, be able to clearly demonstrate skill and ability to:
Serve as the chief spokesperson on complex labor contracts by: Determining strategy and coordinating resources to present the County's interest in labor negotiations, advising departments and Executive Leadership on contract interpretation and application. Formulating proposals and drafting labor contracts and memoranda of agreement with unions that represent County employees. Complex decision making including seeking input and authority from labor relations leaders and other county leaders. Involving and informing managers on proposals and decisions that will impact areas where approval is required. Serve as a strategic advisor to King County departments by:
Consulting with management and HR professionals on labor and employment law and contract administration concerning a wide range of personnel matters, including but not limited to, performance management issues and employee disciplines. Formulating strategy and coordinating resources to present the County's interest in mediation, interest arbitration, grievances and grievance arbitration, unfair labor practice claims, representation petitions, and state and federal agency proceedings. Provide strategic and tactical input on:
Preparation and presentation of briefing materials to the Executive, Executive Committees, County Council and Council Committees and staff. Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Demonstrated experience with labor contract administration and labor/management committees. Desired experience in contract negotiation, mediation, and other forms of pre-litigation conflict resolution, as well as grievance and discipline analysis. Experience applying labor and employment law and consulting with clients and stakeholders on labor and employment issues. Desired experience conducting research, assistance with preparing exhibits and preparing cases for arbitration. Desired experience drafting language in legal documents such as; memoranda of agreement, settlement agreements, collective bargaining agreements, and grievance responses. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to use organizational systems to identify priorities and manage a complicated work environment with multi-faceted needs. An interest in and commitment to continuous improvement. The most qualified applicants will be able to demonstrate experience as the lead spokesperson negotiating and administering complex labor agreements for organizations with multiple stakeholders (public officials, department directors, employees, and labor unions). The most qualified applicants will also have public sector experience in the representation of clients in labor law hearings.
Supplemental Information
Who May Apply
This position is open to qualified internal candidates (current employees of King County government) and external candidates.
This selection process will be used for six months to fill additional career service, term-limited temporary and special duty positions.
Application Process
The following items are required to be considered for this position:
An electronic application through www.kingcounty.gov/jobs or www.governmentjobs.com (use the "Apply" link) including work history and position duties.
An attached resume. An attached letter of interest/cover letter. Responses to supplemental questions. Do not copy and paste your resume or resume sections as Supplemental Question responses. If you do and the do not directly answer the question, this will be considered an incomplete application.
Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
Work Schedule
The normal work schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week. This position is not subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible, and the incumbent will be required to work the hours necessary to meet position responsibilities.
This position will work onsite at least three (3) days per week.
Union affiliation
This position is not represented by a labor union.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan Transportation program and ORCA transit pass 12paid holidays each year plus twopersonal holidays Generous vacation and paid sick leave Paid parental,family and medical, and volunteer leaves Flexible Spending Account Wellness programs Onsite activity centers Employee Giving Program Employee assistance programs Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position Training and career development programs For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.
NOTE:
Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position.Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting. recblid gra10u9ap8xrmokqe49pap8ob7rty7
$136,281.39 - $172,744.42 Annually
Location
Chinook Building 401 5th Avenue Seattle, WA
Job Type
Career Service (Exec)
Job Number
2026BHC26828
Department
EXEC - Executive's Office
Opening Date
03/20/2026
Closing Date
4/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA
Exempt
Bargaining Unit
Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines
Full- or Part-Time
Full Time
Hours/Week
40 hours/week
Summary
The King County Office of the Executive Labor Relations team is seeking an experienced and collaborative professional to join our office as a Labor Negotiator. This is an excellent opportunity to play a role in supporting progressive labor and employee relations at King County.
This position will serve as the County's spokesperson in collective bargaining and administration of complex labor contracts, including advising on the interpretation and application of labor agreements, discharging bargaining obligations, and conducting grievance hearings. In addition, this position may provide support in administrative hearings involving unfair labor practices, bargaining unit clarifications, union representation proceedings, classification appeals, grievances, and interest arbitration hearings. This position also serves as a strategic advisor to management on labor and employment laws, personnel matters, contract administration and briefs senior management and elected officials on labor policies and complex and/or county-wide labor relations issues.
This position will report directly to a Labor Relations Manager and have extensive contact with all levels of County management, elected County Officials, interagency professionals, labor union representatives, and legal counsel.
ABOUT THE OFFICE OFTHE EXECUTIVELABOR RELATIONS TEAM
This team is within the Office of the Executive, with approximately 16 employees, the majority are Labor Negotiators who negotiate and help administer the County's 80 Labor Agreements covering approximately14,400 http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/executive/labor- relations.aspx
Job Duties
Successful candidates for this position will, at a minimum, be able to clearly demonstrate skill and ability to:
Serve as the chief spokesperson on complex labor contracts by: Determining strategy and coordinating resources to present the County's interest in labor negotiations, advising departments and Executive Leadership on contract interpretation and application. Formulating proposals and drafting labor contracts and memoranda of agreement with unions that represent County employees. Complex decision making including seeking input and authority from labor relations leaders and other county leaders. Involving and informing managers on proposals and decisions that will impact areas where approval is required. Serve as a strategic advisor to King County departments by:
Consulting with management and HR professionals on labor and employment law and contract administration concerning a wide range of personnel matters, including but not limited to, performance management issues and employee disciplines. Formulating strategy and coordinating resources to present the County's interest in mediation, interest arbitration, grievances and grievance arbitration, unfair labor practice claims, representation petitions, and state and federal agency proceedings. Provide strategic and tactical input on:
Preparation and presentation of briefing materials to the Executive, Executive Committees, County Council and Council Committees and staff. Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Demonstrated experience with labor contract administration and labor/management committees. Desired experience in contract negotiation, mediation, and other forms of pre-litigation conflict resolution, as well as grievance and discipline analysis. Experience applying labor and employment law and consulting with clients and stakeholders on labor and employment issues. Desired experience conducting research, assistance with preparing exhibits and preparing cases for arbitration. Desired experience drafting language in legal documents such as; memoranda of agreement, settlement agreements, collective bargaining agreements, and grievance responses. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to use organizational systems to identify priorities and manage a complicated work environment with multi-faceted needs. An interest in and commitment to continuous improvement. The most qualified applicants will be able to demonstrate experience as the lead spokesperson negotiating and administering complex labor agreements for organizations with multiple stakeholders (public officials, department directors, employees, and labor unions). The most qualified applicants will also have public sector experience in the representation of clients in labor law hearings.
Supplemental Information
Who May Apply
This position is open to qualified internal candidates (current employees of King County government) and external candidates.
This selection process will be used for six months to fill additional career service, term-limited temporary and special duty positions.
Application Process
The following items are required to be considered for this position:
An electronic application through www.kingcounty.gov/jobs or www.governmentjobs.com (use the "Apply" link) including work history and position duties.
An attached resume. An attached letter of interest/cover letter. Responses to supplemental questions. Do not copy and paste your resume or resume sections as Supplemental Question responses. If you do and the do not directly answer the question, this will be considered an incomplete application.
Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
Work Schedule
The normal work schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week. This position is not subject to the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible, and the incumbent will be required to work the hours necessary to meet position responsibilities.
This position will work onsite at least three (3) days per week.
Union affiliation
This position is not represented by a labor union.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan Transportation program and ORCA transit pass 12paid holidays each year plus twopersonal holidays Generous vacation and paid sick leave Paid parental,family and medical, and volunteer leaves Flexible Spending Account Wellness programs Onsite activity centers Employee Giving Program Employee assistance programs Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position Training and career development programs For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.
NOTE:
Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position.Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting. recblid gra10u9ap8xrmokqe49pap8ob7rty7