What are the responsibilities and job description for the Transit Employee & Labor Relations Project Program Manager III position at King County?
King County Metro Transit’s Employee and Labor Relations team is hiring for a Project/Program Manager III (PPM III) to be a point person for overseeing, tracking, developing standard work, and reporting on Employee and Labor Relation issues.
This PPM III role will assist with the implementation and administration of tracking Transit Employee and Labor Relations programs and processes and monitor deadlines and action items for various employment actions (such as settlement agreements, EEOC complaints, the grievances and investigations). They will also assist with developing standard work and performance metrics surrounding these employee and labor relations processes. This position will handle public records and/or information requests and correspondence, and use data, reports, and tracking methods to help ensure there is a consistent application of policies and implementation in our internal processes. The ideal candidate will have excellent organization skills, a positive attitude, and a holistic approach to understanding the data-related needs of the processes and workgroup. The most competitive applicants will have experience analyzing and manipulating data using a variety of reports, and demonstrate their ability to develop, monitor, and standardize quality and process-related goals for a workgroup in a transparent way.
About the Transit Employee and Labor Relations (TELR) Team:
This team provides Employee and Labor Relations support to over 6100 employees at Metro Transit, over 93% of whom are represented by collective bargaining agreements. TELR’s mission is to engage with Metro Transit employees and their union representatives to support a workplace culture that inspires innovation, creative problem solving, collaborative negotiations, and continuous improvement in our drive toward service excellence.
Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. As the Project/Program Manager III - Transit Employee & Labor Relations, you will:
- Assist with developing standard work, metrics, and create transparent analytics for Employee Labor Relation (ELR) functions, such as grievance, investigation, and discipline processes.
- Support the Transit Labor Negotiator with bargaining, special projects, and research.
- Manage the Transit Labor Relations Inbox and team trackers (investigations, RFIs, discipline, arbitrations, grievances, etc.).
- Manage and track all Drug & Alcohol documentation, ensuring accuracy and proper notification to all appropriate parties.
- Maintain TELR SharePoint site and update with relevant information and data.
- Administer, maintain, and monitor various databases utilized in labor relations.
- Assist with developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for related responsibilities.
- Manage project schedules, issues, risks, quality, and deliverables
- Act as a point person for agency-wide employee service projects (e.g., training materials for ELR, process documents, standard tools for ELR-related tasks).
- Communicate with people inside and outside the Agency; represent the organization to customers, the public, government agencies, and other departments.
- Interpret the meaning of information for others; translate or explain how information can be used.
- Provide timely updates to collaborators and process owners involved in various projects.
- Provide guidance, training, and advice to management or other groups on technical, systems, or process-related topics, such as grievance tracking systems (e.g., Origami/SSAMS) and the retention of internal ELR records.
- Establish and maintain trust, confidence, and effective working relationships with co-workers, elected officials, managers, supervisors, employees, and the public.
- Evaluate information to determine compliance with laws, regulations, standards, labor agreements, and contracts.
- Process information by coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
- Act as the point person for Union, Prosecuting Attorney’s, and Public Records Requests; process, track, and produce requested materials.
- Assist with tracking deadlines and settlement agreements related to grievances, EEOC complaints, discipline, and investigations,
- Develop techniques to adjust to changing priorities and meet deadlines.
- Perform special projects as assigned.
Ideal qualifications would include:
- Knowledge and experience working for a transportation department, or a similar large, complex, highly unionized work environment.
- Resourceful and independent problem-solving skills, and the proven ability to research information thoroughly.
- Experience in managing people-focused projects, training, or people development projects, such as on-the-job learning, apprenticeship, technical training, and other programs.
- Demonstrated understanding of key concepts in equity and social justice education around topics of race & other social identities, and a leader’s role in creating equitable and inclusive work environments.
- Skill in data gathering, analysis, and developing data tools for various audiences.
Highly competitive candidates will also have:
- Advanced skills with Microsoft Excel and experience updating SharePoint sites.
- Knowledge/experience working with Collective Bargaining Agreements, contracts, and labor relations.
- Experience with public records and public information requests.
- Experience with Power BI, NeoGov reporting, Origami/SSAMS, or other equivalent reporting software and programs.
- Project management experience and/or a project management, change management or Lean Six Sigma or other certification.
- Experience working with large, unionized organizations/agencies, and/or public sector experience.
- High level of technical competence as it comes to working with multiple programs, new software, and modernizing internal processes.
This recruitment is open to current King County employees.
Required Application Materials
- An online employment application, to include all relevant employment history and experience related to this role as well as responses to supplemental questions.
- A cover letter summarizing your experience developing, managing, and/or implementing programs. Additionally, please include any relevant experience in Employee Labor Relation (ELR) and/or performing these tasks in a transit-related environment, particularly at Metro Transit.
Selection Process
Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills to determine the most qualified candidates. The process may include the following: a review of the application and supplemental questions, testing and/or panel interview, and references.
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Ira Becton - ibecton@kingcounty.gov
Work Schedule
This hybrid role involves a mix of remote work and on-site responsibilities, with an expectation of being in the office for meetings, tasks, and assignments as needed. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for overtime pay. Work schedule is normally Monday through Friday, 40-hour work week. Variations may be required depending on the demands and training needs of the work.
Union Membership
This position is not represented by a union.
Work Location
The incumbent will have a hybrid work schedule and may work remotely and onsite. The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, Washington.
Teleworking Requirement
The work associated with this position is currently being performed in a hybrid fashion including teleworking, complemented with onsite work and meetings as needed. Frequency of onsite work will vary based on business and operational needs. Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
Salary : $106,106 - $134,496
