Description

About OPB

OPB is a leader in public media, serving diverse communities of the Northwest with fact-based, in-depth news and information about politics, the environment, science, arts, history, and cultures, business, education and more. Powered by the generous support of members, OPB seeks out a variety of voices in our communities and lifts up authentic stories of the people, places, events and issues of the region, providing context and a deeper understanding. OPB’s independent journalism and programs are available at opb.org, on OPB Radio and OPB TV. Follow us on Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

The Opportunity

OPB is seeking an experienced labor relations professional to join the People & Culture Team. OPB takes bargaining with its two labor unions as seriously as it takes employee experience and understands that the two are intertwined. The ideal candidate for this role is as knowledgeable as they are relationship-driven, especially when it comes to contract negotiations and management. The collaborative nature of this role is absolutely critical. Strong candidates will have substantial experience in bargaining, and will lead with the mission-driven mindset that all teams at OPB keep central to their work.

Position Details

With OPB’s organizational values and strategic pillars as their guide, the Labor Relations Manageracts as the primary liaison between OPB and our unions (SEIU and SAG-AFTRA), managing collective bargaining agreements, grievances, and negotiations to support organizational priorities and ensure compliance with labor laws. They develop strategies for labor relations as they relate to employee relations, advise leadership on union matters, and foster positive labor-management collaboration. The Labor Relations Manager oversees documentation and systems to ensure compliance, track precedent and past practices. 

This position plays a crucial role in contributing to OPB’s overall mission by managing values driven labor relations that enable a collaborative and innovative workplace. Through consistent administration of collective bargaining agreements, thoughtful resolution of workplace issues, and partnership with leaders and people managers, this role helps ensure all employees are supported in doing their best work and feeling like they belong by strengthening the internal culture that allows OPB to serve its communities. 

Responsibilities

40% - Contract Negotiation 

In partnership with outside counsel, manage all phases of and record-keeping for contract negotiations with OPB’s represented employees’ unions, ensuring that our contracts help OPB live into our organizational values and further OPB’s strategic pillars. 

• Partnering with legal counsel, lead collective bargaining negotiations including representing OPB management at the bargaining table. Draft proposals and counterproposals
• Facilitate involvement of a caucus committee of managers and subject matter experts to inform proposals
• In the unlikely event of arbitration or mediation, attend hearings and represent OPB’s interest in partnership with counsel.  
• Develop bargaining strategies that are aligned with OPB’s values and organizational priorities
• Execute or facilitate up-to-date costing and budget impact estimates in collaboration with Finance and P&C Operations
• Maintain negotiation documentation and OPB’s labor relations website
• Responsible for preparing bargaining and labor relations updates for the Senior Leader Group (SLGs) and people managers
• Ensure a proactive approach to bargaining and planning for upcoming bargaining cycle 
   

40% - Contract Management - Grievance, RFIs and Reporting  

Leading with an emphasis on curiosity and collaboration, support the People & Culture team, OPB leadership and management and represented staff through the lifecycle of collective bargaining agreements.  

• Develop and maintain organized and accessible documentation and records for all labor relations activities. Create tracking mechanisms for all required union reporting and communication including enrollment forms, remittance procedures. Work collaboratively with other P&C and Operations staff members to comply with legal and organizational requirements.
• Maintain end to end grievance process, including intake, investigation, and resolution, the latter is in partnership with Manager of Employee Experience and P&C leadership.
• Track grievance trends and patterns and use data to inform proactive solutions
• Track union requests for information. Work collaboratively with P&C staff and other departments to compile, organize and provide requested information in a timely manner. Answer day-to-day questions from managers, employees and other departments about contract interpretation, and related pay, benefits and OPB policy.
• Compile and organize feedback and data to inform future labor relations strategy and initiatives during the life of contracts and at the bargaining table.  
• Lead the labor management committee (LMC) meetings and respond to action items resulting from those meetings
• Partner closely with the Manager of People & Culture (P&C) and Employee Experience to align on employee relations work 
   

10% - Advisory Role 

Partnering with legal counsel where appropriate, serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on labor relations. 

• Support organization initiatives that intersect with labor relations. Build relationships with internal stakeholders. Develop and deliver training for leadership on labor relations practices
• Work in close partnership with P&C leadership team on employee experience and labor strategy alignment. Support People & Culture staff in navigating complex labor-related matters
• Work with the Employee Experience Manager to develop and deliver manager trainings. Coach managers on union contracts and provide guidance in partnership with the Manager of P&C and Employee Experience on handling performance issues in represented environments 
   

10% - Compliance & Policy  

• Ensure compliance with federal, state and local labor laws as well as the collective bargaining agreements in place at OPB
• Keep abreast of changes in labor law to inform any changes in policies or practices
• Assist with year-round compliance activities, as workload allows.  
• Work in partnership with P&C leadership to craft labor-related policies, procedure and best practices. Participate in organization-wide policy initiatives, bringing a labor relations lens.  
   

Working Conditions

• Work environment: Hybrid located at OPB HQ.  
• Schedule: This position typically works a Monday – Friday schedule, though some weekend/evening work is required, particularly during bargaining
• Physical demands: This position typically work in an office setting with heavy use of a computer.  
• Travel: May occasionally travel to other OPB locations or conferences. 
   

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business, Labor Relations or related field or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities for this position.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in HR, Legal, or union organizing or a combination of these which includes labor relations experience, including administering collective bargaining agreements, handling grievances and participating in bargaining. 
   

Preferred Education & Experience 

• 8 years of progressive experience in either HR, Legal, or union organizing or combination of these which includes 5 years of labor relations experience, including administering collective bargaining agreements, handling grievances and participating in negotiations of collective bargaining.
• HR certification such as SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, PHR, SPHR
• Experience working in a journalism and/or media environment 
   

Minimum Position Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Extensive knowledge of collective bargaining processes and proven ability to navigate and manage union-employer relationships.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations that impact labor relations.
• Experience working in a union environment.
• Ability to understand and analyze data to compile information, prepare reports, and prioritize and perform complex tasks on multiple projects, and integrate data into comprehensive analysis to determine risk and recommend solutions and initiatives. Ability to look for the root cause of problems and identify achievable solutions.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and in person across a wide range of situations from large/small, external/internal stakeholder group conversations to sensitive one-on-one discussions.
• Demonstrated ability to bargain and communicate in a manner that is rooted in OPB’s values.
• Skilled in distilling complex information into practical, accessible resources.
• Ability to organize historic documentation to make it accessible for future use
• Highly organized and able to develop sustainable systems to manage workload
• Demonstrated proficiency working with database, spreadsheet, word processing and other software programs.  
• Willingness to share the work and share leadership.
• Enthusiasm for the mission of OPB 
   

Preferred Position Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Skilled in change management
• Supervisory experience  
• Experience working in public media environment  
   

Additional Information

• This position reports to the Director of People Operations and partners closely with the Vice President of People & Culture and the Manager of People & Culture and Employee Experience.
• This role does not have any supervisory responsibilities.
• This role is full time, benefits eligible, and unrepresented.
• The probable hiring range for this exempt role is $99,000-$110,000 per year.
• This position has access to sensitive data and therefore the selected candidate must pass a background check.  

Application Instructions: 

Note: For the best application experience, it is recommended that you apply at OPB's job board, located at OPB.org/careers. 

A cover letter is required for this role. In your cover letter, please tell us about a time when you were managing many stakeholders in a labor situation. What was challenging about the situation, what strategies would you use to stay organized, and what qualities do you believe help you excel in these situations?

• Go to OPB’s Job Board, located at OPB.org/careers.
• Click the Labor Relations Manager job posting.
• Click “Apply” at the bottom of the screen.
• You will be asked to create an account, upload your cover letter and resume, and answer a few required position-related questions.
• Once you click “submit” you cannot make changes to your application.
• If you have any trouble uploading a cover letter, please reach out to [email protected].

Your application materials are due by 8:59pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, August 4th 2026.

OPB is an equal opportunity employer.