CHIEF LABOR RELATIONS AND RISK OFFICER

Under the administrative direction of the County Administrator, performs highly responsible executive, supervisory, and administrative work directing county-wide legal affairs coordination, personnel and labor-relations strategy, enterprise compliance, policy development, and risk management. This role drives enterprise-wide strategies that support ethical governance, operational integrity, and long-term organizational stability. This position is an administrative and coordinating office of the Board of Supervisors and does not replace, direct, supervise or assume the statutory office, powers, or duties of the elected County Attorney.

The position identifies legal and operational issues; coordinates matters with the County Attorney and properly trained outside counsel; administers nondelegated business functions; and supports implementation of Board policy. The position may provide legal advice services only the extent lawfully assigned and consistent with Iowa code chapter 331. Matters committed by law to the county Attorney remain with that office unless handled by outside counsel properly obtained by the Board or otherwise authorized by law. 

1. Serves as primary counsel to the Board of Supervisors and appointed officials concerning legal affairs coordination, enterprise compliance, personnel administration, labor relations, risk management, litigation exposure, and policy implementation, while recognizing the independent statutory role of the County Attorney. 
2. Identifies matters requiring legal advance or representation and refers or coordinates those matters with the County Attorney or with outside counsel properly retained or authorized by the Board. Manages internal and external legal resources to execute the Board of Supervisors’ strategic priorities and manages relationships among counsel to support past, present, and potential future litigation.
3. Coordinates communications, assignments, deadlines, records, budgets, and strategy among the board, county administration, the County Attorney, insurers, claims administrators, bond counsel, labor counsel, and other retained professionals, without directing the County Attorney’s exercise of statutory duties or professional judgment. 
4. Assists the Board and county Administrator in defining the scope of services, procurement process, engagement terms, budgets, and performance expectations for outside counsel and other professional services, subject to Board approval and applicable law. 
5. Serves as the lead administrative advisor on personnel administration, labor relations, collective bargaining strategy, grievance administration, workplace investigations, and employment-compliance initiatives. Coordinates legal review with the county Attorney or properly retained outside labor and employment counsel when legal advice or representation is required. 
6. May serve as management’s bargaining representative, third step grievance hearing officer, or workplace-investigation administrator when assigned and when the assignment does not conflict with a duty imposed by law on anther county office. 
7. Coordinating with the Human Resources Director to promote adherence to applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, policies, and internal controls; monitors legal and regulatory developments for Human Resources and for Labor; monitors compliance, identifies and assesses compliance risks, and recommends corrective action when deficiencies are identified; coordinates periodic reviews, audits, and assessments; developing and maintaining administrative policies and procedures; works with management, elected officials, departments, and appropriate legal counsel to ensure that organizational practices remain consistent with applicable requirements and established policies. 
8. Directs county-wide compliance and policy-management programs, including research, audits, training, monitoring, corrective-action planning, and development or revision of administrative policies for appropriate legal review and Board consideration. 
9. Directs the county’s self-insured, self-administered, and externally administrated risk management and loss-prevention program in coordination with the Risk Management Committee, including risk control, risk financing, insurance administration, workers’ compensation administration, claims coordination, reserve monitoring, and selection and oversight of external providers. 
10. Oversees enterprise procurement and purchasing functions assigned by the Board or County Administrator, including process design, competitive solicitations, contract administration, vendor compliance, and procurement training. Coordinates legal review of instruments requiring legal advice or approval. 
11. Negotiates business terms of complex agreements, partnerships, acquisitions, and professional-service arrangements, subject to legal review by the County Attorney or properly retained outside counsel and approval by the authorized county official or Board. 
12. Analyzes and supports the Board’s position in proposed legislation, regulations, administrative decisions, and operational developments; prepares policy and business-impact analyses; and coordinates legal interpretation with appropriate counsel; directs training and capacity-building initiatives for staff to enhance understanding of policy compliance requirements and risk management strategies. 
13. Directs comprehensive research, audits, and policy analysis to inform county leadership decisions; directs special projects, emergency initiatives, and cross-functional work groups; prepares reports and presentations for the Board, elected officials, department heads, employees, and the public. 
14. Prepares and administrators the risk management budget and strategic plan; controls expenditures; monitors program results; supervises assigned professional and administration personnel. 
15. Coordinates with external advisors and internal offices on bond transactions and serves as Compliance Officer responsible for post-issuance compliance functions assigned by the County. 
16. Drafts resolutions, ordinances, amendments, motions, petitions, and other documents for presentation to the Board of Supervisors; serves as Parliamentarian at County Board meetings. 
17. Performs related duties as assigned, provided that no assignment transfers or impairs a statutory duty, authority or professional responsibility of the County Attorney or another elected county officer. 

Limitations and Coordination with the County Attorney:

• The position is not the office of County Attorney and does not supervise the county Attorney or employees of the County’s Office. 
• The position does not independently assume litigation appearances, prosecutions, statutory legal opinions, or other duties assigned by law to the county Attorney. 
• The position does not select or engage outside counsel except through authority and procedures established by the Board and permitted by Iowa law. 
• The position remains responsible for compliance with the Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct, including identification of the client, conflicts, confidentiality, competences, and the limits of the position’s authority. 
• Nothing in this job description restricts the Board’s lawful authority to obtain outside counsel or the County Attorney’s authority to perform the duties of that elected office. 

• Thorough knowledge of Iowa county government, public administration, home-rule principles, and the respective functions of boards of supervisors, county administrators, elected county officers, and retained professional advisers. 
• Thorough knowledge of public-sector personnel administration, labor relations, collective bargaining, workplace investigations, procurement contract administration, regulatory compliance, and enterprise risk management.
• Thorough knowledge of self-insurance, reserve management, workers’ compensation, insurance administration, claims management, loss trending, risk forecasting, risk transfer, risk financing, risk control, and risk assessment and analysis. 
• Thorough knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, administrative rules, and ethical requirements related to county operations.
• Thorough knowledge of strategic planning principles, procedures, and practices.
• Skill in issue identification, legal-affairs coordination, policy analysis, negotiation, conflict management, strategic planning, and preparation of clear written recommendations. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, sound judgment, discretion, integrity, and the ability to preserve confidential and privileged information. 
• Ability to distinguish administrative, policy, operational, and legal functions and to refer matters to the County Attorney or properly retained outside counsel when legal advice or representation is required. 
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams, supervise personnel, administer budgets and contracts, management sensitive matters, and maintain effective working relations in a politically sensitive public environment. 
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County officials, representatives of other agencies, the media, other County employees, and the general public, fostering a collaborative and professional work environment.

• Graduation from an accredited law school and current licensure in good standing to practice law in the State of Iowa. 
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience in public-sector law, labor and employment, policy development, risk management, procurement, compliance, or a closely related field, including substantial leadership or management responsibility. 
• Experience with Iowa local government, collective bargaining, public procurement, insurance or self-insurance, and enterprise risk management is strongly preferred. 
• Any equivalent combination of training and experience that will have provided the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Special Requirements:

• A criminal background check is required. 
• A drug screen is required prior to final offer of employment.
• A valid of State of Iowa driver’s license is required.