AFSCME Pennsylvania Council 13

Regional Director

For covering the Eastern Region of Pennsylvania

 

Union: AFSCME Pennsylvania Council 13
Location: Eastern Region
Salary: Competitive salary based on experience
Posting Date: 5/8/2025

How to Apply
To apply, send a cover letter and résumé to: recruiting@afscme13.org.

*Please include position title and local number (if you are a current member of an AFSCME local) in the subject heading of your application email.

Overview
AFSCME Council 13 is the public service union for Pennsylvanians, representing more than 60,000 workers across the Commonwealth. Council 13 members care for the vulnerable and elderly, allow students to focus on learning in schools and universities, run correctional facilities around the clock, maintain safe drinking water, ensure the state’s libraries, museums, roads, parks, and game lands are accessible to the public, and make Pennsylvania run in countless other ways. Our union organizes for dignity and respect and fights for a real voice on the job for public service workers and the services we provide.

The Regional Director is a senior management position that reports to the Administrator of Council 13. Responsibilities include engagement, oversight, and leadership in various activities that mobilize, organize, represent, educate, and empower the Council's local union affiliates, local union leadership, and rank and file members to build the union within a defined region. Directs, supervises, and manages field coordinators, staff representatives, clerical staff, and other staff assigned to the region.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
(Any one position may not include all the specific duties and responsibilities listed in this posting. Examples provide a general summary of the work required and should not be treated as a total and complete list of expected duties to be performed by employees in the classification. An expanded job description is available during the application process.)

• Actively promotes Council 13’s vision for building strength and achieving growth to union leaders, staff members, and other stakeholders and guides activity as a leader within the Pennsylvania labor movement.
• Develop action plans to build the capacity of local unions to achieve a high level of member participation, develop collaborative and cooperative relationships, bargain strong contracts, solve workplace problems, develop and apply political leverage, develop leadership, and foster sensitivity to and engagement in issues important to members and the community.
• Provides direction and guidance over assigned region operations and programs.
• Manages and coordinates field activities such as organizing, affiliations, and member mobilization.
• Interacts with Administrators and Field Coordinators on representational and organizing issues. Advises staff in the application of the AFSCME model of organizing.
• Provides guidance, input, and direction into the selection of internal and external organizing targets for campaigns undertaken by staff, prioritizing large public and private sector units for growth.
• Plans and strategizes with Field Coordinators in campaigns for new collective bargaining laws and related organizing. Ensures accountability for a campaign plan.
• Directs and integrates the efforts of field personnel to assist Council 13 in the realization of organizing and representational goals.
• Plans, directs and coordinates organizing programs and evaluates methods and approaches. Based on conclusions, directs further initiatives or modifies plans and apprises the Administrator on the status of projects.
• Collaborates and coordinates with applicable departments, administrators, and other regional leadership to advance the Union’s organizing agenda.
• Engages in long-range planning, targeting, and prioritization of efforts to expedite the objectives of Council 13.
• Reviews and analyzes reports, records and directives from Field Coordinators and Staff Representatives.
• Ensures the implementation of leader recruitment, training and evaluation.
• Responsible for providing input for, and oversight of, budget matters for programs in region. Controls expenditures within approved budget.
• Administers personnel regulations and recommends appropriate actions for the hiring, promotion, and discharge of employees.
• Assists Administrator on special projects as required.
• Performs other work as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

To perform the Regional Director position successfully, the incumbent needs seasoned proficiency in the following areas:

• Must be able to manage with the values of the labor movement and be willing to constantly improve as a manager.
• Deep familiarity with labor law in Pennsylvania, collective bargaining, unfair labor practices, mediation and arbitration processes.
• Demonstrates respectful and responsible behavior and possesses the ability to exercise discretion, independent judgment, and effective problem-solving skills.
• Strong planning and time management skills, ability to prioritize and develop work plans with minimal supervision including prioritizing and managing multiple tasks.
• Possesses excellent listening, interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to thrive and operate in a fast-paced, mission driven environment with quick thinking, energy, humor, flexibility, and above all professionalism.
• Proven ability to work with diverse group of people.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate, lead, build strong working relationships and hold others accountable while building respect and trust.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to creating a positive work environment that encourages personal responsibility, initiative and innovation and engages the team in the work and values of AFSCME.
• Appropriately manages conflict, disagreements and adversarial situations among staff.
• Ability to critically evaluate one’s own performance and incorporate feedback into improving performance.
• Ability to support, model and coach staff through honest, clear and timely feedback; able to facilitate the learning of others, both formally and informally.

Direction and Decision Making
This position reports to the Administrator of Council 13.

Education and Experience
Extensive knowledge of organizing, union administration, and the labor movement. Combination of education, training, skills and/or experience equivalent to the completion and application of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Labor Relations or Labor Studies. From 7 to 10 years of experience in organizing, representational, and field activities and experience with the AFL-CIO and/or its affiliates is highly desirable. Demonstrated experience in planning, administering and coordinating difficult organizing programs. Must have excellent interpersonal and oral/written skills and be able to select and develop a highly motivated and effective staff.
    
Physical Requirements (as required by ADA)
Work is performed in a Regional Field Office environment but travel to onsite locations is required and extensive. Extended work hours, including evenings and weekends, may be required.

Benefits

• Health insurance for employee and family, including medical, prescription drug, vision, dental and hearing (employee contributes percentage of salary)
• Defined Benefit Pension Plan (jointly paid)
• Voluntary Deferred Compensation 401(k) Savings Plan with employer match
• Field Package (monthly travel and cell phone allowance, insurance stipend, reimbursed expenses)
• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death benefits
• 3 weeks earned vacation per year (after one year of service)
• 1 ½ days earned sick leave per month (accrued)
• 12 paid holidays per year
• 3 Personal Days (pro-rated in first year)
• Paid holiday release between Christmas and New Year’s Day