California Nurses Association
National Nurses United

Operations Manager
Field Secretary

Based in Oakland, CA

 

The California Nurses Association (CNA)/National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC)/National Nurses United (NNU) is leading the national movement for registered nurse power to transform the market-driven health care industry into a health care system based on patient need.

CNA/NNOC/NNU, the nation's largest union of registered nurses, recognizes that building worker power and holding employers accountable to nurses’ collective bargaining rights are essential to recruiting and retaining Registered Nurses, while protecting their freedom to advocate for patients without fear of retaliation.

In California, the California Nurses Association passed the first historic Registered Nurse safe staffing law – nurses nationwide understand lives will be changed by safely limiting the number of very sick patients they are responsible for. Safe staffing makes a real difference in patient outcome and a nurse's ability to do the meaningful work they believe in, providing significant care.

Who We Are
We are a worker-led union dedicated to building the collective power of working people. We fight for better workplaces, stronger communities, and a society that puts people before profit. We are seeking organizers who are passionate about justice, motivated by collective action, and committed to helping workers build power.

We welcome candidates from labor, community organizing, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, student movements, political campaigns, and other mission-driven backgrounds.

What We Believe In

• Worker Power: Lasting change happens when workers organize and act collectively to improve their workplaces and communities.
• Social Justice: We believe workplace issues are deeply connected to broader struggles for equity, dignity, and justice.
• Transformative Change: We are committed to building a stronger labor movement capable of creating meaningful change for working people.
• Political Engagement: Workers have the power to fight back against all forms of oppression that impact our lives through collective action and democratic participation.

Who Thrives Here
Successful Candidates are:

• Deeply committed to justice and solidarity
• Strong relationship builders
• Resilient, adaptable, and willing to learn
• Motivated by collective action and worker empowerment
• Comfortable engaging, persuading, and mobilizing others
• Prepared to invest the time, persistence, and collaborative effort necessary to strengthen the labor movement and advance lasting change for workers.

Position Overview:
We’re looking for a Field Secretary Team Manager to oversee and support a team of 16 Field Secretaries located across multiple offices (Oakland, Glendale, Sacramento, Chicago, Silver Spring, Tampa and El Paso). This role will ensure smooth day-to-day operations, strengthen systems, and drive efficiency across the team. We are looking for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment, who can balance day-to-day team oversight with long-term process improvement initiatives, and who is skilled at managing geographically dispersed teams, fostering collaboration, and building trust.

What You’ll Do - Responsibilities:

• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings with Field Secretaries to assess workloads, provide coaching and support, and proactively identify and resolve challenges. Coordinate workload balancing and coverage plans during periods of absence, increased demand, or changing organizational needs.
• Analyze recurring issues, and operational challenges across the team, and develop solutions that improve efficiency, consistency, and overall team performance through process improvements, training, technology, and best practices.
• Monitor team performance, identify development opportunities, and promote a collaborative environment that supports organizational discipline, knowledge sharing, and professional growth.
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures and training materials for team tasks and technology use.
• Organize and lead annual visits to each office to build relationships and assess operational needs.

What You’ll Bring - Minimum Qualifications:

• 3 – 5 years of experience in an operations supervisory role.
• Proven experience managing staff and fostering collaborative, mission-focused teams.
• Strong project management, analytical, and systems-thinking skills.
• Ability to research, implement, and train staff on new technology solutions.
• High attention to detail, reliability, and ability to juggle multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to travel (15%) up to all office locations once or twice annually.

Experience that is helpful but not required:

• Experience in nonprofit operations or a people-first culture.
• Experience in creating process documentation and training materials.
• Comfort with technology adoption and change management.
• Ability to support staff with varied technology skills using patience and clear communication.

This position is based in person in Oakland, CA and may require up to 15% of travel to all office locations nationwide once or twice annually.

If your experience does not perfectly match every qualification, but you believe you have the experience, skills, values, and commitment to succeed in this role and aligned with our mission, we encourage you to still apply.

Compensation and benefits: Competitive salary of $119,011.80 – $131,210.51/annually dependent on skills and experience. In accordance with the staff union agreement, staff receive a generous benefits package, including comprehensive family medical and dental plans, and generous pension and retirement benefits.

We know that great people make a great organization. We value our people and know that what we offer is essential not just their work, but to their overall well-being.

Instructions on how to apply: 
Apply by end of day 9/1/26. Be sure to submit your cover letter, résumé and the full one page form HERE.

If you are interested in the role and do not meet every requirement listed, please still apply! We are interested in applicants with unique lived experience and skill sets.

*All CNA/NNOC/NNU employees are required to complete a background check in order to be eligible for employment.

CNA/NNOC/NNU is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate based on any protected category, including, but not limited to, race, color, religion, gender, gender expression (including transgender expression or pregnancy), political affiliation, age, immigration status or disability. We encourage qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

All submitted application materials must be the direct, original work of the applicant; the use of generative A.I. tools to write your résumé, cover letter, or responses is prohibited to preserve the integrity of our hiring process.