HR Manager I

                      *** This is a Special Duty Assignment open ONLY to current Career Service King County employees who have passed their initial King County probation. The SDA is anticipated to last for 6 months.

The Department of Local Services (DLS) has an exciting 6-month special duty opportunity for current King County employees interested in growing their strategic human resources skills while focusing on leaves management and recruitments. The most competitive candidate will demonstrate a commitment to equity and social justice, passion for public service, and success as a sound HR advisor and collaborative partner.

The Human Resources Manager I will play a key role in the day-to-day delivery of leaves and recruitment for the department, while also contributing to the design and implementation of future human resources plans and practices. Relationship-building and a strong commitment to equity ensure that programs, policies, and procedures are responsive to the County's goals and practices.

King County is the local service provider for roughly a quarter-million people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county. The Department of Local Services includes a Director's Office as well as the Road Services and Permitting divisions. Together, this department provides a single executive point of accountability for delivering local services to all unincorporated areas.

We work in historically underserved urban neighborhoods, like White Center and Skyway, and in rural areas of unincorporated King County such as Duvall, Enumclaw, and Vashon Island. We engage people who monitor social media by the moment as well as those who only have a land line.

We encourage all applicants to learn more about our department by visiting our website at Local Services - King County, Washington.

The Department of Local Services is deeply dedicated to fostering Equity, Racial and Social Justice in every aspect of our work. Our pledge is to cultivate, embrace, and celebrate the distinct experiences, viewpoints, and perspectives of our people and partners and the communities we serve. Through this work, we dismantle systemic barriers, address inequities, and actively confront prejudices and biases. We acknowledge that this journey is ongoing, and we remain steadfast in our efforts to create a positive impact for our employees and communities alike.

Applying equity, racial, 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 your work.

Successful candidates for this position will be able to clearly demonstrate skill and ability to:

• Collaborate, as part of an HR team led by the HR Manager II, in creating the vision and goals for the Department of Local Services Human Resources and in the implementation of county initiatives within the divisions
• Leave Management – Oversee leave management functions for the department, ensuring compliance and consistency in leave practices.
• Recruitment – Oversee recruitment functions for the department
• Drive Workforce Insights – data management and creation of metrics for talent acquisition and leave management to identify trends
• Champion Process Improvement – Lead process improvement efforts, develop HR Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), oversee implementation of initiatives, and measure effectiveness to endure goals are met
• System Administrator - PeopleSoft HCM and other software programs by managing data, creating reports and solving technical problems related to systems
• Work collaboratively with other employee development partners to identify and support training and development needs for the department
• Interpret employment law and human resources policies
• Create and deploy recruitment strategies towards under-represented population groups, including targeted outreach, networking, and establishing effective relationships with internal and external partners
• Other duties as assigned.

• Leave Management Expertise – Demonstrated experience handling or overseeing complex leave and accommodation cases (e.g., FMLA, ADA, ACA).
• Talent Acquisition Expertise – experience in a full-scale talent acquisition function for a diverse organization, including experience developing and executing recruitment strategies across a wide range of roles.
• Lead Experience – Experience as a team lead, providing direction, support, and oversight.
• Process Improvement Skills – Proven ability to lead process improvement initiatives, develop SOPs, and monitor outcomes.
• Data & Metrics Skills – Experience creating and using HR/recruitment and leave metrics to inform decisions, set priorities, and share outcomes with diverse audiences.
• Customer Service & Collaboration – Proven ability to deliver excellent customer service and build effective working relationships across all levels of an organization.
• Technical Proficiency – Strong skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
• Systems Experience – Experience using enterprise-level applicant tracking systems and HRIS, such as NEOGOV and PeopleSoft.

Interview Process

Applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited to participate in a 30 minute in -person interview the week of April 20, 2026

Forms and Materials: A completed King County Application is required. A cover letter detailing your interest in the position and your background and describing how you meet or exceed the required qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experience listed in this job announcement, is also required.

Selection Process: Applicants will be screened for clarity, completeness, and competitiveness. Minimum qualifications and answers to supplemental questions must be demonstrated in your application materials. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Reference checks and file reviews will be done.

For interviewing tips, please see the STAR-LA method: star-la_interview_method.pdf

Employees will be provided with a King County-issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.

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.

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 have questions, please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Sonali Sharma, HR Analyst, by email at sonsharma@kingcounty.gov, or by phone at (206)492-6237.