Deputy HR Director | HR Operations Deputy

The ideal candidate is an experienced equity-minded HR executive with a strong record of leading complex human resources operations in a public-sector or mission-driven environment and advancing HR service delivery models grounded in service excellence organizational performance and accountability. They bring demonstrated success managing large HR teams navigating organizational change and delivering consistent high-quality customer centered HR services across multiple program areas while fostering a culture of performance and responsiveness.

This leader excels at building collaborative relationships with executives legal counsel labor partners and statewide HR stakeholders. They communicate with clarity coach and develop HR managers and foster a culture grounded in equity integrity continuous improvement and customer-centered service. They are comfortable with labor relations investigations classification and compensation recruitment strategy and data-driven HR performance management. They bring a disciplined yet supportive leadership style that strengthens teams builds trust and ensures consistent application of policy law and collective bargaining agreements.

The successful candidate is a steady strategic and highly visible HR leadersomeone who thrives in complexity exercises sound judgment in precedent-setting situations and is committed to building an HR division that delivers dependable transparent and high-quality services to employees managers and agency leadership.

Organizational Structure:

The Deputy HR Director reports directly to the HR Director and serves as the primary back-up and delegated authority for the Human Resources Division. This position provides operational control over all HR program areas and represents the HR Director with internal and external stakeholders across the enterprise HR community.

Position Objective:

The Deputy HR Director provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure consistent high-quality delivery of HR services across the agency. This role supports the HR Director in building a high-performing HR division that delivers dependable reliable and customer-centered services. The position oversees the development implementation and standardization of HR processes and applies human resource policies and procedures across all aspects of employee and labor relations investigations classification and compensation recruitment leave administration and HR analytics.

Executive Leadership & Delegated Authority:Provides division-wide and agency-wide leadership as the HR Directors delegated authority making high-impact decisions and representing the division to internal and external stakeholders.

Strategic HR Operations & Program Oversight:Oversees all major HR program areas to ensure consistent compliant and high-quality statewide HR operations.

Service Delivery Modernization & Process Standardization:Leads the design and continuous improvement of standardized HR processes workflows and service-delivery systems that drive operational excellence.

Employee & Labor Relations Leadership:Directs complex and high-risk employee and labor relations matters including investigations discipline grievances and legal coordination.

People Leadership & Talent Development:Builds and develops high-performing HR teams through effective leadership coaching accountability and support.

Data-Informed Decision-Making & Risk Management:Uses data trends and risk analysis to inform executive decision-making and ensure defensible precedent-aware HR actions.

Enterprise Collaboration & Agency Representation:Represents the HR Division across enterprise forums and collaborates with agency partners on issues intersecting with HR compliance risk and organizational performance.

Required Qualifications:

Required equity competencies:

Key competencies:

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

To request a detailed position description click here.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

Please submit only the required documents as noted below and ensure all Personal Identifying Information (PII) such as Social Security numbers etc. are edited out of your materials for privacy. Additionally we ask that you not include photographs or external links within your documents.Any documents uploaded through this platform will be securely transmitted electronically to support application review.

Please submit your Cover Letter and Resume with your Online Application through the Add Attachments field. A resume will not substitute for the work experience section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields or supplemental question responses with comments such as see attachments may be considered incomplete.

Ouragencys mission and values drive every decision that we make determine how we interact with others and are at the core of who we are. We value Access Love Belonging Equity and Stewardship. We understand that a work environment that respects your work/life balance is key; thats why many of our positions are eligible for flexible work schedules and teleworking opportunities. Through support value and trust our employees are empowered to grow and develop into their best self.

Opportunity for All

We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural ethnic racial religious sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women racial and ethnic minorities people with disabilities people over 40 years of age people with religious beliefs veterans or people with military status and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

The Employment Security Department is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

If you are a person needing assistance in the application process if you need this job announcement in an alternate format or if you have general questions about this opportunity please contact or at 360.480.4514 or theTalent Acquisition Team prior to the position closing. If you are having technical difficulties creating accessing or completing your application please contact or or toll free Washington Relay 711.

This recruitment may be used to fill additional agency-wide positions in accordance with Article 4 of the WFSE Collective Bargaining Agreement.