HR Manager II-People Leader

The Department of Local Services is seeking an experienced Human Resources Manager II-People Leader to lead our department’s Human Resources team.

Utilizing your experience and success as a sound HR advisor and collaborative leader with strong interpersonal skills, you will build effective relationships and influence change at all levels in the Department. Your excellent communication skills and strong project management abilities will be essential for managing competing priorities.

You will lead, mentor and inspire a team of dedicated HR practitioners, and ensure systems are in place to attract, retain, and engage employees. As our new leader, you will apply your HR expertise and compassion when problem solving and addressing issues. You will champion the advancement of practices, strategies, and policies that promote a healthy and inclusive workplace culture for all employees.

About the Department of Local Services

King County Local Services is the local government service provider for the roughly 250,000 people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county. Together, the populations of these communities would form the second largest city in the state. The Department of Local Services includes a Director's Office, Road Services Division, and Permitting Division.

Our commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice

The Department of Local Services is deeply dedicated to fostering Equity and 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 employees, our partners, and the communities we serve. We work to 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 positive change for our employees and the communities we serve.

The successful candidate is a strategic HR leader with expertise in labor relations, talent development, and organizational culture, demonstrated by a strong record of building partnerships, developing leaders, and advancing workforce recruitment and retention.

Applying the principles of equity and racial and social justice is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. You will apply these principles to all aspects of your work.

Primary responsibilities include

• Provide overall direction for integrating sound human resources practices and strategic initiatives across the department, building relationships and leveraging networks at all levels as a trusted HR partner, while utilizing policies, processes, and guidance established by the central Department of Human Resources.
• Develop and support HR Analysts to implement recruitment strategies in today’s dynamic and constricted labor market.
• Provide advice and consultation on workplace programs, policies, and procedures.
• Collaborate with DLS leadership to design systems for recruitment, development, and retention of a high quality, diverse workforce that is prepared for the evolving business needs of the future.
• Proactively assess and, in consultation with leadership, resolve employee relations issues objectively, interpreting employment law, labor agreements, and HR policies and practices to reduce liability and ensure consistency and compliance.
• Develop and support Employee Labor Relations lead to conduct investigations related to human resources issues.
• In collaboration with the Office of Labor Relations, participate in negotiations of collective bargaining agreements; support and participate in employee discipline and grievances as needed; and implement and interpret contract language where warranted.
• Manage requests for accommodations (Americans with Disabilities Act, religious, and others as applicable by law) to ensure adherence to all federal, state, and local regulations.
• Provide supervision, guidance, and development to support and sustain a mid-sized HR team.
• Lead the implementation of strategies to strengthen employee engagement and advance equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts.
• Additional duties as assigned.
• A bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Public or Business Administration, or a closely related field; AND five years of increasingly responsible experience in human resources at the professional/management level; OR any combination of education and experience that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the job duties of the position.
• Experience supervising employees, developing staff, and supporting team performance in a professional setting.
• Direct working knowledge of major HR functions such as recruitment, compensation and benefits, risk management, Human Resources Information Systems, employee relations, leave management, performance management, training and development, and relevant laws and regulations.
• Demonstrate skill in resolving workplace conflict.
• Experience coaching and counseling supervisors to effectively develop employees and improve performance outcomes. Experience coaching supervisors in having candid conversations with employees regarding performance issues.
• Excellent customer focused service and ability to advise and partner at all levels of management on a variety of complex HR policies, procedures, and practices.
• Experience providing leadership, guiding team direction, or building team culture to support organizational goals and strengthen team effectiveness.
• Experience advancing equity and social justice, inclusion, and belonging. Comfort having candid and sincere conversations with all employees about race and equity in the workplace.
• Excellent understanding and demonstrated knowledge of progressive workplace practices, including advances in available technology and resources to adapt to a competitive and changing labor market.
• Strategic thinker with extensive experience solving complex organizational problems through people-related solutions, with the ability to translate strategies into tactical actions and solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate in both written and verbal form at a high level, bringing clarity to human resources issues and providing information to staff and leadership.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable working in a complex environment with multiple labor contracts.

Additional qualifications that will be helpful in this role

• Experience in the public sector, government, or other municipal agency.
• Experience performing HR service delivery in a unionized environment.
• Strong working knowledge of and proficiency with PeopleSoft.
• Strong working knowledge of and proficiency with NEOGOV applicant tracking system.

Work Schedule

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday, comprising a 40-hour workweek (normally 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday). Occasional non-standard work hours may be required to attend events, job fairs, etc.

Who May Apply

This position is open to all qualified applicants.

Applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited for an Interview the week of August 10, 2026.

Required Application Materials

• An Online employment application, completed at www.kingcounty.gov/jobs. The employment history should go back at least seven years if you have seven years of employment, or more to include all relevant experience. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. All relevant experience must be included in the application.
• Resume

NOTE: Applications that do not include the required materials may be considered incomplete and will not be considered.

Hybrid Work

This position works a hybrid schedule of remote and onsite work, requiring work in the office at least three days a week. Hybrid work schedules are subject to change based upon operational necessity. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104.

Emergency Designation Status

This position has been designated as: Mission Critical in an Emergency, a designation that describes employees who staff county functions or services that may be delayed, suspended, or diverted in an emergency while essential functions are prioritized.

Unless otherwise directed by the King County Executive, department director, or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather.

Union Status

This position is not represented by a collective bargaining agreement.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

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.

To Apply

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 if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class.

However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

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.

For more information on this recruitment, please contact: Christina Jamerson, Senior HR Analyst, by e-mail at cjamerso@kingcounty.gov