Human Resources Director

King County is searching for an executive to serve as its Human Resources Director. King County is one of America's fastest-growing regions. Executive Dow Constantine is building partnerships and working with employees to meet the key challenges facing the Northwest--equity and social justice, climate change, and regional mobility.

In order to meet these challenges, the Human Resources Director  plays a key role in advancing King County's Investing in You strategy to create a workplace culture where employees:
 

•  Have equitable opportunities to learn and advance
• Try new ideas
• Are accountable to themselves, each other and the organization
• Are healthy
• Receive fair, competitive compensation
• Have the tools and support to be their best at work.

Our 14,000 employees have a passion for public service. We embrace continuous improvement, institute best management practices, drive innovation, and strive for second-to-none customer service.

The Human Resources Director leads the day-to-day operations of the Human Resources Division (HRD) and serves as a member of Executive Constantine's Cabinet. This role involves daily interaction with staff at all levels, including elected officials, agency leaders, and employees. This role requires the incumbent to possess exceptional strategic leadership and communications skills, a commitment to building a racially diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, a desire to achieve successful results, and the drive for customer service, efficiency, and innovation.

ABOUT THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIVISION (HRD)

The Human Resources Division (HRD) develops and administers the County's personnel system and employment policies, countywide learning and development, workplace safety programs, and the County's benefits and workers compensation programs. HRD is a strategic partner in building a highly skilled, diverse, and motivated team of employees to meet our customers' needs.

To learn more about HRD, please check out our website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/human-resources.aspx.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY & SOCIAL JUSTICE

As the only county in the United States named after one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, Martin Luther King, Jr. County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures.

We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to at advance regional change.

To learn more about Equity and Social Justice check out our website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice.aspx

To learn more about King County's Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan check out our website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/equity-social-justice/strategic-plan.aspx

ABOUT KING COUNTY (GREATER SEATTLE METRO AREA)

King County has a very strong and resilient economy and an environment where people and businesses thrive. Located on Puget Sound in Washington State, and covering 2,134 square miles, King County is nearly twice as large as the average county in the United States. With more than 2 million people, it also ranks as the 13th most populous county in the nation.
King County is comprised of 39 cities and is truly an international destination with over 100 languages spoken in the region and 30 million visitors annually. King County is home to the City of Seattle, suburban cities, small towns, islands, and rural communities, as well as forests, bodies of water, and farmlands.

Cities within King County frequently appear on "Best Places to Live" lists and it is #4 on the Forbes "The Best Places for Business and Careers" List. Many King County communities have highly rated schools, nationally recognized restaurants, vibrant recreation, and numerous cultural opportunities. Housing options range from easy-to-access islands, downtown high-rises, and distinct Seattle neighborhoods to suburban developments that boast walkable amenities.

KEY DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTATIONS

Reporting to the Chief People Officer in the King County Executive Office, the Human Resources Director is responsible for ensuring that the county-wide people systems and policies are efficient, effective, equitable and continually improving.
The Human Resource Director will:
 

• Direct the implementation of King County's strategic goals, vision, workforce management, performance measures, strategies, policies, best practices, and initiatives
• Direct and shape systems to promote an organizational culture that supports continuous improvement (Lean). Support departments and agencies in significant organizational changes.
• Embrace and commit to equity, racial justice, fairness and transparency for all King County employees;
• Direct and provide day-to-day leadership to the division
• Foster a culture of innovation and sustained change with a strong sense of how to develop and offer new products and services
• Collaborate and engage with County managers, labor partners, and employees to help drive the Investing In You initiative
• Leverage the County's people information and business intelligence systems to drive operational improvements with a focus on performance, measurement, and accountability
• Utilize internal and external resources, technology, and continuous improvement techniques to report metrics, improve processes, create more capacity, and deliver greater value to our customers and community.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR THIS ROLE WILL:
 

• Bring a strong background in directing and providing strategic leadership to large, highly unionized, and multi-faceted human resource organizations, including working collaboratively at all levels
• Has an exceptional record of successfully managing, developing, and/or implementing strategic initiatives, policies, systems including leveraging HRMS to achieve these outcomes
• Be customer-focused and comfortable advising and partnering with senior and executive-level management about complex initiatives, polices, and workplace/labor issues
• Understand how to manage complex projects including scoping and organizing resources, developing work programs, and facilitating multi-disciplinary teams
• Have strategies and ideas to continue to build on a culture of employee engagement which supports the development, learning, coaching, and team building necessary for the workforce of the future
• Understand, implement, and champion equity and social justice principles and practices in human resources policies, procedures, and initiatives
• Lead efforts to be create a culture of efficiency and effectiveness in day to day HR operations. Embraces change and allows others to  implement strategies to improve HR service
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing, is a highly skilled and effective presenter to a wide range of audiences
• Be able to persevere and adapt as required, while working in a multi-faceted and sometimes ambiguous environment
• Any combination of education and experience.

COMPENSATION & HOW TO APPLY

This exciting opportunity is open to all applicants. The salary for this position is $146,689- $185,937 annually (Range 87, 2018 rates, contingent on Council approval, 3.25% GWI) and includes innovative and award-winning employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, as well as a robust leave package. To see all of King County's benefits, please visit our web site at http://kingcounty.gov/jobs/benefits.aspx.

Interested candidates should apply online at www.kingcounty.gov/jobs no later than January 31, 2018. Confidential inquiries regarding the position or recruitment process are welcome to Heather Renschler at 916-630-4900.

For assistance applying online, please contact Jennifer Caymol at 206-263-8733 or via email at jennifer.caymol@kingcounty.gov.  You may also connect with her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcaymol/.