Hr business partner (hrc 4) doh9011

This position offers a hybrid work arrangement, combining remote work with scheduled onsite work at the Public Health Laboratories located in Shoreline, WA. The Office of People Services (OPS) manages employee experience and HR operations for the Department of Health. We are looking for an expert-level HR Business Partner (Human Resource Consultant 4) to join our HR Business Partner team and serve as a trusted advisor to agency leaders on their most complex workforce issues and opportunities.

In this role, you will serve as the HR generalist and business partner for your assigned DOH programs, including the Public Health Laboratories in Shoreline, where you will provide in-person support. You will bring expert knowledge of HR best practices, agency policy, collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), and Washington Administrative Codes (WACs) to consult, advise, and coach management on employee performance management, organizational structure and strategy, and employee and labor relations. You will partner closely with specialty teams in classification, compensation, reasonable accommodations, investigations, and talent acquisition. Your expertise in Equal Employment Opportunity requirements, the Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, and anti-discrimination law will help the agency reduce risk and sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.

You’ll take a human-centered approach, incorporating the needs, abilities, and experiences of people into your advice and consultation, to support leaders in managing our most valuable state resource, our workforce.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Consult, Advise, and Coach Leaders and Employees on Complex Workplace Issues
• Provide expert-level analysis and strategy, in person and remotely, drawing on HR best practices, CBAs, WACs, and agency policy to advise managers and employees on complex, multidimensional issues with long-range impact
• Resolve complex interpersonal and personnel issues by identifying and mitigating risk to the agency
• Consult with supervisors and managers on performance management, including corrective action and progressive discipline in accordance with WACs and CBAs
• Advise leaders on writing letters of expectations, memos of concern, and letters of reprimand, and review final products before delivery to ensure accuracy and consistency
• Write Legally Defensible Decisions and Manage the Grievance Process
• Support Investigations, Accommodations, and Protected Leave
• Guide Organizational Planning, Staffing Strategy, and Layoffs
• Represent DOH and Build Leadership Capability
• Process Personnel and Position Actions

Why You’ll Enjoy This Role: This is work that matters, and you will see the results of it. You will help managers navigate their hardest decisions, support employees through impactful moments, and protect the agency while treating people fairly. Because your assigned programs include the Public Health Laboratories, you will be a familiar face on site, close to the people you support and the mission they carry out every day.

You will also join a collaborative, supportive HR team that shares expertise across specialties, from labor relations and investigations to classification, accommodations, and talent acquisition. You will never be working through a tough situation alone. The role pairs regular time onsite at the Public Health Laboratories with hybrid flexibility to work from home or another location.

Required Qualifications:

There are multiple pathways to qualify for this position. You must meet one of the options provided and any additional criteria listed. Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities.

• Option 1: Six (6) or more years of complex professional human resource experience in assessing and facilitating solutions to resolve workplace complaints and advising on just cause principles and progressive discipline for complex workplace personnel issues.
• Option 2: An Associate’s degree and four (4) or more years of professional human resource experience in assessing and facilitating solutions to resolve workplace complaints and advising on just cause principles and progressive discipline for complex workplace personnel issues.
• Option 3: A Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Human Resources, Social or Organizational Science, or a closely allied field, and two (2) or more years of professional human resource experience in assessing and facilitating solutions to resolve workplace complaints and advising on just cause principles and progressive discipline for complex workplace personnel issues.

Preferred Qualifications:

Qualifying experience must have been gained in a professional human resources or employment-related capacity, such as administering, supporting, or advising on these processes.

Employee Benefits:

We offer a solid benefits package that supports you and your family’s health, financial security, and work-life balance. You’ll have access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, and retirement plans that help you plan for tomorrow while you’re living today.

About the Washington State Department of Health:

We're nearly 2,700 professionals across Washington working together to protect and improve community health. Guided by our values of Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, we address health disparities, respond to emerging challenges, and strengthen systems that support resilience.

Working Conditions:

This position requires regular in-person attendance to perform duties at the Public Health Laboratory in Shoreline, Washington. When not working on-site, this position may work from home, a DOH office, or an alternative location.