Human Resource Business Partner (Human Resource Consultant 4)

at  State of Washington Dept of Ecology

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Years of required experience indicated below are full-time equivalent years. Full-time equivalent experience means that any experience where working hours were less than 40 hours per week will be prorated in order to meet the equivalency of full-time. We would calculate this by looking at the total hours worked per week, divide this by 40, and then multiply by the total number of months worked. Examples of the proration calculations are:

• 30 hours worked per week for 20 months: (30/40) x 20 months = 15 months full-time equivalent
• 20 hours worked per week for 12 months: (20/40) x 12 months = 6 months full-time equivalent

Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, education, and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.

A TOTAL OF SEVEN (7) YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION AS DESCRIBED BELOW:

Experience in broad-based professional human resources, which includes some or all of the following: advising and consulting on human resource issues (professional development, organizational development, performance management, classification, investigations, reasonable accommodations, discipline/just cause, generalist functions).
Education involving a major study in human resources, labor relations, organizational development, business administration, public administration, social or behavioral sciences or closely related field.
Additional (experience and education) combinations of how you can meet the requirements for this position:
Possible Combinations
College credit hours or degree
Years of required experience
Combination 1
No college credit hours or degree
7 years of experience
Combination 2
I have 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.
6 years of experience
Combination 3
I have 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).
5 years of experience
Combination 4
I have 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.
4 years of experience
Combination 5
A Bachelor’s Degree or higher
3 years of experience

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.

• At least 6 months experience conducting just cause investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, including writing clear, concise, and comprehensive investigative reports.
• At least 6 months experience reviewing and allocating positions in the Washington State classification system.
• Prior professional human resource experience in public sector and/or unionized workplace.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or CLRP certification.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.
Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov

WHAT MAKES THIS ROLE UNIQUE?

In this role you will serve as the subject matter expert and HR lead in Position Allocation and Classification. You will also provide consultation and training to HR staff and agency managers on the designated area of expertise. This position is not transaction-focused, rather the focus is on consulting, creating, and improving.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

• Work with team mates to ensure DEIR is integrated into position descriptions and the hiring process. We are working to ensure unnecessary barriers do not exist when seeking employment with Ecology, including updating our required minimum qualifications to account for alternative ways to be qualified, instead of always relying upon degrees, wherever possible.
• Collaborate with assigned programs to identify workforce issues and be empowered to help resolve them. We encourage our HR Business Partners to identify creative solutions wherever possible, and not rely upon “the way we’ve always done it”. These opportunities may include working on classification & compensation proposals, modifying existing procedures, and working to ensure proposed policy meets our customers’ needs.
• Become an expert in human resource management, and employee and labor relations; be the strategic partner and advocate to the executives, managers, and supervisors in assigned programs for workforce planning, employee performance management, labor relations, and all other human resource management and personnel functions.
• As an expert in position allocation and classification, you will develop and maintain expert level knowledge and serve as the agency expert in this area. Use expert level knowledge to develop training, tools and training for HR staff, agency supervisors and managers or employees.
• Provide accurate and research-based guidance on performance management, labor relations, and disciplinary processes to Ecology managers and supervisors so that actions align with Just Cause principles and stand up through the scrutiny of grievances and arbitrations.
• Work collaboratively to support the goals of the programs/offices and the mission of the agency by strategically partnering with program staff to manage issues related to Classification and Compensation in assigned programs. Provide expertise and consultation on job classifications, compensation and workforce planning. Analyze position descriptions and make allocation determinations. Represent agency in classification appeals and coordinate preparation. Perform FLSA designation review and determinations. Serve as the coordinator for the agency WMS Banding Committee.
• Consult with employees and supervisors and provide assistance regarding state and federal employment laws, civil service rules, collective bargaining agreements, agency policies, career development opportunities, classification and pay and other issues. Investigate and analyze problems having broad potential impact, making recommendations, providing options, or suggesting necessary actions on matters.