Deputy HR Director | HR Operations Deputy

Full Job Description

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 leader—someone 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.

Requirements

Executive Leadership & Delegated Authority: Provides division-wide and agency-wide leadership as the HR Director’s 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.

Qualifications

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.

Additional Information

Our agency's 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; that's 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 Sanyu.Tushabe@esd.wa.gov or at 360.480.4514 or the Talent Acquisition Team, prior to the position closing.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please contact careershelp@des.wa.gov or (360) 664-1960 or toll free (877) 664-1960, 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.