Talent Associate (Rail Talent Team)

Full Job Description

We are only accepting applications from current King County Employees. External candidates will not be considered.

Metro Transit’s Employee Services Division is seeking to fill one (1) full-time Career Service Talent Associate (Human Resource Associate) to join our team and support the Rail Talent Team!

Our ideal candidates are organized, customer-focused, and passionate about diversity and social justice.

Join us in shaping Metro’s diverse workforce by managing key elements of high-volume recruitments, including screening, testing, evaluating, and hiring!

Metro Transit’s Employee Services Division (Human Resources) supports the largest department in King County through recruitment and selection, workforce planning and development, HRIS data and analytics, and electronic records management.

We're immensely proud that our efforts enable Metro Transit to continue meeting the mobility needs of the county's growing population.

This is an exciting time to work at King County Metro Transit.

We serve the fastest-growing transit market in the nation, enjoy a 93% customer satisfaction rate, and are creating an array of innovative mobility services for our riders.

We are also building a zero-emission bus fleet and operating our region's light-rail system.

Click here to see why it's worth working for King County Metro Transit.

Who May Apply

We are only accepting applications from current King County Employees. This recruitment will be used to fill one full-time Career Service, Human Resource Associate.

This recruitment may also be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates for future Career Service, Special Duty Assignment (SDA) or Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) openings across multiple teams within the same job classification.

Placement onto a pool is not a guarantee of placement into a future position. The pool may be used for up to six (6) months at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Required Application Materials:

1. An online King County application updated with accurate contact information and relevant work history with job duties going back at least 10 years (or more, if necessary).
2. Completed supplemental questions answered thoroughly and accurately.
3. A cover letter no more than one (1) page describing how you meet the qualifications for this position, highlighting your administrative support and/or human resources experience.

NOTE: Applications submitted without the required application materials listed above will be deemed incomplete and be removed from consideration.

Additional documents (such as resumes) will not be reviewed if attached to your application.

Please ensure all relevant work history and experience is provided and up to date on your King County application and do not attach additional documents outside of the required one-page cover letter.

Requirements

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees.

In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. As a Talent Associate you will:

• Provide administrative support for full-cycle recruitment, selection, and onboarding processes.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for candidates, ensuring seamless coordination with recruiters and the agency, all while delivering outstanding customer service.
• Engage with candidates and staff, both in person and remotely.
• Schedule and oversee candidate assessments and interviews.
• Manage HR-related documentation, ensuring accurate tracking and filing both electronically and in paper format.
• Perform comprehensive background checks on candidates, including reviewing criminal records, employment references, driving records, medical examinations, and compliance with DOT drug and alcohol testing regulations.
• Oversee the documentation and completion of hiring procedures for new hires within Metro Transit Department.
• Utilize PeopleSoft, NEOGOV, Microsoft Word, Excel, and SharePoint to monitor recruitment efforts, draft correspondence, and compile reports.
• Use Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and Zoom for organizing meetings and managing responses for team members.
• Uphold strict confidentiality regarding HR matters, including employment decisions and disciplinary actions.
• Ensure adherence to employment standards and legal requirements, including Federal, State, and local laws, as well as DOT and CDL regulations.
• Crosstrain with colleagues to provide mutual support within the Transit HR team.
• Represent and promote Metro Transit at events, advocating for the organization as a premier employer.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

We value the diverse experience, skills, and abilities our candidates bring to this important role. Candidates who do not possess all the qualifications listed below should still consider applying!

You are encouraged to translate life experiences to show how they meet the required experience, knowledge, education, and skills below.

We are looking for candidates who have the following minimum qualifications:

• Option 1: Two (2) or more years of experience providing high-volume, increasingly responsible human resources or administrative support.

• Option 2: One (1) or more years of experience providing high volume, increasingly responsible human resources or administrative support; and education or training, such as coursework in human resources, business administration, office administration, or a related field.

• Experience working on multiple tasks/projects staying organized and meeting specified deadlines.
• Experience effectively problem-solving and applying good judgment and initiative.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and use discretion when handling sensitive information.
• Experience applying excellent customer service skills both orally and in writing, including providing professional and courteous service.
• Demonstrated experience establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with a diverse group.
• Experience reviewing and compiling data, developing reports, and creating charts and diagrams.
• Experience effectively creating, proofreading, editing, and formatting documents according to standard business writing practices.
• Experience using Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, Zoom, and electronic document signing software (such as Adobe Pro and DocuSign).

Highly competitive candidates will also have (desired, but not required):

• Experience with the following:
  • Metro Transit policies and practices.
  • Process improvement
  • Applying human resource practices and guidelines.
  • Test administration practices.
  • PeopleSoft or other HRIS/Human Capital Management systems.
  • NEOGOV or other electronic applicant tracking systems.
  • Laserfiche or other electronic employee record software.
  • Supporting unionized employees (or experience in a unionized environment).
  • Providing administrative support for public sector recruitment teams, especially in high volume and/or safety-sensitive recruitments.

Additional Information

How to apply and Selection Process: 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 Senior Talent Advisor, Skyler Jones at: skjones@kingcounty.gov.

Applications will be screened to determine whether eligible candidates meet the minimum qualifications, as well as for competitiveness, completeness, and responsiveness to the required application materials information below.

The most competitive applicants may be invited to participate in skills testing, one or more interviews, and/or other selection process elements.

Formal offers will be finalized after candidates have successfully completed any necessary pre-employment processes, such as internal record review or external reference checks.

Position Details: These positions are non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and therefore are eligible for overtime pay.

Classification / Job Code / Grade / Union: Human Resource Associate / 231101 / 51 / Non-Represented (Z3)

Work Schedule Details: This position works a 40-hour workweek (Monday-Friday); typically, between the hours of 7 AM and 5 PM. Occasional schedule variations (including working non-standard hours to facilitate testing, interviews, events, job fairs, etc.) may be required.

Hybrid Work and Onsite Requirements: The work associated with this position will be performed or conducted through a combination of teleworking and regular onsite work and meetings.

Currently, employees are required to work onsite one (1) day per week. Additional days may be required. Effective May 1, 2026, employees will be required to work onsite three (3) days per week.

Work schedules are subject to change based on operational needs.

The primary onsite work location will be King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle WA 98104).

However, this position will be expected to support on-site recruiting activities at a variety of King County buildings, bases, and public venues.

Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce.

To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity.

Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards.

We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

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.