WDVA Human Resources Manager, Full-Time Permanent, Olympia Central Office

State of Washington • Thurston County – Olympia, WA

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

We are excited to announce an opening for a Human Resource Manager that will be directly responsible for ensuring expert level consultation to agency executives, managers, and employees in the areas of performance management, disciplinary actions, reasonable accommodation, protected leave management, personnel appointment process, personnel and position file management, and HR system management. The standard schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Flexibility in schedule is possible depending on workload and business needs, as approved by the HR Director. This position’s primary work location is assigned to the WDVA Central Office in Olympia with a requirement of at least two in-office days. This position also requires on-site presence at all WDVA locations intermittently, based on business need. Hybrid telework options may be available, based on operational needs, as approved by the HR Director. Must be able to work in an office setting, sitting at a desk for an extended period. Work closely with detailed information for extended periods of time. At the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), we are passionate about our mission of “Serving Those Who Served.” As a national leader in our advocacy for nearly 500,000 Veterans and their family members, we strive to connect them to earned benefits as well as innovative programs focused on their overall health and wellness. In addition, we provide critical community services through a variety of programs, and at our four State Veterans Homes located in Orting, Port Orchard, Spokane, and Walla Walla. These locations provide Medicare and Medicaid nursing home care to Veterans, including, in some instances, their spouses, widows, or Gold Star Families. The Human Resources Manager is independently responsible to evaluate, plan for and ensure optimum daily human resource operational support is provided to all areas of business to support employees contributing to the mission of “serving those who have served”.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources management, public administration or related field. A combination of education and experience may be considered on a year-for-year basis.
• Experience must be relevant to the position.
• At least five (5) of human resources experience, three years of which must include supervising staff.
• At least three (3) years of Labor Relations Management experience.
• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.
• Must be proficient with MS office suite.
• Must have the ability to manage and protect highly confidential employee and agency information.
• Strong interpersonal skills to partner with diverse stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Professional human resources certification (e.g., SHRM-CP, PHR, or comparable) is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supervises, directs, mentors, and evaluates a team of HR Consultants.
• Establishes performance expectations (PDPs) and ensure team deliverables align with agency goals and civil service rules.
• Oversees the delivery of agency-wide performance management strategies.
• Guides consultants as they advise supervisors on setting expectation, coaching, informal investigations, Just Cause documentation, and progressive discipline execution.
• Manages the team responsible for processing and tracking complex leave programs.
• Directly oversees the Reasonable Accommodation (RA) process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD).
• Manages the operational execution of personnel actions, including appointments, promotions, demotions, transfers, leave, pay changes and all other applicable personnel actions.
• Directs the process for seniority calculations, HRMS update and reporting to unions and employees.
• Facilitates the agency layoff process including position identification, vacancy searches, seniority date assessment, establishing options, and issuing statutory layoff notices.
• Enforces accuracy and security in the maintenance of official electronic and physical HR related files.
• Audits records to meet state public records and retention schedules.
• Oversees all transaction entries into the state’s Human Resource Management System (HRMS).
• Maintains clear agency standards for HRMS data entry and actions.
• Serves as the designated negotiator, under the direction of the HR Director, for all collective bargaining agreements (CBAs).
• Develops comprehensive labor relations strategies aligned with agency goals, operational needs, and executive leadership directives.
• Manages statutory "Demand to Bargain" timelines and notification processes resulting from proposed changes to agency policies, working conditions, or hours.
• Assesses union notices, prepares management responses, and facilitates the formal bargaining timeline.
• Directs and oversees the formal grievance process in strict compliance with CBA timelines and Washington Administrative Code (WAC) civil service rules.
• Serves as the HR liaison to the assigned Assistant Attorney General (AAG) and the agency's internal legal counsel during active or pending lawsuits, appeals, and administrative hearings.
• Directs the HR team’s response to complex public records requests under RCW 42.56 (Washington Public Records Act) and WAC 44-14.

Benefits

• Flexibility in schedule is possible depending on workload and business needs, as approved by the HR Director.
• Hybrid telework options may be available, based on operational needs, as approved by the HR Director.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager