Police Recruiting Specialist

Port of Seattle•SeaTac, WA

24d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Police Recruiting Specialist, you will lead all recruitment activities for the Port of Seattle Police Department, working closely with commissioned and non-commissioned staff on the recruitment of officers and civil service personnel. You will be stationed within the police department, and connect talent acquisition strategy directly to operational law enforcement needs. You will also manage candidate outreach, recruitment events, civil service hiring compliance, and long-term workforce planning. You will ensure recruitment efforts advance Port-wide equity, diversity, and inclusion objectives, while serving as the primary liaison between Human Resources (HR), Police leadership, and the Civil Service Commission. You will collaborate with the Police recruitment team, Labor Relations, and HR to align civil service processes, outreach, and selection. You will oversee job postings, testing, oral boards, and eligibility lists and serve as the main contact for candidates and train panel members on interview techniques, evaluation criteria, and bias mitigation. You will lead targeted outreach to attract diverse, mission-driven candidates, focusing on underrepresented communities. You will build partnerships with academies, military bases, schools, and community groups and represent the Port Police at events and co-host informational sessions on careers and the hiring process. You will proactively source passive candidates through associations, networks, LinkedIn, and other platforms. You will also leverage new technologies and digital tools to expand reach, streamline communication, and enhance candidate engagement. You will manage full-cycle police recruitment in partnership with the Senior Recruiter for Public Safety, Talent Acquisition (TA) Manager and TA Lead, including coordination with public safety testing vendors and the Civil Service Commission. You will oversee and refine recruitment workflows, oral boards, and assessments to ensure efficiency, transparency, and a positive candidate experience. You will ensure all processes comply with civil service rules, (RCWs), collective bargaining agreements, and internal policies, supporting equitable and lawful hiring practices. You will support the Civil Service Commission and Police Department by interpreting and revising rules, coordinating with Legal and Labor Relations, maintaining records, and occasionally serving as secretary as needed. You will track recruitment data to evaluate outreach effectiveness and identify improvement areas. You will also share regular updates with HR, police leadership, and civil service partners. You will collaborate with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Police Department to support implementation of policing assessment recommendations.

Requirements

Experienced – You have five (5) years of full cycle recruiting experience in law enforcement or public safety, including supporting workforce planning efforts, designing recruitment strategies, candidate outreach efforts, and facilitating all levels of the public safety hiring process. Facilitation includes such things as overseeing testing, oral boards, hiring evaluations, and related civil service commission meetings.
Committed to Equity – You will apply equity and exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices in all aspects of the work. At the Port of Seattle, equity is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all Port employees.
Proficient – You have extensive expertise in civil service rules and public sector compliance, including RCWs, union environments, background and psychological/physical evaluations, and workforce planning. You are skilled in innovative outreach, familiar with police academy structures, and well-versed in law enforcement hiring processes, language, and timelines. You apply best practices in recruitment and collaboration with police teams, manage hiring within civil service systems, and support Civil Service Commissions through oral boards, candidate outreach, and public safety testing.
Diversity-Oriented – You are skilled in building trust and engagement across diverse communities and candidate pools. You are also skilled in and committed to inclusive, accessible, and bias-aware recruitment practices.
Collaborator – You are skilled in building and maintaining strong relationships with HR, sworn staff, and community partners to align recruitment goals.
Analytical & Organized – You are skilled in evaluating, optimizing, and documenting complex recruitment workflows.

Nice To Haves

We hope you have a SHRM-CP or PHR certification.

Responsibilities

Lead all recruitment activities for the Port of Seattle Police Department
Manage candidate outreach, recruitment events, civil service hiring compliance, and long-term workforce planning
Ensure recruitment efforts advance Port-wide equity, diversity, and inclusion objectives
Serve as the primary liaison between Human Resources (HR), Police leadership, and the Civil Service Commission
Collaborate with the Police recruitment team, Labor Relations, and HR to align civil service processes, outreach, and selection
Oversee job postings, testing, oral boards, and eligibility lists
Serve as the main contact for candidates and train panel members on interview techniques, evaluation criteria, and bias mitigation
Lead targeted outreach to attract diverse, mission-driven candidates, focusing on underrepresented communities
Build partnerships with academies, military bases, schools, and community groups
Represent the Port Police at events and co-host informational sessions on careers and the hiring process
Proactively source passive candidates through associations, networks, LinkedIn, and other platforms
Leverage new technologies and digital tools to expand reach, streamline communication, and enhance candidate engagement
Manage full-cycle police recruitment in partnership with the Senior Recruiter for Public Safety, Talent Acquisition (TA) Manager and TA Lead, including coordination with public safety testing vendors and the Civil Service Commission
Oversee and refine recruitment workflows, oral boards, and assessments to ensure efficiency, transparency, and a positive candidate experience
Ensure all processes comply with civil service rules, (RCWs), collective bargaining agreements, and internal policies, supporting equitable and lawful hiring practices
Support the Civil Service Commission and Police Department by interpreting and revising rules, coordinating with Legal and Labor Relations, maintaining records, and occasionally serving as secretary as needed
Track recruitment data to evaluate outreach effectiveness and identify improvement areas
Share regular updates with HR, police leadership, and civil service partners
Collaborate with the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and the Police Department to support implementation of policing assessment recommendations

Benefits

Healthcare – Medical, Dental, and Vision Care with options that work for you and your family.
Paid Vacation – Just about four weeks per year that increases with tenure to rest and rejuvenate.
Paid Sick Leave – At least one hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked.
Holidays – More than ten days per year to celebrate with family and friends away from work.
Pension/Retirement Plans – A pension and additional savings plans to prepare for your future after the Port.
Getting to Work – From subsidized parking and a low-cost public transit card to alternative work arrangements giving you an opportunity to work hybrid.
Parental Leave – Six weeks of paid leave to spend with new additions to your immediate family.
Development – From tuition reimbursement, training, stretch assignments and internal internships, we support a learning culture.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion – The Port of Seattle values diversity as a source of innovation and strength. We are actively working across the organization to create a culture where all employees – regardless of race, gender, and other identities – succeed and reach their fullest potential.
Work-Life Balance – We provide the resources to help you create habits to be healthy and balanced.
Mission Driven – We are focused together in promoting economic opportunities and quality of life in the region by advancing trade, travel, commerce, and job creation in an equitable, accountable, and environmentally responsible manner.