Recruitment and Classification Specialist

State of Washington•Thurston County – Tumwater, WA

About The Position

The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) is seeking a Recruitment and Classification Specialist for its Operations Division, which supports the Executive Office and agency divisions through functions including Human Resources. The position may be filled at the Human Resource Consultant 3 (HRC3) or Human Resource Consultant 4 (HRC4) level, with an option for a 12-month in-training appointment at the HRC3 level. It is full-time and permanent, and reports directly to the HR Manager. At the HRC4 level, the specialist serves as an expert consultant across multiple HR disciplines, including classification, compensation, benefits, employee and labor relations, recruitment, training, rule interpretation, FMLA, FLSA, reasonable accommodation, and payroll support for the Executive Team. The position designs, implements, and manages recruitment strategies; conducts classification and compensation work, including full-cycle position allocations; supports onboarding; manages learning and development activities in the WA State Learning Center (TLC); and leads the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of OSOS’s Leadership Academy. The HRC3 incumbent provides consultation and guidance but is not expected to provide expert-level consultation in every HR discipline. Expert-level consultation is expected in at least two of these areas: payroll, recruitment, reasonable accommodation, position description writing and allocation, and/or FMLA. The HRC3 incumbent is not responsible for guiding HR staff in disciplines where they are not considered an expert. The position works with a close-knit team of established HR professionals. Most work is performed at a desk using standard office equipment, with interactions with internal and external customers by phone, email, and in person. Standard business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an option to adjust hours. Emergencies or natural disasters may require work outside normal hours. The incumbent must be able to maneuver boxes weighing up to 30 pounds and handle complaints and interactions with difficult or impatient customers.

Requirements

For HRC4: At least five years of experience providing support or consultation in more than one human resource discipline.
For HRC4: Experience including at least one year at expert level in at least one HR discipline, as well as independently composing business communications, managing records, and responding to customer inquiries.
For HRC3: At least four years of experience providing support or consultation in at least two human resource disciplines, including independently composing business communications, managing records, and responding to customer inquiries.
For HRC3: Expert-level consultation in at least two of the following areas: payroll, recruitment, reasonable accommodation, position description writing and allocation, and/or FMLA.
Education may substitute for up to two years of required experience.
Ability to efficiently use a personal computer and applicable software to perform essential job functions.
Attention to detail and accuracy.
Ability to present training and speak in front of groups.
Ability to maneuver boxes weighing up to 30 pounds.
Ability to handle complaints and interact with difficult and impatient customers.
Candidates must have work authorization that does not require employer visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Experience recruiting within Washington State government.
Experience with full-cycle recruitment.
Experience using the NEOGOV applicant tracking system.
Experience creating curricula and providing training.
Experience allocating positions and working with position descriptions.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Office’s technical expert on recruitment methodologies and advise executive leadership and hiring authorities on best practices, trends, and sourcing strategies.
Design and oversee recruitment programs and strategies for hard-to-fill, mission-critical, and other vacancies, collaborating with coworkers, customers, and stakeholders.
Advise managers on complex recruitment situations, including organizational restructuring, new programs, and classification redesign.
Manage job postings in NeoGov, update hiring documents, screen candidate materials, and serve as the subject matter expert on the Online Recruiting System (OLRS).
Develop application questionnaires with hiring managers and division leadership, and build relationships that support efficient recruitment and onboarding.
Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into job postings and represent the Office at career and job fairs.
Manage end-to-end onboarding for new hires, including communications, documentation, orientations as needed, and data entry in HRMS.
Maintain recruitment records in accordance with the State General Records Retention Schedule and review interview questions for compliance with policies and RCWs.
Independently determine appropriate position allocations, including position continuity and compliance with classification specifications and Collective Bargaining Agreements.
Lead complex classification studies, including multi-position restructures, new program builds, and organization-wide reallocation projects.
Develop and interpret classification and compensation policies and advise executives, managers, and HR partners on rules, job-family alignment, and workforce-planning implications.
Manage classification and compensation processes, establish consistent intake procedures, review practices, and create documentation templates.
Apply knowledge of FLSA, overtime laws, project employment, in-training employment, and other requirements in classification and compensation administration.
Guide executives, managers, and supervisors on establishing, reallocating, or updating position descriptions.
Review and analyze management-initiated establishments and management- or employee-initiated reallocations of Washington General Service positions.
Support audits, appeals, and classification reviews by representing the Office’s position and ensuring decisions are supported by documentation and rationale.
Interpret and explain applicable WACs, RCS, CBAs, agency policies, and procedures related to classification and compensation.
Maintain electronic position files and ensure required documents are included.
Represent the Office at statewide training manager meetings and create or update training curricula.
Coordinate with the Executive Team to facilitate the OSOS Leadership Academy and serve as the subject matter expert for TLC, including uploading training.
Coordinate internal and external training requested by Office leadership, including scheduling and administrative requirements.
Serve as an HR consultant to the Executive Team and work on special projects, including policy development.
Assist with investigations as needed; monitor the shared email inbox; process, answer, or route requests; and respond to routine employment verification inquiries.
Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
Support the HR Operations Manager by scheduling and facilitating Washington Management Service (WMS) and Information Technology Professional Structure (ITPS) committee activities and potentially representing HR on committees.
Contribute to HR team operations, including opening mail, ordering supplies, and filing.
Perform other duties as assigned.