HR Business Partner

About the role

This senior Human Resources position partners with organizational leaders to align HR initiatives with business processes and objectives. It provides customer service, risk assessment, analytical support, and proactive management advice across the agency, anticipating HR issues through early intervention. The role guides organizations on compensation, benefits, HRIS, staffing, labor relations, employee relations, EEO, management training, and workforce development; conducts HR investigations; facilitates leadership–employee communications; and assists with leadership development initiatives. The position develops and maintains processes, analyzes complex HR issues using advanced expertise, and independently manages multi-faceted projects with established deliverables and timelines.

Principal Accountabilities

• Internal/External Customer Support: Provides advanced HR support to a large customer base, independently resolving issues, recommending solutions, and implementing HR strategies to meet evolving business needs. Partners with leaders to leverage HR policies and procedures for business goals. Leads special projects and studies, makes decisions across diverse HR disciplines, and collaborates with HR specialists to develop programs in compensation, benefits, HRIS, staffing, labor relations, employee relations, EEO, management training, and workforce development. Exercises discretion and judgment in resolving issues and ensures processes are completed from start to finish.
• Internal HR Department Support: Supports HR staff and leadership by leading projects, maintaining up-to-date files, and assisting with overall HR goals. May serve as area Safety coordinator.
• Communications: Initiates accurate verbal, written, and presentation communications to internal and external customers, maintaining strict confidentiality and data integrity with diplomacy and professionalism.
• Training: Develops and delivers training on compliance, soft skills, and HR topics, serving as a key decision maker in curriculum development and improvement. May support Emergency Response and Outage roles or concentrate support in specific HR areas based on business needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced day-to-day HR support across multiple disciplines.
• Conduct investigations of HR issues and facilitate communications between leadership and employees.
• Develop and maintain HR processes; analyze complex issues to identify and achieve agency and department strategies.
• Lead small to mid-sized projects, establish deliverables and timelines, and monitor for timely completion.
• Collect and analyze complex data to recommend mid-to-large scale process improvements.
• Track trends and developments in assigned departments or work groups; conduct studies, perform research, prepare reports, and make recommendations.
• Develop, run, and analyze complex reports to identify HR trends and issues, providing proactive input to leaders.
• Manage special projects and train employees and supervisors on various HR topics, including leadership development initiatives.

Requirements

• HR Business Partner IV: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field and eight or more years of progressively responsible exempt/professional HR experience in a Business Partner or Generalist capacity; OR high school diploma or GED and twelve years of progressively responsible exempt/professional HR experience, nine years in a Business Partner or Generalist capacity.
• HR Business Partner III: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field and five years of exempt/professional HR experience in a Business Partner or Generalist capacity; OR high school diploma or GED and nine years of exempt/professional HR experience, seven years in a Business Partner or Generalist capacity.

Benefits

• Washington State has no state income tax, and the Tri-Cities offers a cost-of-living lower than the national average.
• Retirement benefits through the Washington State Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) pension plan, a 401(k) savings plan with employer match, and a 457(b) savings plan.
• Medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage options.
• Voluntary benefits including flexible spending accounts (FSAs), tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, childcare subsidies, health reimbursement arrangement (HRA VEBA), health savings account (HSA), supplemental life insurances, credit monitoring/identity theft insurance, and more.
• Personal time accrual starting at 160 hours per year, growing at service intervals; nine paid holidays annually.

Pay

• HR Business Partner IV: Salary range $109,870 – $164,806; midpoint $137,338
• HR Business Partner III: Salary range $95,532 – $143,298; midpoint $119,415
• Offers are typically made between the minimum and midpoint based on experience, market rate, internal equity, and budgetary allowances.
• Eligible for annual incentive plan based on performance against defined metrics and company goals.