Short-Term (11 month) Temp or Out-of-Class (OOC) HR Operations Specialist (Personnel Specialist, Sr)

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has a Temporary or Out-of-Class (OOC) opportunity for a professional to join the Human Resources (HR) Division as an HR Operations Specialist. This role assists with Workday system management, including resolving leave and payroll issues, updating organizational assignments, and researching outstanding Workday-related tasks. This opportunity is expected to last approximately 11-12 months and is open to all qualified candidates. External candidates are initially non-benefited and will receive premium pay in lieu of benefits.

About Seattle Public Utilities

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a community-centered utility delivering vital services to Seattle residents and businesses, including drinking water, drainage and wastewater, and garbage/recycling/compost. SPU also provides drinking water for 1.6 million regional customers. With over 1,400 employees, SPU focuses on system maintenance, improvements, and keeping Seattle clean while ensuring affordable and equitable stewardship of water and waste resources for future generations.

SPU is committed to Our City Values and Race and Social Justice as core principles, actively working to dismantle systemic racism and increase service equity. The organization values diverse life experiences and strives to create a welcoming workplace for all, promoting inclusivity and equity in recruiting, hiring, and promotional opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Maintain timely processing of Workday tasks, monitor the Workday ticketing inbox, and help reduce backlog to support SPU operational needs.
• Support Benefits, Leaves, ADA, and Workers’ Compensation administration, including processing requests, approvals, and compliance documentation.
• Monitor and resolve payroll discrepancies correlated with leave corrections, collaborate with HR/Payroll teams, and maintain tracking logs.
• Assist with return-to-work processes and ADA accommodations, coordinating documentation and follow-up.
• Provide employee support, responding to inquiries on leave, benefits, and accommodations.
• Support reporting, auditing, and analysis of leave and payroll trends to improve efficiency and compliance.
• Partner with HR leadership and SHR to ensure regulatory compliance, policy adherence, and high-quality employee service.

Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Requirements

• Two (2) years of responsible professional personnel administration experience in the public sector.
• Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Human Resource Management, Business Administration, or a related field. If no degree, two (2) additional years of qualifying experience is required.

Combinations of appropriate education, training, certification, and experience(s) will be evaluated on an individual basis for comparability.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience related to a variety of HR functions, including benefits, leaves, and payroll administration.
• Familiarity with Workday software platform.
• Experience providing direct customer service.
• Strong written, oral, and digital communication skills.
• Proficiency using Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and Teams.

Pay

The full salary range for this position is $47.39 per hour - $55.19 per hour. Temporary employees begin at Step 1 of the pay progression, at $47.39 per hour.

Schedule

This position allows for a hybrid work schedule, with the option to work remotely two days a week. Individual schedules will be agreed upon by the employee and their supervisor.

Benefits

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees, including:

• Vacation, holiday, and sick leave.
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.