Federal HR Policy, Processes, and Process Improvement Associate Director

Guidehouse; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Holidays

Discretionary Bonus

401(k) Plan

Life Insurance

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

Guidehouse in Arlington, VA is seeking a Senior HR Policy Specialist to lead development, review, and implementation of HR policies for federal government portfolios. You will standardize processes and guide data migration and system integration across legacy systems.

The role requires 7+ years in federal HR policy analysis, ability to obtain public trust, and strong collaboration with stakeholders. Travel up to 10% and leadership of a small team are included.

Qualifications

• Background in federal HR policy analysis and interpretation.
• Experience developing, reviewing, and implementing HR policies.
• Strong written communication for policy documents.

Responsibilities

• Lead HR policy projects across federal government clients.
• Analyze and standardize HR processes for efficiency.
• Oversee policy impacts assessments and compliance.
• Mentor junior staff and coordinate workstreams.
• Coordinate with stakeholders across offices to rollout policies.

Skills

HR policy analysis

Stakeholder liaison

Policy implementation

People management

Federal government experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM

Job description

Job Family: Management Consulting Travel Required: Up to 10% Clearance Required: Ability to Obtain Public Trust

What You Will Do:

• Serve as the lead for federal government Human Resource Policy Specialist supporting the development, review, interpretation, and implementation of HR policies, procedures, and guidance.
• Lead the analysis of existing federal government human capital processes and identify opportunities for standardization, consistency, and process improvement across organizational HR operations.
• Understand current state federal government HR processes, propose enhancements to future state of operations related to data migration and system integration solutions of various legacy systems with a diverse level of complexity.
• Serve as the liaison across various stakeholders (staff and executives) across different offices within federal government agencies to identify problems and develop solutions that support their mission needs.
• Oversee the development of policy impacts assessment, policy questions, and lead enterprise-wide HR initiatives for regulatory compliance.
• Provide direction to a team to research federal HR laws, regulations, directives, and best practices to ensure policy recommendations are compliant, practical, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Oversee the development of clear written policy documents, reference materials, and recommendations for leadership review and approval.
• Support communication and rollout of new or revised policies, including coordination with HR offices and other stakeholders as needed.
• Monitor policy implementation and help evaluate effectiveness, identifying areas for improvement and process optimization.
• Oversee and guide 2-3 staff supporting HR policy and process workstream activities, providing direction, quality review, and day‑to‑day coordination as needed.

What You Will Need:

• Must be able to OBTAIN and MAINTAIN a Federal or DoD "PUBLIC TRUST".
• Based on our contractual obligations, candidate must be located within the United States and US Citizen.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university AND SEVEN (7+) plus years' experience working in federal government human resources, policy analysis, or a related human capital associated role with responsibility for interpreting and applying HR policies, regulations, or procedures.
• Experience supporting federal human resources programs, especially within a large, multi‑organization environment.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering high‑quality work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to assess complex issues and recommend effective solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop professional policy documents and present information clearly.
• Ability to collaborate across teams and work with multiple stakeholders to support consistent and standardized HR practices.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to maintain accuracy in policy and procedural work.
• Skills in process improvement and supporting continuous improvement efforts mapping and documenting current state processes and future state of operations within HRIT implementations.
• Experience leading, mentoring, or overseeing junior staff or workstream contributors.
• Ability to travel as required by client’s needs.
• Ability to work in a Guidehouse Office, or Client Office location within the DMV area.

What Would Be Nice To Have:

• Master's degree.
• Knowledge of federal HR operations, shared service models, or enterprise HR standardization efforts.
• Familiarity with Oracle Fusion Cloud HCM is a plus.
• Experience with federal HR policy modernization, workflow analysis, or business process improvement initiatives.
• Familiarity with staffing, personnel action processing, labor and employee relations, executive resources, or benefits administration.
• Experience working with stakeholders to drive consistency, efficiency, and enterprise-level reporting or visibility.
• Previous experience managing a small team or coordinating the work of junior analysts in a policy or process improvement environment.

What We Offer:

• Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
• Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
• Position may be eligible for a discretionary variable incentive bonus
• Parental Leave and Adoption Assistance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Basic Life & Supplemental Life
• Health Savings Account, Dental/Vision & Dependent Care
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Student Loan PayDown Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development & Learning Opportunities
• Skills Development & Certifications
• Employee Referral Program
• Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
• Emergency Back-Up Childcare Program
• Mobility Stipend

About Guidehouse

Guidehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer–Protected Veterans, Individuals with Disabilities or any other basis protected by law, ordinance, or regulation.

Guidehouse will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable law or ordinance including the Fair Chance Ordinance of Los Angeles and San Francisco.

If you have visited our website for information about employment opportunities, or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Guidehouse Recruiting at 1-571-633-1711 or via email at [e-mail]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodation. All communication regarding recruitment for a Guidehouse position will be sent from Guidehouse email domains including @guidehouse.com or [e-mail]. Correspondence received by an applicant from any other domain should be considered unauthorized and will not be honored by Guidehouse.

Guidehouse is a global AI-led professional services firm delivering advisory, technology, and managed services to the commercial and government sectors. With an integrated business technology approach, Guidehouse drives efficiency and resilience in the healthcare, financial services, energy, infrastructure, and national security markets. Built to help clients across industries outwit complexity, the firm brings together approximately 18,000 professionals to achieve lasting impact and shape a meaningful future.

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