HR Initiatives Project Manager

King County; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

King County is seeking an HR Initiatives Project Manager (PPM IV) to drive the execution and delivery of cross-functional HR initiatives that support business priorities and people strategies. The role serves as a key integrator across HR Business Partners, HR Project Managers, and Metro Division leaders, translating priorities into actionable plans and ensuring on-time delivery with clear governance.

You will lead cross-functional projects, design governance, and enable scalable HR programs

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive HR experience or in a closely aligned HR role supporting business leaders.
• 3 years of experience as a HR project manager.
• 3 years of experience using project management software/tools and office applications (including proficiency in Microsoft Office tools).
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-workstream projects or programs in a matrixed environment.
• Strong understanding of the HR function and how HR programs land and operate within the business.
• Highly developed project and program management skills; ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information for senior leaders.
• Experience leveraging HR technology, data, and automation tools.
• Ability to influence and drive outcomes without direct authority.
• Experience planning and facilitating workshops.
• Experience utilizing various technologies to improve project management, enhance program success, and measure impact (i.e., Miro, Microsoft Planner).
• Experience tracking outcomes using quantitative and qualitative measures.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage cross-functional projects and initiatives sponsored by the organization (workforce planning, organizational change, talent planning, leader capability initiatives, and business-driven people programs).
• Translate the function’s priorities into actionable project plans, including scope, milestones, dependencies, success metrics, governance, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Drive execution from design through delivery, ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and with clear, measurable outcomes.
• Establish program governance, operating cadences, and decision frameworks that promote accountability, clarity, and consistent execution.
• Proactively identify risks, interdependencies, and execution challenges; surface issues early and partner with key internal stakeholders and business leaders to resolve.
• Evaluate when initiatives should remain localized versus scaled or standardized for broader impact.
• Enable consistent, high-quality execution of initiatives across Metro's divisions by reducing operational friction and improving delivery quality.
• Design, develop, and maintain scalable tools, playbooks, templates, and standardized processes that support Metro Divisions.
• Capture best practices, lessons learned, and feedback to continuously improve how the function delivers programs and services.
• Partner with business leaders and HR leadership to identify organizational needs, operational challenges, and opportunities for scalable HR solutions.
• Facilitate executive-level discussions, decision-making sessions, and governance reviews related to HR program delivery and organizational priorities.

Skills

HR project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Communication

Analytical problem solving

Workshop facilitation

Influence without authority

Tools

Miro

Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Office

Job description

The People Services and Business Solutions, HR Initiatives Project Manager (PPM IV) is responsible for driving the execution and delivery of cross-functional HR initiatives that support business priorities and people strategies. This role operates as key integrator across the team—bringing structure, discipline, and clarity to HR centered initiatives led by HR Business Partners, HR Project Managers, and Metros Division leaders.

Primary Responsibilities Position

This role translates priorities into actionable plans, coordinates work across teams, and ensures initiatives are delivered consistently, efficiently, and with measurable outcomes. By providing strong execution consistency, initiative management, and clear communication while improving visibility, alignment, and the impact of HR programs across the organization.

This recruitment will be used to fill 1 Career Service position. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Career Service, Special Duty Assignment, TLT (Term Limited Temporary) or STT (Short Term Temporary) vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Applying our ACTIVATE values: being Accountable, Collaborative, Timely, and Impactful; how we Value Employees; staying Accessible; building what’s Trusted; and acting Equitably, is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. As a HR Initiatives Project Manager you will:

Project and Initiative Leadership

• Lead and manage cross-functional projects and initiatives sponsored by the organization (workforce planning, organizational change, talent planning, leader capability initiatives, and business-driven people programs).
• Translate the function’s priorities into actionable project plans, including scope, milestones, dependencies, success metrics, governance, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Drive execution from design through delivery, ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and with clear, measurable outcomes.
• Establish program governance, operating cadences, and decision frameworks that promote accountability, clarity, and consistent execution.
• Proactively identify risks, interdependencies, and execution challenges; surface issues early and partner with key internal stakeholders and business leaders to resolve.
• Evaluate when initiatives should remain localized versus scaled or standardized for broader impact.

Operational Excellence

• Enable consistent, high-quality execution of initiatives across Metro's divisions by reducing operational friction and improving delivery quality.
• Design, develop, and maintain scalable tools, playbooks, templates, and standardized processes that support Metro Divisions.
• Capture best practices, lessons learned, and feedback to continuously improve how the function delivers programs and services.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

• Partner with business leaders and HR leadership to identify organizational needs, operational challenges, and opportunities for scalable HR solutions.
• Facilitate executive-level discussions, decision-making sessions, and governance reviews related to HR program delivery and organizational priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience preferred in fields include Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of progressive HR experience or in a closely aligned HR role supporting business leaders.
• 3 years of experience as a HR project manager.
• 3 years of experience using project management software/tools and office applications (including proficiency in Microsoft Office tools).
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-workstream projects or programs in a matrixed environment.
• Strong understanding of the HR function and how HR programs land and operate within the business.
• Highly developed project and program management skills; ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives.
• Strong analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information for senior leaders.
• Experience leveraging HR technology, data, and automation tools.
• Ability to influence and drive outcomes without direct authority.
• Experience planning and facilitating workshops.
• Experience utilizing various technologies to improve project management, enhance program success, and measure impact (i.e., Miro, Microsoft Planner).
• Experience tracking outcomes using quantitative and qualitative measures.
• Experience planning and facilitating workshops.

Technical Requirements

• Ability to create, edit, and present digital materials and documentation.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience utilizing various technologies to improve project management, enhance program success, and measure impact (i.e., Miro, Microsoft Planner).
• 5 years of PM experience within HR.
• Experience within the Public Sector.
• Professional certifications (SHRM SCP, SPHR, PMP, Agile) preferred.

Required Application Materials

1. An online employment application
2. Cover letter (please reflect on your experience in PPM roles that worked on HR related projects)
3. Answers to all supplemental questions

Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Final offers are contingent on successful completion of reference checks and/or file review.

Work Location

This position requires a minimum of [3] days per week onsite at King Street Center to support team collaboration, coaching, and in-person leadership presence, consistent with King County Metro's hybrid work expectations for supervisory roles. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Work Schedule

The work week is normally 40 hours, Monday through Friday. Alternative work schedules may be possible. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and therefore is not eligible for overtime pay.

Union Membership

This position is not represented by a union.

Safety Responsibility: Supervisor

• Ensure that SMS is implemented and executed within their areas of responsibility
• Ensure that performance of SMS is measured and documented in all areas of their responsibility
• Needs necessary for employees to perform job duties are communicated to the Accountable Executive and considered in resource requests
• Provide time necessary for employees to receive sufficient training
• Work on hazard identification analysis, tracking, and mitigation as safety concerns are brought forward
• Provide onsite safety orientation to all new or transferred employees
• Hold and document required safety meetings
• Work on hazard identification and mitigation are brought forward
• Ensure the maintenance of a safe workplace in conformity with Metro Transit safety programs
• Report safety and security concerns and ideas

Job Code

243401

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.