Human Resource Consultant 4

State-of-Washington-Office-of-Superintendent-of-Public-Instructio; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is seeking a Human Resource Consultant 4 in Olympia, WA. This full-time permanent role offers a hybrid work arrangement with onboarding in-office before potential telework up to two days weekly.

The position provides advanced HR consultation, policy guidance, and cross-agency support, including the Washington Charter School Commission and related entities. OSPI emphasizes equity and professional development.

Qualifications

• Senior-level HR consultant with expertise in classification, compensation, and policy.
• Experience advising agency leadership and guiding HR processes and performance management.
• Ability to provide mentorship and training to HR peers and staff.

Responsibilities

• Provides advice, interpretation, and counsel on HR rules, policies, and procedures.
• Ensures compliance with federal and state employment laws and agency policies.
• Supports recruitment, hiring, benefits, leave, and investigations.
• Mentors and trains other HR staff and serves as a consultant to OSPI divisions.

Job description

GENERAL SERVICE

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Human Resource Consultant 4

$76,608 - $102,996 annually

Closes September 15,2026

The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill a Human Resource Consultant 4 position. This full-time permanent position is based in Olympia, Washington. This position may be eligible for partial telework. The position will be required to be in the office full-time for onboarding (The onboarding timeline will vary based on the selected candidate's existing skills, experience, and learning pace) after which, the position may be eligible to telework up to two days per week (days of the week to be determined with Supervisor approval). Telework is a combination of in-building and off-site days. We encourage interested candidates to visit the OSPI website to gain insight into our agency.

About OSPI and our initiatives

OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state. Working with the state's 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.

At OSPI, we recognize that our employees are the key to the success of the agency. We are committed to our work but value the balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth and values them for their expertise. OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment, including:

• We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
• We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (weeks to six months) when returning to work. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
• We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional, collaborative committee. The focus of the committee includes employee engagement and education; reinforcing OSPI values; and maximizing the value of diversity and identifying strategies for inclusion.

Vision, Mission, and Values

Vision: All students prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement.

Mission: Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities.

Values: Ensuring Equity, Collaboration and Service, Achieving Excellence through Continuous Improvement, Focus on the Whole Child

Equity

Each student, family, and community possesses strengths and cultural knowledge that benefits their peers, educators, and schools. Ensuring educational equity:

• Goes beyond equality; it requires education leaders to examine the ways current policies and practices result in disparate outcomes for our students of color, students living in poverty, students receiving special education and English Learner services, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and highly mobile student populations.

• Requires education leaders to develop an understanding of historical contexts; engage students, families, and community representatives as partners in decision-making; and actively dismantle systemic barriers, replacing them with policies and practices that ensure all students have access to the instruction and support they need to succeed in our schools.

Position Overview

This position serves under the direction of the Chief Human Resource and Facilities Officer (CHRFO) as a senior professional consultant, handling the organization’s most sensitive, complex, and critical human resource activities. Responsibilities require application of expert knowledge to advise agency leadership. Assignments require forward thinking mindset, proactive intervention and have agency wide and precedent setting impact. This role also provides advice and guidance to employees on HR processes and is mentor/trainer to other HR peers and staff.

In addition to providing consultation to assigned OSPI divisions, this position is responsible for providing the HR services described to the following small agencies:

• Washington Charter School Commission
• Financial Education Public-Private Partnership
• Professional Educator Standards Board
• State Board of Education

Key Responsibilities

Consultation and Compliance

Tasks include:

• Provides advice, interpretation, and counsel to clients regarding applicable human resource civil service rules, regulations, policies, and procedures in areas such as classification, compensation, performance management, grievance resolution, reasonable accommodation, organizational development, recruiting, hiring, benefits, protected leave, Labor and Industries claims, and layoffs.
• Ensures compliance with federal and state employment laws, collective bargaining agreement, and agency policies and procedures. Advises management on best practices in HR actions, consulting with the agency CHRO and/or agency’s assigned Labor and Personnel AAG on most complex liability concerns.
• Research and analyze proposed rules, laws and policies to determine agency impacts, participates in planning, creating and implementing new human resource programs, policies and procedures.
• Develops, implements, and oversees HR policies and procedures, strategic plans, reports, forecasts and projections and statement and reports.
• Assist with the formulation, determination, and effectuation of management policies in the agency and effectuation of employee and labor relations, and is responsible for maintaining confidentiality concerning such matters.
• Conduct and assist other HR staff with employment investigations consistent with agency policies, state and federal laws.
• Meet with administrators, supervisors, and employees to assess human resource needs. Plans, develops, and implements strategies to promote effective client relations and to resolve problems.
• Track and analyze personnel issues and needs; devise plan and approach to supporting change to addressing needs.
• Researches and analyzes proposed rules, laws, and program elements to determine impact on unit or organizational operations; participates in planning and implementing new human resources programs, policies, and procedures.
• Partners with agency administrators to recommend and assist with selection, training, direction, and evaluation of staff, establishing and monitoring standards of performance.
• Provide support regarding organizational culture that supports diversity and promotes inclusion.

Classification and Compensation

Tasks include:

• Determines appropriate classification of positions. Partners with management in analyzing organizational structure, developing recommendations for staff configurations to enhance effectiveness, assists with drafting position descriptions. Review existing and updated position descriptions for potential changes in classification. Address requests for appeal of job classification allocations, represent OSPI in appeal hearings.
• Serves as OSPI’s Washington Management Service (WMS) Coordinator and liaison with State HR for all agency WMS activities. Leads the WMS Review committee, including scheduling and running meetings, maintaining committee membership, and training committee members. Provide data to agency leadership and State HR on the agency’s WMS program and compliance with state