Human Resource Consultant 4- Protected Leave & Accommodation Supervisor

HR Jobs; Lacey (WA); Hybrid; USD 77,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Washington Parks and Recreation Commission in Lacey, WA seeks a permanent Human Resource Consultant 4 to lead its protected leave and accommodation work. This hybrid role oversees workers’ compensation, return-to-work, and wellness initiatives while supervising an HRC3.

The role requires expert consultation, end-to-end management of leave processes, and ability to navigate CBAs and regulations with discretion for executive decisions.

Qualifications

• Seven years of broad-based HR experience advising on complex issues.
• Two+ years managing leave programs (FMLA, PFML, Shared Leave).
• Expert knowledge of employment, privacy, and medical leave laws.
• Experience interpreting CBAs and related regulations for defensible actions.
• Ability to build trust across teams and oversight bodies.
• Organize confidential case files and present HR data clearly.
• Write precise, legally sound communications for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Coach and motivate staff for team effectiveness and growth.
• Adapt communication across diverse communities and individuals.

Responsibilities

• Manage accommodation and protected leave programs with oversight of related WC and wellness programs.
• Provide expert consultation to managers and staff on leave and accommodations.
• Lead end-to-end accommodation process including documentation and decisions.
• Maintain electronic tracking and produce monthly reports.
• Maintain confidentiality of personnel and medical information.
• Interpret CBAs, laws, WAC, and policies to support defensible actions.
• Develop tools and resources and deliver training on leave laws and accommodations.
• Supervise an HR Consultant handling leave programs and wellness initiatives.

Skills

HR consulting

Leave administration

CBAs interpretation

Communication

Confidentiality

Training delivery

Team supervision

Data presentation

Legal writing

Diversity awareness

Adaptability

Tools

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

The State of Washington Parks and Recreation Commission is hiring a permanent Human Resource Consultant 4 to lead its Protected Leave and Accommodation work. This hybrid role in Lacey, WA supports the agency’s reasonable accommodation and protected leave programs while providing oversight for workers’ compensation, return-to-work, and agency wellness initiatives. In addition, the position supervises an HRC3 who implements protected leave programs and coordinates related efforts.

Key responsibilities

• Manage the reasonable accommodation and protected leave programs, providing oversight for workers’ compensation, return-to-work, and agency wellness programs.
• Provide expert-level consultation, guidance, and support to agency managers, supervisors, and staff on reasonable accommodations and complex leave programs, including protected leave such as FMLA, PFML, and Shared Leave.
• Lead the interactive reasonable accommodation process end to end, including drafting medical questionnaires, analyzing medical documentation, advising management on legally defensible options, communicating appointing authority decisions, and documenting each step.
• Maintain an electronic tracking system for follow-up and produce monthly reports.
• Maintain confidentiality for personnel and medical information.
• Interpret and clarify Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs), federal laws, Washington Administrative Code (WAC), and applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures, using sound judgment to support legally defensible recommendations.
• Develop and deliver tools and resources, including training, to multiple audiences to improve understanding of leave laws, the reasonable accommodation process, and how to have professional employee conversations.
• Supervise an HR Consultant responsible for implementing protected leave programs and coordinating workers’ compensation claims, return-to-work efforts, and agency wellness programming.

Minimum qualifications

• Seven (7) years of broad-based professional human resource experience advising and consulting on complex issues (including labor relations, employee relations, performance management, classification and compensation, reasonable accommodation, and protected leave).
• At least two (2) years of experience must include professional-level administration of leave of absence programs (FMLA, PFML, Shared Leave) and administration of reasonable accommodation interactive processes.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, Teams, and Outlook).
• Expert knowledge of employment, privacy, disability, and medical leave laws as they relate to employment, including protected leave, reasonable accommodation, and workers’ compensation claims, and evaluating eligibility and medical documentation.
• Experience incorporating new information when interpreting CBAs, federal laws, WAC, and related regulations to offer legally defensible courses of action.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and foster collaboration across internal teams and external oversight bodies (including L&I and medical providers).
• Ability to organize highly confidential case files and present HR data clearly for executive decision-making.
• Experience composing precise, formal, and legally sound written communications for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to coach, mentor, and motivate staff to support team effectiveness and individual career growth.
• Experience incorporating new information and different perspectives, including self-awareness through reflection on strengths, growth areas, and biases.
• Ability to adapt communication and approach across communities and individuals, valuing different identities and perspectives, and responding empathetically to unique co-worker and customer needs.

Additional desired qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience managing a protected leave program and reasonable accommodation cases in a state environment.
• Two (2) years of supervisory experience, including writing expectations and evaluations.
• Ability to research, evaluate, and draw conclusions from data; support recommendations with facts and analysis; and interpret and apply rules, laws, policies, and procedures.
• Experience training adult learners of varying group sizes on HR topics.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, including manipulating complex data and reports.
• Knowledge of collective bargaining agreements and labor relations.
• Ability to work effectively with people across a wide range of abilities, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Ability to manage and respond to frequent and rapidly changing workload and priorities.

Working conditions and schedule

• Eligible for flexible schedule and/or hybrid telework, subject to supervisory approval.
• Default assigned work location for Parks positions (on-site and telework eligible) is within the State of Washington.
• Standard business hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with alternate scheduling and/or hybrid telework options possibly available at the employee’s request and with supervisory approval.
• Daily contact with internal and external customers, including individuals who may be angry, distraught, and/or frustrated.
• Infrequent travel may be required, with occasional overnight stays, for meetings or training.
• For state business, the employee must be able to legally operate a state or privately-owned vehicle or arrange alternate transportation.

Pay and location

• Location: Lacey, WA (hybrid)
• Salary: USD 76,608 - 102,996 per year

Veteran preference: you may attach documentation such as a DD214 (Member 4 long-form copy), NGB 22, or USDVA signed verification of service. Black out any PII (such as social security numbers) and include your name as it appears in your careers.wa.gov application.