Human Resources Director

South County Fire; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 191,000 - 239,000; Full time

Job summary

South County Fire is seeking a seasoned Human Resources Director to lead people systems, workforce strategy, and employee relations for a high-performing public safety organization. You will partner with the Fire Chief and executive team to shape culture, compliance, and labor relations across the district.

Ideal candidates bring 10+ years in HR leadership within public agencies, strong union negotiation experience, and a SHRM or IPMA certification.

Qualifications

• Ten years of progressive HR experience, preferably in a public agency.
• Experience with multiple unions and labor relations.
• Knowledge of the Public Records Act and public sector employment laws.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, IPMA-CP designation highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the people systems, workforce strategy, and employee relations for the organization.
• Partner with the Fire Chief and executive team to shape culture, compliance, and labor relations.
• Direct and coordinate HR programs to attract, develop, and retain staff.
• Ensure regulatory compliance and risk mitigation across the department.

Skills

HR leadership

Labor relations

Regulatory compliance

Workforce planning

Employee engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or Public Administration with HR focus

Master's degree in related field (preferred)

Job description

Human Resources Director - A strategic opportunity to lead the people systems, workforce strategy, and employee relations functions that support a high-performing public safety organization.

South County Fire is a regional fire authority established in 2017 by voters in unincorporated southwest Snohomish County and the City of Lynnwood. Since then, Mill Creek, Brier, Mountlake Terrace, and Edmonds have approved annexation into the regional fire authority. Today, South County Fire serves nearly 300,000 residents across 57 square miles of southwest Snohomish County and is the largest provider of fire and emergency medical services in Snohomish County and one of the largest in Washington State.

South County Fire is guided by the purpose statement, “Enhance the lives of our community,” and five core values: Integrity, Humility, Compassion, Family, and Trust. The organization emphasizes teamwork, respect, diversity, inclusion, and compassionate service to the community. Its Human Resources Division supports South County Fire’s greatest asset—its people—by helping attract and retain outstanding fire service professionals, supporting a respectful workplace, providing confidential assistance to employees and their families, ensuring compliance with employment laws and policies, and promoting employee safety and well-being.

South County Fire is governed by a board of seven elected commissioners: five commissioners elected from districts of roughly equal population and two commissioners elected at-large. The adopted 2026 budget is approximately $130,000,000 for the organization. South County Fire sworn employees are represented by IAFF Local 1828 and IAFF Local 1828S (Deputy Chief’s Union).

South County Fire is seeking an accomplished Human Resources leader to direct, coordinate, and maximize the strategic use of Human Resources across the organization. Working closely with the Assistant Chief of People & Performance, the Human Resources Director will help shape workforce strategy, labor relations, organizational culture, employee engagement, retention, regulatory compliance, and long-term organizational planning. The Director serves as a strategic partner to the Fire Chief and Executive Leadership Team and provides expertise to the Board of Commissioners on personnel matters, human resource strategy, legal compliance, risk mitigation, and workforce trends.

Ideal Candidates should have:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Public Administration, or a related field with a focus in Human Resources, and 10 years of progressive responsibility in Human Resources; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Master’s degree in a related field is highly preferred.
• Significant professional human resources experience in a public agency environment; fire service experience is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working with multiple unions; labor relations and negotiation experience is desirable.
• Knowledge of the Public Records Act and its application within a public agency.
• Designated as a SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, IPMA-CP, is highly preferred.

Compensation, Benefits & How to Apply

The hiring range is $190,879 - $238,998 + depending on qualifications and experience. Benefits include: Vacation Accrual, Sick Leave Accrual, 12 Paid Holidays, Medical, Vision, and Pharmacy Coverage, Healthcare Reimbursement Account, Dental Coverage, WCIF Life Insurance policy, Provident Life AD&D Life Insurance, WA State Department of Retirement Systems, Employee Assistance Plan, Deferred Compensation Program - employer automatic contribution of 5.75%.

South County Fire is an Equal Opportunity Employer. No applicant or employee will be discriminated against based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status. South County Fire is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals and will provide reasonable accommodation upon request for people with disabilities.