Strategic HR Initiatives Lead

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

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