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Whether it’s ensuring public health and safety; providing clean drinking water and environmentally responsible electricity services; connecting people, places, and products via a high-quality transportation system; creating welcoming and safe places to play and build community; or acting upon opportunities to meet the challenges of a growing and vibrant city – City of Seattle employees make our community a better place every day.
The City understands that for our employees to best serve the people of Seattle, we must recognize their inherent dignity, and provide safe- and intimidation-free work environments, as well as consistent and equitable processes for addressing their concerns. In service to that objective, we have an Investigations unit within the Department of Human Resources that conducts all workplace misconduct investigations in the executive branch at the citywide and department level. We are looking for a Director for this unit who will ensure prompt, effective, and appropriate responses to reports of workplace misconduct in accordance with City policies and procedures. In this role, you will provide leadership and guidance to the Investigations Unit by supervising investigators and serving as the main resource for internal procedural questions. You will have accountabilities to the Mayor and City Council and report directly to the Seattle Human Resources (SHR) Director.
Job Responsibilities:
Your top priorities will be:
Ensuring prompt, thorough, and fair investigation of workplace misconduct.
Serving as a neutral factfinder, interviewing relevant parties, gathering, compiling, and analyzing relevant documents and information, and assessing witness credibility before reaching sound legal and policy conclusions
Presenting case information through effective oral and written communication and delivering timely reports
Working with departments, human resources representatives, and legal counsel where appropriate and necessary
Consulting with division management to resolve problems in the investigation process:
Identifying training needs
Discussing effectiveness of investigations and investigative techniques, policies, and regulations
Recommending improvements to processes and assisting in the development of action plans to improve processes
Assisting in monitoring the quality and quantity of investigations conducted
Providing Citywide guidance and recommendations:
Assisting in the development and maintenance of citywide policies and procedures for responding to workplace complaints and appeals that comply with applicable State and Federal laws and regulations
Conducting trend analysis, tracking and reporting case metrics, and reporting findings and recommendations for systemic improvements and preventative measures
Building relationships with human resource business partners, business leaders, and employment law teams by providing expert advice, sharing trends and information to establish best practices within the City
Qualifications:
You will be most successful if you have demonstrated significant experience and expertise in human resources and workplace investigations. A commitment to listening, creating space for diverse perspectives, and the pursuit of inclusive and just outcomes must be at the center of your professional practice. The ability to utilize your attention to detail and accuracy and verbal and written communication skills will also contribute to your success. Specifically, you’ll be prepared to take on this role if you have:
A commitment to:
Ensuring a safe, welcoming, and inclusive workplace for all employees
Promoting equity through factfinding and the conduct of fair, thorough, and timely human resource investigations
Experience in:
Investigating discrimination, harassment, retaliation, employee misconduct, or sexual misconduct complaints in a high profile and complex environment
Providing strategic and operational employee/labor relations advice
Applying a comprehensive understanding of employment law and human resource principles to your work
The ability to:
Exercise a high level of good judgment, tact, discretion, and diplomacy
Build cooperative working relationships with a diverse population
Set and manage timelines and priorities
Additional Information:
This position is classified an Executive 1 and is exempt from the Civil Service System.
This hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle’s Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.
The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in the Race and Social Justice Initiative by working to dismantle racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and provide equitable processes and services.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
To be considered for this position, you must submit your complete application, including answering all supplemental questions and attaching both a cover letter and resume at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle/ no later than 4:00pm Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. This position is open to all applicants that meet the minimum qualifications. Seattle Human Resources values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, medical condition, or pregnancy. Seattle Human Resources encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences. If you have questions please contact Lindsey King at [email protected].
