Human Resources Director

City of Redmond, WA

$181K — $247K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
  • 8-10 years of progressive HR experience, including at least 5 years in a management role.
  • Public sector experience is preferred.
  • Strong understanding of employment laws, regulations, and affirmative action guidelines.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop personnel policies and manage sensitive personnel matters.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement HR policies and procedures for the city.
  • Monitor operations to recommend policy changes and present proposals to leadership.
  • Oversee recruitment and hiring processes for city positions.
  • Manage performance evaluations and employee training programs.
  • Handle employee grievances and disciplinary actions.
  • Ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws.
  • Lead citywide safety and workers' compensation initiatives.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical insurance for employees and their dependents, with premiums covered by the city.
  • Prescription drug insurance included with medical plans.
  • Dental and vision insurance for employees and dependents.
  • Life and disability insurance options provided, including employee-paid voluntary coverage.
  • Flexible spending accounts for tax savings on healthcare and dependent care expenses.
  • Paid vacation and holidays, totaling 13 paid holidays annually.
  • Access to retirement plans, including the Department of Retirement Systems and additional options.
Full Job Description
Salary : $181,969.45 - $247,745.63 Annually
Location : City Hall, 15670 NE 85th St, Redmond, WA
Job Type: Regular, Full-time
Job Number:
Department: Human Resources
Division: HUMAN RESOURCES
Opening Date: 08/05/2026
Closing Date: 8/30/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

The City of Redmond is seeking an experienced and collaborative Human Resources Director to lead a full-service department. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Director provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all Human Resource functions. This includes recruitment and retention, classification and compensation, employee and labor relations, benefits administration, organizational and policy development, performance management, safety and workers' compensation, workforce training, and compliance with federal and state laws. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to City leadership and Council and is responsible for advancing organizational priorities and Redmond's vision, mission, values, a commitment to service excellence, innovations, and an inclusive workplace that fosters a culture built on respect, collaboration, and accountability.

This Director is a forward-thinking human resources executive with demonstrated success leading HR operations in a complex public or similarly regulated organization. They are approachable leader who builds trust through sound judgement and transparent communication while confidently navigating sensitive personnel matters and organizational change.

ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Develop and implement personnel policies and procedures and provide guidance and interpretation to City Leadership, Council, and staff.
  • Monitor City operations to determine need for new or modified policies and procedures, prepare proposals and present to Mayor, Council and directors' team, and provide for organization-wide implementation.
  • Ensure provision of effective human resources services by overseeing the operations of the department, including performance evaluations, training, maintenance of records, orientation sessions, exit interviews, writing/updating personnel manual, and documents.
  • Direct the recruiting, advertising, testing and pre-screening of applicants, to identify qualified candidates for vacant positions.
  • Establish employment procedures and ensure consistent application.
  • Handle grievances, oversee application of discipline, and conduct pre-termination hearings for the Human Resources department.
  • Assist managers and employees in resolving personnel issues. Works to identify causes of problems and methods of solution. Provides advice and counseling on a wide range of subjects.
  • Oversee training to meet organizational needs and ensure training programs are effectively executed.
  • Oversee development and maintenance of a cost-effective benefits program.
  • Provide competitive and equitable classification and compensation programs by directing preparation of position descriptions, obtaining external and internal salary information, maintenance of classification plan and recommending salary adjustments.
  • Oversee citywide safety and workers' compensation programs.
  • Ensures all employee benefit, payroll, and timekeeping information are administered accurately and efficiently.
  • Ensure citywide compliance with relevant state and federal employment laws and regulations.
  • Ensure financial well-being of department by monitoring fiscal operations of department. Prepare budget and justify budget requests and adjustments. Establish departmental strategy, goals, and objectives and ensure efficient and economical use of department funds, staff resources, materials, facilities, and time.
  • Commit to LEAN Culture and continuous performance improvement.
  • Participate as a member of the City senior leadership team who is responsible for governance, strategy, and execution of the Mayor's vision, mission, and the city's values. Remain current with new technologies and trends and recommend innovative processes, procedures, and programs to help the organization and department achieve its objectives efficiently.
  • Attend City Council meetings and public hearings as needed; make presentations at meetings and respond to questions and comments.
  • Develop, implement, and monitor performance standards and goals and objectives for department managers and line employees.
  • Develop and maintain productive relationships with elected officials, community leaders, advisory boards, the news media, and/or general public, as appropriate for the job.
  • Understand the City's political environment and sensitivities and functions effectively within that environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of and skills in:
  • Employment laws and regulations and affirmative action guidelines
  • All aspects of human resources
  • Position classification and salary administration programs
  • Employee benefits
  • Safety and Workers' Compensation programs
  • Payroll rules and regulations
  • Labor and employee relations
  • Coaching and mentoring skills
  • Oral and written communication skills.
  • Presentation and public speaking skills.
  • Interpersonal skills using tact, negotiation, and motivation.
  • Conflict resolution and problem-solving skills
  • Decisive skills
  • Politically savvy.
  • Understand government operations.
  • Strategic and tactical
  • Inspirational and visionary
  • Focused and persuasive

Abilities to:
  • Develop and interpret personnel policies and procedures
  • Identify issues and bring complex problems to resolution
  • Ability to build trust and create and maintain partnerships
  • Work collaboratively to formulate and implement work strategies that support the mission and vision of the City
  • Resolve conflict
  • Negotiate viable solutions under a variety of circumstances.
  • Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action.
  • Analyze impact of legislative, administrative, and regulatory requirements
  • Identify emerging issues, develop, and implement new approaches and/or refine the department's organization structure to generate desired results as efficiently as possible
  • Be open to feedback and adjust as necessary
  • Build relationships founded on trust

QUALIFICATIONS
Education and experience:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or related field. Master's Degree preferred.
  • Eight to ten years of progressively responsible experience in human resources, public administration, or a closely related field, including at least five years of management experience.
  • Any combination of education and experience that provides the desired knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential duties of the position.
  • Public sector work experience preferred.
  • Successful passing of required background and credit check.

Other

This class description describes the general nature of the work performed, representative duties as well as the typical qualifications needed for acceptable performance. It is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of the job.

Please review the job description for more information about the knowledge, skills, abilities, working conditions, and physical requirements.

BENEFITS
Our employees earn competitive wages and enjoy an exceptional benefits package that includes:
  • MEDICAL INSURANCE - Choice of two plans for employees and their eligible dependents: Premera or Kaiser Permanente. All employee healthcare premiums paid for by the City of Redmond.
  • PRESCRIPTION DRUG INSURANCE - Included with each medical plan
  • DENTAL INSURANCE - For employees and their eligible dependents
  • VISION INSURANCE - For employees and their eligible dependents
  • OTHER INSURANCE - Life, accidental death & dismemberment insurance, short and long-term disability, optional employee-paid voluntary life insurance
  • FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS - For tax savings on healthcare and dependent care expenses
  • PAID VACATION & HOLIDAYS - with (13) paid holidays per year
  • EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP)
  • RETIREMENT PLANS - Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) plus additional options that include: Municipal Employees Benefit Trust (Social Security replacement plan) and MetLife 457 Plan
  • Annual COLA adjustments
  • Annual merit increases of up to 5%

To learn about benefits at the City of Redmond, please visit C2MB (ajg.com)
Please visit to learn about benefits at the City of Redmond
Benefit rates are subject to change without notice due to federal and state mandates and contractual changes as applicable.
01

Please select your highest level of education.
  • High School or GED
  • Associate degree
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Master's degree or higher

02

How many years of Human Resources Management experience do you have?
  • No Experience
  • 0 - 3 Years
  • 3 - 6 Years
  • 6 - 9 Years
  • 10+ Years

03

Do you have experience working in public sector?
  • Yes
  • No

04

What is your experience working with labor unions or in a unionized environment?
05

How many employees have you supported during your career?
  • 0 - 49
  • 50 - 100
  • 101 - 499
  • 500 - 999
  • 1000+

06

Tell us about your experience leading a full-service Human Resources department. What were your primary areas of responsibility?
07

What interests you about serving as the Human Resources Director for the City of Redmond?
08

Describe your leadership style:
Required Question

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