Human Resources Specialist

Salary: $35.13 - $44.23 Hourly
Location : Tacoma, WA
Job Type: Career Service - Full Time
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 26-01119
Department: Human Resources
Division: Human Resources Employment and Compensation
Opening Date: 11/03/2026
Closing Date: 11/13/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
This is a primarily remote position with expectations of on-site days for interviews, event planning, training, coordination, and meetings.
Summary

As a Human Resources Specialist, you will play an integral role in supporting and strengthening Pierce County's centralized recruitment efforts. This position offers the opportunity to work across a variety of recruiting functions, including recruitment planning, initiating pre-employment requirements, scheduling and coordinating interviews, high-volume recruiting efforts, and outreach and community engagement events.

You will also serve as a key point of contact for the County's internship program, internal customers, and external vendors. In addition, you will support hiring managers through learning and development initiatives by producing training sessions and developing resources that strengthen their recruitment knowledge and skills.

This role offers an opportunity to expand your human resources knowledge and increase your recruitment experience through supporting our team in all phases of the hiring process. You will gain exposure to more advanced recruitment functions, including sourcing, executive recruiting, and strategic planning, while contributing to initiatives that modernize our approach and improve how we deliver services. You will help move these efforts forward by identifying process improvements, generating reports from our applicant tracking and human capital systems, and staying connected to recruitment needs across the County.

Some of the projects you will support include:

• Internship program planning and coordination
• Event planning and recruiting outreach and administration
• Department recruitment support initiatives

How to be Successful in the Role:

We are looking for someone who has strong attention to detail, takes initiative, and is committed to providing excellent customer service. Applicants count on clear communication, accurate information, and a positive experience throughout the hiring process, and you will play an important role in making that happen.

Because our team works primarily remotely, you should be comfortable working independently while staying connected and engaged in a virtual environment. You will need to balance multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment, communicate professionally with applicants, employees, hiring managers, and external partners, and anticipate needs while identifying solutions and following through.

Success in this role also means being organized, maintaining confidentiality, and providing consistent, responsive customer service. You should enjoy supporting a high-performing team, coordinating events, meetings, and recruitment activities, as well as learning and using a variety of human resources systems and tools.

Your Future in this Role:

While your primary focus will be recruitment support, you will gain broad exposure to human resources and build relationships across Pierce County departments, as well as with applicants and community partners. These experiences will provide valuable insight into public sector human resources and help you develop a strong foundation in recruitment and human resources.

The manager is committed to employee development and will support your growth through regular one-on-one conversations focused on your goals, interests, and career aspirations. Based on your performance and career direction, you may have opportunities to take on more advanced recruitment responsibilities, participate in special projects or out-of-class assignments, and cross-train with other HR divisions. Whether your goal is to deepen your recruitment expertise or explore other areas of human resources, this position offers opportunities to build on your strengths, develop new skills, and shape your professional growth over time.

Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Develop recruitment announcements, screen applications, develop applicant registers, and support the talent management team in all phases of the hiring process. Provide information to employees and the public regarding recruitments and other areas of the division.
• Assist in developing recruitment programs that attract a diverse applicant pool, by coordinating the logistical planning, execution, and tracking of talent outreach and community engagement programs and representing the county at job fairs and networking events.
• Coordinate the full-cycle pre-employment requirement process for selected candidates, ensuring all regulatory, organizational, and position-specific requirements are met.
• Promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through marketing positions with professional networks, targeted outreach, social media platforms, recruitments events, and partnerships with agencies and other community partners.
• Support and coordinate the centralized Human Resources internship program and other work-based program recruitments in partnership with other divisions.

A classification description with a more detailed list of essential functions can be found

Minimum Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in a related field may substitute for up to two (2) years of the required experience on a year-for-year basis.
• Four years of experience in human resources, public administration, legal, business, or related field.
• Please attach a cover letter with your application. Failure to attach this will result in an incomplete application.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information
How to Apply:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or visiting
• If you have questions about this opportunity, email the Recruitment Team at and include the job number and title.
• Individuals who need accommodation in the application or interview process may contact Human Resources at (253) 798-7480 at least two days prior to the need.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.

Our Recruitment Practices:

This is a competitive and meritorious selection process. Pierce County applications are reviewed by human hiring staff in accordance with the qualifications listed for the position. Pierce County understands applicants may use AI tools when preparing application materials. We recognize these tools can make the process easier; however, we ask that everything you submit genuinely reflects your own experience, skills, knowledge, and writing style.

During the interview process, you may be asked to demonstrate your skills, including writing and subject knowledge, and to speak to your experience in your own voice. Applicants should be prepared to respond to interview questions without relying on AI-generated responses or reading prepared answers from a screen. Any misrepresentation may result in disqualification or separation.

Applicants whose qualifications most closely align with the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status typically occurs within two to three weeks after the closing date. Some applicants may receive short notice to participate in additional selection steps, which may include assessments, phone screens, or interviews.

Upon offer, compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity.

Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Pierce County offers a competitive benefits package that offers flexibility and peace of mind. We are proud to offer Employee Resource Groups, a focus on professional development in our , and a County Book Club.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career and that your priority is making sure that you and your family maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of and , , staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Our benefits:

Vacation (Annual Leave)
Employees begin accruing vacation leave as soon as they start earning it and can use their accrued leave right away. We value your experience and recognize your service by increasing vacation accrual rates the longer you work with us. Full-time employees accrue vacation leave every two weeks at the following rates:

Vacation Accruals:
During years 1-3, 12 Days
During years 4-7, 16 Days
During years 8-13, 20 Days
During years 14-18, 23 Days
During years 19, 24 Days
During years 20, 25 Days
During years 21, 26 Days
During years 22, 27 Days
During years 23, 28 Days
During years 24, 29 Days
During years 25 & thereafter, 30 Days

A maximum of 45 days may be carried from one year into the next.
Pro-Rated for Part-Time based on % of 1.0 FTE.

Military Leave:
Pierce County has a proud history of supporting the armed forces and provides members of the armed forces with up to 21 days paid military leave per state fiscal year.

Holidays:
Some full-time employees are entitled to eleven paid holidays as follows:
New Year's Day - January 1
Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday - Third Monday in January
President's Day - Third Monday in February
Memorial Day - Last Monday in May
Juneteenth - June 19
Independence Day - July 4
Labor Day - First Monday in September
Veteran's Day - November 11
Thanksgiving Day - Fourth Thursday in November & Friday after
Christmas Day - December 25

Personal Holidays:
Regular full-time and regular part-time employees, and employees occupying limited duration positions, shall also receive two additional paid personal holidays. Paid personal holidays shall only accrue for those employees on County payroll as of January 1 of each year or the first work day following January 1 and must be taken during the calendar year in which it was accrued.

Furlough:
Some Pierce County employees may be designated to receive 10 "furlough" days per year in lieu of holidays. Furlough days are available for use on January 1 and must be scheduled and taken within the calendar year. Employees who leave employment with Pierce County must reimburse the employer for used furlough days based upon the number of remaining holidays.

Sick Leave:
Sick leave accrues on a bi-weekly basis, at the rate of one day per month.

Insurance Benefits:
Employees and families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with very affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout Pierce County. Employees are eligible to enroll each year in a flexible spending plan, which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care and dependent care expenses. Employees also have the opportunity to participate in supplemental life and long term disability insurance plans. To view premium rates, summary of benefit coverage, and other information, please visit the website.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation:
Pierce County employees are members of the State of Washington's Department of Retirement System (DRS) and depending on the position or previous DRS enrollment will be able to enroll in one of many programs DRS offers. For additional information, check out the web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Nationwide Deferred Compensation Plan. This is a supplemental retirement savings program that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security:
All Pierce County employees are covered by the federal Social Secu