People & Culture Business Partner

City of Seattle, WA

$117K — $136K *
Energy & Utilities
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in business or public administration or a related field.
  • 3 years of experience in a related field as an assistant or analyst.
  • 5+ years of experience as an HR generalist or business partner is preferred.
  • Experience working with diverse populations and frontline employees.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • HR law and regulatory knowledge is essential.
  • Experience with conflict resolution practices is beneficial.

Responsibilities

  • Build trusting relationships with all organizational levels.
  • Serve as the main contact for employment matters and workplace policies.
  • Timely manage sensitive information and employee requests.
  • Monitor employee morale and address potential issues.
  • Collaborate with People and Culture units to solve operational challenges.
  • Provide HR partnership for strategic initiatives and daily support.
  • Advise management on workforce planning and professional development.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
  • Long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents.
  • Generous vacation, holiday, and sick leave policies.
  • Access to a supportive employee benefits program.
Full Job Description
Salary: $56.23 - $65.54 Hourly
Location : Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave., Seattle, WA
Job Type: Classified Civil Service, Regular, Full-Time
Job Number:
Department: Seattle City Light
Opening Date: 06/29/2026
Closing Date: Continuous

Position Description
Seattle City Light's People & Culture Business Partners are embedded HR advisors who work directly alongside our operations, engineering, and field workforces. You'll be a trusted partner to managers navigating a complex, unionized environment, helping them build strong teams, resolve workplace issues, and lead through change. This role partners closely with Labor Relations, Employee Relations, and Talent Acquisition to deliver integrated people solutions across the utility.

Job Responsibilities
Job Responsibilities - Here is more about what you'll be doing:
  • Build and maintain effective, trusting working relationships with all levels of the organization, including field-based workforce.
  • Serve as the primary contact point regarding SCL employment matters including workplace expectations, policies, practices, and resources.
  • Manage information and requests in a timely, accurate manner; navigate sensitive matters with respect and compassion.
  • Monitor the pulse of employees. Elevate and tackle potential issues negatively impacting the employee experience.
  • Engage and collaborate with People and Culture divisions and units to bring functional expertise to solve business challenges and provide an exceptional client experience.
  • Provide HR partnership for both strategic and tactical initiatives, as well as day-to-day support for assigned business groups.
  • Consult with management on employee matters to provide appropriate guidance and resources.
  • Understand and address the upstream and downstream impacts of decisions/solutions on the workforce.
  • Appropriately challenge traditional practices and identify innovative solutions which meet evolving business/industry demands.
  • Serve as a steward of race and social justice.
  • Contribute to building and maintaining People and Culture Business Partner program effectiveness, innovation to accomplish SCL's operational and strategic objectives.
  • Maintain in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees, reducing legal risks and ensuring regulatory compliance. Partner effectively with the Labor Relations and Employee Relations as needed/required.
  • Comprehend, interpret, and apply the appropriate sections of Personnel Rules, Workplace Expectations, Seattle Municipal Code, and Collective Bargaining Agreements.
  • Partner with leadership to develop, monitor and report on workforce and succession plans.
  • Advise on leadership, professional development, and training.
  • Analyze workforce data to identify trends, inform decisions and shape recommendations to achieve business objectives.
  • Champion City Light change initiatives to ensure successful implementation of programs, policies and procedures.
  • Pivot from high level strategy development to tactical hands-on execution as needed.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications: In addition to the skills and experience mentioned below, a successful applicant will have experience that reflects a commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes and has:

Experience: Requires three years experience in professional personnel administration as a human resources generalist or a business partner.

Education: Bachelor's degree in Business or Public Administration, or related field (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background required to perform the work).
Desired Qualifications - You will be successful if you have the following experience, skills, and abilities:
  • 5 or more years of experience as a human resource generalist or business partner
  • field based or front-line employees
  • Experience working effectively with people from diverse backgrounds across all levels of the organization.
  • Additional experience in HR specialty areas like diversity and inclusion, work force planning, training and development and/ or employee relations is a plus.
  • Experience handling confidential information; attention to detail; excellent organizational and time management skills; and an ongoing commitment to always providing superior customer service
  • Experience applying fundamental concepts and principles of HR as a professional discipline and/or technical specialty to the position
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills are required and the ability to communicate complex issues both verbally and in written form
  • Proven ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a matrixed team environment
  • Experience working cross functionally across teams at all levels of the organization collaboratively to identify solutions to address problems, change management and process improvement opportunities.
  • Experience with conflict resolution practices (such as mediation, restorative justice, etc.) in the workplace
  • Working knowledge of appropriate HR laws and regulations.
  • Specialized HR training or certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR or SPHR.

Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Emergency Response Commitment: Seattle City Light is committed to reliable service during emergencies. Through our Emergency Response Program, each employee is assigned a role-usually aligned with their regular duties-to support emergency operations. Your participation is required and vital to helping the utility stay prepared and serve our community when it matters most.

Additional Information
The full salary range for this position is $56.23 to $65.54 per hour.

Application Process

Please submit the following with your online application:
  • A cover letter in which you clearly describe how your knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and qualifications outlined in the job announcement
  • A current resume of your educational and professional work experience.

Incomplete applications may not be considered.

Job offers are contingent on the verification of credentials and other information required by the employment process, including the completion of a background check. The background check will involve a criminal history check, which includes conviction and arrest records in compliance with the , and the A driving history review may be conducted in compliance with Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

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