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Human Resources Specialist

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Human Resources Specialist

Salary

$75,566.40 Annually

Location

City of Bellingham, WA

Job Type

Part Time

Job Number

25-Human Resources Specialist

Department

Human Resources

Opening Date

10/31/2025

Closing Date

11/17/2025 4:30 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Eteam

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Nature of Work

Are you passionate about supporting people and processes in a collaborative, service-oriented environment? This 20-hour-per-week, on-site position offers the opportunity to contribute to recruitment, onboarding, and a variety of HR functions that support City employees and departments. Apply today!

JOB SUMMARY:

Performs paraprofessional work in support of the City’s human resources functions. Provides general information and assistance to employees and managers regarding policies, procedures, programs and Civil Service processes. Supports the development and administration of selection and recruitment processes in collaboration with City departments and in consultation with human resources professional staff. Coordinates and tracks the new hire processes and facilitates new employee orientation. Contributes to special projects, provides labor relations and training support, and performs various administrative functions, as assigned.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

This position will start at Step 1 ($36.33/hour). This position is a .5 FTE (20 hours/week). Employees receive step increases annually in accordance with the E-Team Handbook (https://cob.org/about/employment/labor-agreements-pay-schedule) and City policy. The full hourly range for this position is $36.33 - $44.16. For internal candidates, placement within the range is based on City Pay Placement Procedures.

This on-site position in the Human Resources office is scheduled for 20 hours per week, typically spread over 4 to 5 afternoons per week, including Mondays and Fridays. Some flexibility may be available, and the schedule could vary depending on work assignments.

At the City of Bellingham, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive in both your career and personal life. Join our team and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are well cared for. Here’s a closer look at the outstanding benefits that come with being part of our team. You can find more details on our employment benefits page and labor agreements page.

+ 13.33 hours (based on 1.0 FTE) of vacation leave per month (will be pro-rated based on assigned FTE)

+ 12 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday per year

+ 40 hours of sick leave upon hire + 8 hours accrued monthly (will be pro-rated based on assigned FTE)

+ Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families

+ Life insurance and long-term disability coverage

+ Flexible spending accounts and medical insurance opt-out program

+ Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

+ Washington State Retirement plan (DRS) for retirement security

+ Optional 457 deferred compensation savings plan and 401(a) Retirement Savings Plan with employer match

Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.

Closing Date/Time: Mon. 11/17/2025 4:30 PM Pacific Time

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB:

+ Provides general information and assistance to City employees about human resources rules, policies, regulations, procedures and processes within knowledge and expertise level. Clarifies issues and identifies resources to support problem solving, referring matters to the appropriate staff member when necessary.

+ Develops selection and testing processes using information obtained from job analysis, job announcements, consultation with human resources professional staff and subject matter experts. Researches available testing and evaluation methodologies through professional sources, contacts with other employers and testing services and other research. Develops selection tools including evaluation criteria and scoring standards. Composes correspondence, job announcements and other advertisements. Identifies and procures assistance from volunteer and staff evaluators, providing training and coaching in the assessment/evaluation role.

+ Facilitates Civil Service hiring and placement by providing departments with information on Civil Service and City selection policies and appointment procedures. Develops and presents eligibility registers to Civil Service Commission for approval. Works with assigned Chief Examiner to resolve issues or disputes regarding Civil Service exams and develops appropriate information for Civil Service review and/or decision. Receives and responds to information requests from candidates about testing process and employment related matters.

+ Coordinates new hire processes and facilitates new employee orientation. Prepares, reviews and processes offer letters and pre-employment materials. Collects new hire information and coordinates, tracks or completes any necessary preemployment paperwork and testing, certification or education checks, criminal history and references.

+ Assists departmental staff in administering a variety of functions, such as coordinating and facilitating citywide training; responding to and disseminating salary surveys; and coordination and maintenance of department records. Serves as a note taker for a variety of human resources meetings; composes and drafts reports and documents as assigned.

+ Assists with special projects such as gathering documents to fulfill requests for information; development of informational/marketing materials; collecting data; and labor relations support.

ADDITIONAL WORK PERFORMED:

+ Performs a variety of administrative tasks, as necessary, that support human resources programs such as records management, data entry and file maintenance.

+ As needed, may partner with hiring officials and Human Resources Business Partners to review or modify job descriptions in order to design appropriate testing processes.

+ Performs other related duties of a similar nature or level.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed primarily in an office setting with the majority of time at a computer workstation. Environment includes a customary range of noise and other distractions with low everyday risks working around standard office equipment. Occasional travel to conferences and training sessions. This is a sedentary position with minimal physical exertion requirements.

Physical ability to perform the essential functions of the job, including:

+ Frequently operate a computer and other office machinery such as a keyboard, mouse, phone, and fax machine;

+ Frequently communicate accurate information and ideas with others;

+ Occasionally move between work sites;

+ Occasionally lift and carry objects weighing up to 25 pounds.

Experience and Training

There are multiple pathways a candidate can meet the qualifications for the Human Resources Specialist through a combination of education and/or training.

+ Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or related field and one (1) year of experience in human resources.

OR

+ Associate degree in business, public administration, human resources management, or related field, and three (3) years of experience in human resources.

+ Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or SHRM-CP certification may substitute for two (2) years of experience or education.

OR

+ An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the applicant with the knowledge, skill, and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job will be considered.

Necessary Special Requirements

+ Employment contingent upon passing a criminal background check (See Fair Hiring Practices).

+ Verification of ability to work in the United States by date of hire.

+ This on-site position in the Human Resources office is scheduled for 20 hours per week, typically spread over 4 to 5 afternoons per week, including Mondays and Fridays. Some flexibility may be available, and the schedule could vary depending on work assignments.

Selection Process

You are encouraged to print a copy of this job announcement for your reference as the process moves along

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and supplemental questions). Application materials should comprehensively document your experience and skills related to the position responsibilities and experience/training requirements. As part of the City’s commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process, Human Resources redacts personally identifiable information for reviewers. Only the documents listed as required will be reviewed.

Interviews for the most qualified candidates are tentatively scheduled for December 3, 2025. Invitations to participate in the Interview process will be sent via e-mail on or around November 25, 2025.

The final interview will take place on December 11, 2025.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.

Equal Opportunity:

The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not make decisions on the basis of an individual's race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.

Fair Hiring Practices

+ The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.

+ The City will not inquire about an applicant's criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.

+ The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.

+ The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

There are many good reasons for working at the City of Bellingham. The work is rewarding and you have an opportunity to serve your community. Another good reason is the great benefits that the City offers its employees. See our benefits section (https://www.cob.org/employment/pages/benefits.aspx) for additional information.

This position is unrepresented. Specific benefit information including Holidays, Vacation Accruals, Health, Dental and Vision Plans with cost sharing and Deferred Compensation Match can be found in the E-Team Handbook. (https://www.cob.org/employment/Pages/labor-agreements-pay-schedule.aspx)

This position is covered by the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems PERS plan. PERS requires mandatory employee and City contributions. Please visit the DRS website (http://www.drs.wa.gov/) for more information on PERS.

01

Thank you for your interest in this position at the City of Bellingham! To ensure a consistent review, only the City of Bellingham job application and required supplemental documents will be reviewed. Cover letters and resumes are not reviewed unless they are required as part of the process. When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete each section of your application, and provide a thorough response to each of the supplemental questions. Please do not indicate "see resume" or copy content that is unrelated to the position being applied for from your resume when answering these questions.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

+ Yes

+ No

02

There are multiple pathways a candidate can meet the qualifications for the Human Resources Specialist through a combination of education and/or training. Please select the appropriate qualification that is demonstrated through your application materials:

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we’ll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

+ Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration or related field and one (1) year of experience in human resources.

+ Associate degree in business, public administration, human resources management or related field and three (3) years of experience in human resources. Note: Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or SHRM-CP certification may substitute for two (2) years of experience or education.

+ An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the applicant with the knowledge, skill and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job will be considered.

+ I do not meet the job's requirements.

03

If you have an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide you with the knowledge, skill, and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job, please describe below.

04

Please describe your professional experience in Human Resources, highlighting your specific responsibilities and accomplishments.

In particular, share any experience you have in the following areas: Recruitment and Selection, New Hire Paperwork, and Onboarding. For each area, explain your role, the tools or systems you used, and any improvements or outcomes you contributed to.

05

Please provide an example of projects or tasks you have worked on that demonstrate your ability to consistently and effectively prioritize projects, meet deadlines, and produce quality work.

06

Human Resources professionals often serve as a bridge between employees, management, job applicants, and the public. Describe a time when you successfully built or maintained a positive working relationship with one or more of these groups. What strategies did you use to foster trust and collaboration, and what was the outcome?

07

Please describe your experience using the following tools and systems:

- Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) such as Workday, ADP, SAP, or others

- Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)

- Cloud-based collaboration tools such as OneDrive or SharePoint

- AI-powered productivity tools such as Microsoft Copilot or similar

Required Question

Employer

City of Bellingham

Address

104 West Magnolia Street Bellingham, Washington, 98225

Phone

360-778-8228

Website

http://www.cob.org/employment

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