Position Summary

Skagit Valley College (SVC) is accepting applications for a full-time, classified, Human Resource Consultant, located on-site at our campus in Mount Vernon, WA. This position will be hired as either a Human Resource Consultant 2 or a Human Resource Consultant 3, depending on experience.

The Human Resource Consultant works in partnership with the HR team to serve as the principal employee consultant in the high-touch areas of employee benefits, leave, and workplace health and safety. This position will have primary responsibility for managing insurance and retirement information within the current HRIS system known as ctcLink as well as other supporting databases such as the WA State PAY1 system, and by utilizing tracking systems based on software tools like Excel. Daily duties include, but are not limited to supportive and compassionate interaction with faculty and staff through phone, email, online, and in-person communications; transactional processing, which includes reviewing, entering, tracking, filing, and maintaining employee insurance, retirement, leave, accommodation, and workers compensation information; preparation and dissemination of employment related correspondence; resolution of pay/premium and benefit discrepancies; and general HR office support.

This position requires exceptional interpersonal skills, high attention to detail, accurate and timely data entry, superior organizational and time management skills, critical thinking aptitude, and excellent communication with employees, supervisors, management, and HR and payroll staff. Success in this position requires technical and specialized knowledge of the laws, rules and policies related to state employee insurance and retirement benefits; human resource information systems, leave administration, workplace health and safety procedures, the reasonable accommodation process, and various tracking systems used to manage information.

We’re looking for someone who is dependable and has a customer-centered approach to Human Resources Management. SVC encourages individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position. Anticipated start date is May 2023.

Nestled between the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound in the northwest corner of Washington State, Skagit Valley College is located 60 miles north of Seattle and 80 miles south of Vancouver, BC. SVC was established in 1926 in Mount Vernon. Operating as one college with several campuses and centers, SVC serves Skagit, Island and San Juan Counties with campuses in Mount Vernon and Oak Harbor, centers in Friday Harbor and Langley, and a Marine Manufacturing and Technology Center in Anacortes.

Duties and Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• 
  Determine eligibility of benefits and leave programs by interpreting and following a complex set of federal and state laws, rules, college policies, and applicable negotiated agreements;
• Provide employee consultations for benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, long term disability insurance, mandatory and optional retirement plans, and optional benefit programs;
• Counsel employees and managers regarding leave programs and workplace health and safety;
• Manage the transactional processes to administer benefits, leave, and workplace health and safety programs; monitor and track eligibility and requests, ensure receipt of required documentation, provide timely notifications and determinations; perform accurate data entry within all applicable systems;
• Serve as the Labor & Industries specialist by managing worker’s compensation claims, working with employees and their supervisors related to on-the-job injuries, and assisting with return to work efforts;
• Serve as the key benefits and leave contact for employees; act as a liaison between employees and agencies and providers; work closely with payroll to resolve problems and discrepancies regarding employee benefit premiums and leave balances;
• Manage the reasonable accommodation process; perform intake, review reasonable accommodation requests, and coordinate accommodation needs for employees.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge or understanding of:

• Federal and State employment laws and regulations;
• Human resource management practices and procedures, including employment, compensation, leave, benefits, and reporting practices, preferably in a public sector environment;
• HRIS, related databases, and related reporting;
• Collective bargaining contract provisions;
• Business and office technology;

Skilled in:

• Computer use for communication, data entry, spreadsheets, correspondence, and report creation;
• Microsoft Excel, and be able to create, maintain and use formulas and functions to track, calculate, and analyze information;
• Microsoft Word, and be able to create, revise, and maintain correspondence, forms, templates, and documentation;
• Microsoft Outlook, and be able to compose and send emails, and manage calendars;

Ability to:

• Develop positive relationships and effectively interact within all levels of the organization and with external customers by being highly responsive, non-judgmental, and supportive;
• Maintain a professional, positive service attitude under sometimes stressful situations;
• Communicate both orally and in writing to respond to and initiate communication with applicants, employees, other educational institutions, and outside agencies;
• Apply analytic and problem-solving capabilities to accomplish work tasks and perform detailed work with accuracy including use of proper spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and grammar;
• Demonstrate ownership of the work while taking responsibility for resolving errors;
• Work with and maintain the security of highly confidential data;
• Prioritize and manage time effectively to process a high volume of time-sensitive transactions often with interruptions, and adjusting priorities quickly in response to urgent needs;
• Interpret policies, procedures, collective bargaining contract provisions, laws, rules, and work directions provided in verbal and written form;
• Work productively in a team environment while taking the initiative to complete tasks independently;
• Adapt easily to changing business needs, conditions, and work responsibilities;
• Demonstrate a good sense of humor;
• Contribute to equity and inclusion by fostering a climate of multicultural appreciation and awareness, and work effectively with populations representing diverse backgrounds, cultures, life experiences and various learning and working styles;
• Arrive to work at the scheduled time and be reliable in attendance.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Two (2) years of professional level human resources, benefit administration, leave administration, or closely related experience;
• Strong technological and data entry skills attained by extensive experience with data processing, payroll processing, spreadsheet management, or similar data entry work with information systems.

• 
  Professional Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR), or Society for Human Resource Management certification (SHRM-CP/SCP).
• Human resource experience in a higher education or government setting.
• Knowledge of human resource office practices and procedures, state and federal employment rules and laws, and provisions of negotiated agreements.
• Knowledge of the programs, policies, and procedures of the Public Employees Benefit Board and Department of Retirement Systems.
• Prior experience preparing and disseminating internal and external communications.
• Prior work experience requiring policy, procedure or practice interpretation and analysis.
• Experience working in a union environment.

Salary, Benefits, Conditions of Employment, Application Procedure

Salary and Benefits:

• Placement as either Human Resource Consultant 2 or Human Resource Consultant 3 is dependent on qualifications and experience.
  • Human Resource Consultant 2: Salary is based on Range 51 of the General Service Salary Schedule, which is $4,216 - $5,535 per month.
  • Human Resource Consultant 3: Salary is based on Range 55 of the General Service Salary Schedule, which is $4,656 - $6,105 per month.
• A 5% premium will be added to the base salary for Spanish language proficiency.
• This position is eligible for overtime pay in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act and Washington’s Minimum Wage Act.
• This is a confidential classified position and is not included in the classified staff non-supervisory bargaining unit represented by the Washington Public Employees Association, WPEA.
• Retirement, medical and insurance benefits are provided in accordance with state regulations. Additional information on benefits can be found at https://fortress.wa.gov/hca/pebbhealthplan/compare.aspx.

Conditions of Employment:

• Prior to employment, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.
  
  Additionally, pursuant to RCW 28B.112.080, applicants must declare whether they are the subject of any substantiated findings of sexual misconduct in any current or former employment or are currently being investigated for, or have left a position during an investigation into, a violation of any sexual misconduct policy at the applicant’s current or past employer. By law, post-secondary education institutions cannot hire an applicant who refuses to declare the existence or non-existence of an investigation or findings subject to this statute.
• In the interest of providing a healthy, safe, and secure educational and work environment, and in order to meet the requirements of federal legislation, it is the policy of Skagit Valley College to maintain an alcohol and drug-free workplace for our employees and students.
• If hired you will be required to provide proof of identity and documentation of U.S. Citizenship or appropriate authorization to work in this position as required by the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986.

Application Procedure:
To be considered for this position, applicants must:

• Meet the minimum qualifications and;
• Submit a complete application to the online recruitment system at www.skagit.edu that includes the following:

• The online application, which includes answers to all supplemental questions;
• A current resume; (Attachment: Resume)
• A cover letter addressing how your education and experience supports the qualifications for this position (Attachment: Cover Letter).

In order to be considered for the position, you must complete the online application in full and attach the required supplemental documents. Failure to provide this information may eliminate you from consideration for this position.

Application Deadline: Priority screening will begin after May 1st, 2023. Applications received on or before this date will receive first consideration. Applications received after the screening date may be considered until the position is filled.

Please be aware that the College hiring authorities reserve the right to hire one or more candidates and may exercise the option to make a hiring decision prior to the conclusion of the recruitment process. Only candidates selected to interview will be contacted.

Application Assistance: If you have questions about the position or require special accommodation, you may contact Human Resources at (360) 416-7794, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time. SVC complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Applicants with disabilities who require assistance with the recruitment process may leave a TDD/TTY message at (360) 416-7718 by the application closing date. Information on SVC's Reasonable Accommodation policy can be found at OPPM 3040.

For questions regarding the online application system, you may call NEOGOV Applicant Tech Support at (855) 524-5627 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Pacific Time. For best results, apply using one of the following browsers supported by NEOGOV: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and later versions of Internet Explorer.

SVC Annual Security Report : The U.S. Department of Education and the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act require all colleges to provide information to current and prospective students and employees about campus safety policies, procedures, and statistics on certain crimes, including hate crimes, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault. We are required to report our campus security information and statistics in an Annual Security Report, which is updated annually each October. All prospective employees may obtain a copy of the Annual Security Report from the Human Resources Office by calling (360) 416-7794 or by accessing the Report at: https://www.skagit.edu/about/safety-security-parking/.

Skagit Valley College is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all groups in terms and conditions of employment and personnel practices. SVC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity, pregnancy, genetic information, age, marital status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, perceived or actual physical or mental disability, or use of a trained guide dog or service animal. All faculty and staff hired at Skagit Valley College are encouraged to embrace, continually support, and enhance diversity and equity on our campus and in our community. Annual Notice of Non-Discrimination.