Talent Acquisition Specialist; HRC-T; Internal Job Olympia area,Washington USA,HR/Recruitment

The Employment Security Department (ESD) is seeking a solutions-oriented and collaborative Human Resource Consultant (Talent Acquisition Specialist) to join our high-performing Human Resources division.

The ideal candidate is an expert communicator and proactive problem-solver who brings clarity to state civil service rules and navigates complex staffing challenges with tact. You are inclusive, relationship-driven, and dedicated to equity in employment practices. You thrive in a consultative role, bridging the gap between technical civil service requirements and the strategic hiring needs of managers across the agency.

The Please note: This is an internal-only recruitment and is only open to current employees of the Washington Employment Security Department.

This is an in-training opportunity, which means the selected candidate may be hired on at either the HRC3 OR HRC4 level
. Please see qualifications for additional details.

As a Talent Acquisition Specialist
, you will provide expert-level recruitment and workforce planning consultation to supervisors and managers across ESD. You will serve as a trusted advisor, helping programs acquire qualified, diverse talent for agency-wide job openings while ensuring strict compliance with all relevant authorizing environments, state and federal pre-employment laws, collective bargaining agreements, and merit system rules. Operating within the Human Resources Division
, your work directly supports ESD's mission by building a skilled workforce equipped to strengthen Washington’s communities.

In this role, you will independently analyze staffing issues, design effective sourcing strategies, and mitigate agency risk by oversight of the pre-employment process. You will guide hiring managers through position-specific recruitment plans, from creating compliant assessment tools to reviewing interview questions for legal sufficiency. Additionally, you will lead outreach initiatives, represent the agency at hiring events, and provide mentorship and training to hiring authorities and HR peers alike.

Additionally, some of your duties include:

Provide expert-level consultation to supervisors and managers to design, develop, and implement classification-specific workforce planning and recruitment strategies.
Resolve complex recruitment issues and identify technically and politically viable solutions for hard-to-fill, mission-critical vacancies.
Ensure full compliance with state/federal pre-employment laws, RCWs, and collective bargaining agreements to mitigate risk to the agency.
Formulate job announcements
, supplemental questionnaires, and assessment criteria to effectively gather applicant screening data.
Review interview questions for hiring managers to ensure legal compliance and direct relevance to the position description form.
Develop and execute comprehensive sourcing plans
, including conducting research to determine how and where to recruit viable applicants.
Coordinate and lead recruitment events
, career fairs, employee resource groups, and outreach activities as an agency representative.
Prepare recruitment marketing materials and report on recruitment details, including applicant pool quality and advertising results.
Document and maintain all phases of sourcing, recruitment, and pre-employment activities to ensure a justifiable hire and fulfill records retention requirements.
Conduct and present training to agency managers and admins on recruitment systems and selection best practices.

Required Education, Experience, and

Competencies:

To qualify at the HRC3 level:

Two (2) years of professional level human resource consulting experience providing HR advice and consultation to include experience working with managers to help identify and recommend recruitment timelines, sourcing techniques, and candidates of interest.

OR
One (1) year of experience as a Human Resource Consultant 2 with Talent Acquisition experience.

OR
Two (2) years of experience independently providing end-to‑end recruitment services and interpreting and applying human resources laws, rules, policies, and procedures applicable to talent acquisition.

To qualify at the HRC4 level:

Option 1:
Seven (7) years of broad-based professional human resource experience, including facilitating organizational development or change, and advising and consulting on human resource issues.

Option 2: Associate degree with focus on business, human resources, social or organizational behavioral sciences, or related field.
Five (5) years of broad-based…