Short-Term (11 month) Temp or Out-of-Class (OOC) HR Operations Specialist (Personnel Specialist, Sr)

Posting number: 2026-01043

Department: Seattle Public Utilities

Division: People, Culture & Community

Job classification: Personnel Specialist, Senior

Posting type: Open

Categories: Human Resources, Payroll/Benefits Administration

Summary

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) has a Temporary or Out-of-Class (OOC) opportunity for a professional to join the Human Resources (HR) Division, as an HR Operations Specialist to assist with Workday system management, including resolving leave and payroll issues, updating organizational assignments, and researching outstanding Workday related tasks.

This Temporary (external)/OOC (internal) opportunity is expected to last approximately 11-12 months and is open to all qualified candidates. External candidates are [initially] non-benefited and will receive premium pay in lieu of benefits.

About Seattle Public Utilities: Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is a community-centered utility that delivers vital services to Seattle residents and businesses including drinking water, drainage and wastewater, and garbage/recycling/compost. SPU also provides drinking water for 1.6 million customers in the region. SPU’s work includes system maintenance and improvements and keeping Seattle clean. Over 1,400 SPU employees work with our community to provide affordable and equitable stewardship of our water and waste resources for future generations. For more information about Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), checkout the following:

• SPU Website
• SPU Workplace Expectations
• Strategic Business Plan 

SPU commits to Our City Values and Race and Social Justice as core principles that guide our work. We actively take steps to dismantle systemic racism and increase service equity. We value diverse life experiences and strive to create a workplace that is welcoming to all. We take steps to be inclusive and equitable in our recruiting, hiring and promotional opportunities.   

Examples of duties

Primary Responsibilities for Temp or OOC HR Operations Specialist:

• Maintain timely processing of Workday tasks, monitor the Workday ticketing inbox, and help reduce backlog to support SPU operational needs.
• Support Benefits, Leaves, ADA, and Workers’ Compensation administration, including processing requests, approvals, and compliance documentation.
• Monitor and resolve payroll discrepancies that correlate with leave corrections, collaborate with HR/Payroll teams, and maintain tracking logs.
• Assist with return-to-work processes and ADA accommodations, coordinating documentation and follow-up. 
• Provide employee support, responding to inquiries on leave, benefits, and accommodations.
• Support reporting, auditing, and analysis of leave and payroll trends to improve efficiency and compliance.
• Partner with HR leadership and SHR to ensure regulatory compliance, policy adherence, and high-quality employee service.

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.

Qualifications

Experience:  Two (2) years of responsible professional personnel administration experience in the public sector is required

Education: Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Human Resource Management, Business Administration, or a related field of study *If no degree, two (2) additional years of qualifying experience is required


Desired Qualifications:

• Experience related to a variety of HR functions, including benefits and leaves, and payroll administration
• Familiarity with Workday software platform
• Experience providing direct customer service is preferred
• Strong written, oral, and digital communication skills