HUMAN RESOURCES AND EQUITY MANAGER

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

Application Process: Please include in your cover letter how you've incorporated DEI in your work including specific examples of how you've improved or implemented equitable processes or policies.

A leader in research, outreach and education for more than 50 years, Washington Sea Grant (WSG) envisions healthy, productive and resilient coastal and marine ecosystems that sustain Washington’s rich cultural and maritime heritage, vibrant coastal communities, clean waters and beaches, prosperous fisheries and aquaculture, diverse wildlife and an engaged public. The WSG mission is to help people and marine life thrive by supplying research, technical expertise and educational activities that support the responsible use and conservation of ocean and coastal ecosystems. It seeks to forge tools, foster insights, build capacity and maintain relationships for sustainable management, enjoyment and use of Washington’s marine resources. WSG celebrates the diversity of people and the environment and the complex interactions between them. Facilitating practical and collaborative solutions to today’s ocean and coastal issues, WSG serves as a neutral broker of scientific and place-based information and real-world expertise that honors the history, people and places of Washington.

To accomplish its mission and achieve its vision, WSG adheres to a set of core values focused on excellence, equity, innovation and societal impact. Guided by our values, WSG strives to create a thriving, equitable, inclusive, and accessible workplace that empowers its staff to effectively serve and reflect the diverse communities of Washington.

The Human Resources and Equity Manager will lead a holistic approach to human resources at Washington Sea Grant that helps WSG achieve organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) goals. This is a key and complex position overseeing staff recruitment, retention, overall talent management; human resource processes and policy; and coordinating organizational DEI efforts to ensure a thriving and equitable workplace and programs. Washington Sea Grant employs 35-45 staff and fellows who span the state of Washington with many different programmatic responsibilities.

The person in this position coordinates with the WSG Leadership Team and Director, WSG staff and student employees, fellows, principal investigators, University and other academic institutions, the national Sea Grant network, and potentially state, tribal and regional partners. This position requires the ability to take initiative, exercise independent judgement, problem solve, resolve conflict, and be a diplomatic HR manager. The person in this position leads HR and coordinates DEI strategy for the unit in regard to policy and workplace culture. This person is responsible for both cascading HR policy from the University to Washington to Sea Grant employees and to bring back recommendations, feedback, and questions from employees to central HR.

WSG maintains a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by valuing diverse perspectives, and enhancing cultural understanding. This commitment is guided by the Washington Sea Grant 10-year Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Roadmap, a living document endorsed by the full leadership and staff that established an ambitious set of goals for the organization. WSG operationalizes its goals using a multi pronged approach such that DEI is woven through the fabric of all staff work, and includes a focal set of collective work. Many of the strategic goals are pertinent to WSG’s human resources, and involve incorporating DEI more thoroughly into recruitment and retention, and maintaining an office culture that is welcoming and inclusive. Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) are disproportionately impacted by many of the marine and environmental issues that WSG addresses, including coastal habitat loss, climate change and food insecurity. At the same time, BIPOC are underrepresented in marine fields, including at WSG.  The Human Resources and Equity Manager will provide essential leadership in guiding and implementing these areas of transformation as they pertain to our workforce.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

TALENT MANAGEMENT AND RETENTION

• Plan and manage regular DEI-related training and other professional development opportunities for WSG employees in collaboration with WSG Leadership Team
• Co-Lead WSG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employee Engagement Collective focused on employee recruitment and retention strategies
• Lead pay analysis discussions considering job description and responsibilities, qualifications, performance, gender, race, experience, tenure at WSG, duty station location (Seattle vs non-Seattle to account for cost of living) and internal vs external compensation metrics, with WSG leadership team identifying those employees who may be overdue for increases or promotions. Remedy any unadjusted pay gaps, and ensure WSG is competitive with the relative market. Handle related Workday transactions to implement
• With the WSG Leadership Team, identify ways to recognize significant staff contributions. Manage service award submissions and employee recognition events.
• Promote positive community norms and conduct, maintain a harassment-free workplace, and coordinate and track WSG compliance with federal, state and university policies and NOAA Sexual Harassment training requirements

EQUITABLE RECRUITMENT, HIRING AND ONBOARDING

• Advise managers/supervisors throughout the hiring process from job description creation through final offer (including identifying appropriate title and salary, advising on ways to connect with underrepresented and underserved communities, designing candidate evaluation rubrics and interviews, selecting the hiring committee members, providing training and procedures to reduce unconscious bias, making final negotiations)
• Initiate all staff hires in UW's Workday system, monitor progress of hires and take follow up action when needed
• Integrate DEI best practices into hiring, salary review, raises, promotions, and other HR processes
• Design and improve onboarding practices, advise supervisors on best practices, resources and schedule, and design and maintain onboarding resources for new employees
• Partner with the WSG Fellowship and Research Specialist to equitably hire post-graduate students into fellowship positions across WSG’s six marine science, policy and science communications fellowship programs.
• Engage and participate in the activities of partnering organizations leading best practices in recruitment and retention of diverse and inclusive workforces  

ORGANIZATIONAL DEI COORDINATION

• Coordinate WSG’s DEI organizational strategy, with a particular emphasis on implementing the 10-year DEI Roadmap.
• Coordinate across WSG DEI collectives and learning groups. This position cultivates partnerships and creates opportunities to learn from and support each other.
• Provide DEI expertise to WSG, UW College of Environment and the National Sea Grant network

HUMAN RESOURCES

• Represent WSG in College of the Environment HR meetings and on University-wide meetings and committees and share HR resources to WSG employees including information on benefits, FMLA, and other leave policies, track in Workday as needed
• Codify, clarify and document current WSG HR policies
• Coach supervisors and employees through performance issues or workplace disputes, design and manage staff performance evaluation processes and collaborate with central UW HR Consultant when escalation is needed
• Ensure payroll runs smoothly, including developing processes and procedures and acting as payroll coordinator

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree in human resources, administration, business or other related field
• 4 years minimum relevant work experience in human resources, program management or diversity, equity and inclusion roles
• Deep understanding of societal systems of bias, and ability to apply this knowledge to invent, evolve, improve, and simplify organizational and HR processes
• A demonstrated commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

RECOMMENDED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in business, administration, organizational psychology, human resources, or related field
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, manage priorities and make independent decisions
• Effective interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate, influence, negotiate, resolve conflicts, and effectively coach both managers and employees
• Familiarity with principles and application of restorative justice and trauma-informed management
• Commitment to the mission and goals of Washington Sea Grant
• Experience in hiring and creating job descriptions
• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel

WSG values diverse backgrounds and abilities, and we warmly welcome candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Although you’ll see requirements in our postings, we recognize that people come with relevant talents and lived experiences outside of formal job experience. We value different ways of knowing and various types of experiences. While our hiring process considers the desired qualifications listed above, we also support on the job learning when applicable.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.