Personnel Investigations Supervisor (HRC 4) DOH8986

This home-based (remote) position is open to Washington residents and those living in Oregon and Idaho only. The Opportunity The Department of Health works to protect and improve the health of all people in Washington State, and the Office of People Services keeps that mission running by taking care of the people who deliver it. As the Personnel Investigations Supervisor, you'll lead a small, dedicated investigations team within Employee & Labor Relations while carrying your own active investigative caseload.

Reporting to the Employee & Labor Relations Manager, you'll partner with appointing authorities, managers, HR Business Partners, exclusive bargaining representatives, employees, the Assistant Attorney General, and other partners to conduct complex, sensitive personnel investigations. You'll also own the unit's investigation processes and procedures, keeping them current and knowing when to bring the right issues forward for guidance.

It's a role built for someone who can move seamlessly between hands-on casework and steady, supportive leadership, protecting the integrity of DOH's workplaces so the agency can stay focused on protecting the health of Washington State.

Key Responsibilities

Leading the Investigations Team

• Supervise, coach, and mentor investigative staff, and lead recruitment and hiring recommendations for the team.
• Develop staff performance and development plans, assess progress against expectations, and provide ongoing feedback and coaching.
• Assign and review staff work, support workload prioritization, and provide training and development.
• Advise staff on scoping investigations, building investigation plans, drafting interview questions, and applying investigative techniques and report writing.
• Review staff investigations and provide input, edits, and recommendations.
• Develop and maintain the team's investigation processes, procedures, and workflows to reflect current law, policy, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Track investigations and manage performance metrics such as time to completion and active/closed caseloads.
• Develop, prepare, and deliver investigation training for OPS staff and agency managers and supervisors.
• Complete special projects and assignments, including meetings and training and development activities.

Conducting Personnel Investigations

• Independently conduct complex to highly complex, high-risk personnel investigations into potential violations of policy, collective bargaining agreements, rules, laws, or standards of conduct.
• Review reported concerns and conduct intake assessments to determine whether an investigation is warranted and define its scope.
• Build investigation plans, including who to interview, what evidence to gather, and how to sequence the work.
• Collect and preserve evidence and conduct interviews using techniques that support clarity and reliable information.
• Coordinate notifications and closures with respondents, witnesses, and complainants, and facilitate pre-briefs and debriefs with the Appointing Authority, Labor Relations, and program HR Consultants.
• Write clear, thorough, legally defensible investigation reports, and testify in administrative or other proceedings when necessary.
• Provide expert-level consultation on federal and state law, policy, civil service rules, and collective bargaining agreements related to employee investigations.
• Analyze complex to highly complex employee relations issues and advise HR staff, managers, supervisors, and employees on complaint and investigative processes.

Administering the Case Management System

• Serve as primary administrator for the unit's Microsoft-based, internal case management system, including configuration, workflows, and access permissions.
• Troubleshoot system issues and data errors, and update fields, forms, and templates as processes and policies change.
• Train staff on proper system use and develop quick-reference guidance for consistent data entry.
• Monitor data integrity and run periodic checks to support accurate HR analytics and reporting.

Why You'll Love This Role This is a role where your work has real, direct impact. The investigations you lead and conduct protect the fairness, safety, and integrity of workplaces across DOH, supporting the agency's mission to protect and improve the health of all people in Washington State. You'll have the trust and autonomy to make most day-to-day supervisory and investigative decisions independently, while partnering closely with the Employee & Labor Relations Manager and HR Business Partners on complex or sensitive matters.

As a working supervisor, you'll grow both as an investigator and a leader: mentoring and developing your team, shaping the unit's processes, and building and delivering training that raises investigative practice across the whole agency.

Who We're Looking For We're looking for someone who leads with cultural humility and a genuine commitment to equity and inclusion, honoring the diverse perspectives across DOH. You bring a strong people-impact orientation and sharp analytical skills, able to break down complex problems and design effective solutions in sensitive situations. Confidentiality is non-negotiable for you, and you handle competing demands and unexpected developments with composure, sound judgment, and professionalism. You communicate clearly, translating complex investigative and legal concepts for a wide range of audiences. Above all, you earn trust through consistent honesty, follow-through, and integrity.

Required Qualifications There are two pathways to qualify for this position. You must meet one of the options provided and additional criteria listed.Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities. Please ensure any relevant experience defined below is outlined in your cover letter, resume, and/or applicant profile.

Option 1: Six (6) or more years of professional human resource experience, to include conducting personnel investigations in a public sector or organized labor setting, including gathering and preserving evidence, conducting interviews, writing clear, comprehensive investigative reports, and demonstrating advanced knowledge of just cause principles.

Option 2: A Bachelor's degree or higher in Business Administration, Human Resources, Social or Organizational Science, or a closely allied field; and three (3) or more years of professional human resource experience, to include conducting personnel investigations in a public sector or organized labor setting, including gathering and preserving evidence, conducting interviews, writing clear, comprehensive investigative reports, and demonstrating advanced knowledge of just cause principles.

AND

• Experience developing or maintaining investigation processes, procedures, and workflows to reflect changes in law, policy, and collective bargaining agreements.
• Experience developing and delivering training materials for HR staff, managers, or supervisors.
• Experience identifying opportunities to streamline complex business processes and implementing process or system improvements to increase efficiency.
• Experience conducting or leading complex, sensitive investigations that require analyzing conflicting or incomplete information, identifying inconsistencies, and reaching well-supported, defensible conclusions.
• Experience in communicating investigative findings, process guidance, and recommendations clearly to a range of partners, including agency leadership, HR business partners, employee representatives, and other groups as needed.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects, competing priorities, and cross-functional initiatives while maintaining operational continuity.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel or similar, sufficient to track investigation caseloads and performance metrics (e.g., time to completion, active/closed case counts)
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word or similar, sufficient to draft clear, well-organized investigative reports and process documentation
• Proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint or similar, sufficient to develop and deliver training materials for staff and agency managers
• Proficiency in Microsoft Sharepoint and Teams, sufficient to build workflows, maintain case registers, apply records retention requirements, and securely share documents.
• Demonstrable knowledge and application of labor and employment laws, including but not limited to EEOC rules, Human Rights Commission WACs, and state personnel WACs.

Preferred Qualifications While these aren’t required, having them can help you stand out as a candidate.

• Extracting and compiling information from HR databases or case management systems to support reporting and analytics.
• PHR, SPHR, SHR-CP, SHRM-SCP, or CLRP certification
• Supervising investigative or other professional staff, including assigning work and evaluating performance.
• Administering or configuring a case management or data-tracking system, including managing workflows and access permissions.
• Preparing investigation-related information or documentation to support administrative or arbitration proceedings.

Employee Benefits We offer a solid benefits package that supports you and your family’s health, financial security, and work-life balance. You’ll have access to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and long-term disability insurance, flexible spending and health savings accounts, and retirement plans that help you plan for tomorrow while you’re living today. Paid holidays, vacation and sick leave help you recharge, and additional programs like dependent care assistance and professional development opportunities add value beyond basic coverage. Join us and enjoy benefits designed to care for you as much as you care about public health. Learn more about DOH benefits and see how we support your life at work and beyond by visiting Work@Health.

About the Washington State Department of Health We're nearly 2,700 professionals across Washington working together to protect and improve community health. Guided by our values of Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, we address health disparities, respond to emerging challenges, and strengthen systems that support resilience.

At DOH, we help reduce barriers, collaborate with diverse communities, and champion equitable health outcomes. We're passionate people who are driven to make a difference in public health. Our work depends on people who take action to learn and grow and who take action to meet the needs of others every day, in service of a healthier Washington. Explore more about the Department of Health, our programs, and our impact by visiting our website.

Working Conditions: The following describes the working conditions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Work Setting: The position primarily works remotely and has a homebased duty-station. Exposure to hazards is limited to those commonly found in indoors at a home or office environment. This position’s work is primarily sedentary, as it works at a computer for extended periods.

Schedule: Standard DOH business hours are Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; however, an alternate or flexible work schedule may be considered at the employee's request, subject to supervisory approval. The position would not normally require working in excess of 40 hours per week, but if it became necessary for business needs, your supervisor would notify you in advance.

Travel Requirements: Travel is not required to perform the duties of this position; however infrequent travel may be expected to attend meetings, training, or conferences. When driving for state business, the employee must be able to legally operate a state or privately-owned vehicle; OR provide alternate transportation while on state business.

Tools & Equipment: This position uses standard office furniture and equipment, such as a desk, office chair, cell phone, computer, monitor(s), keyboard, and mouse; and when in the office, the position may also require the use of a printer, phone, fax machine, and/or copy machine.

Customer Interactions: The position primarily communicates with agency HR staff, employees, supervisors, and managers virtually using a computer/laptop or cell phone.

Other:The DOH campus is a smoke-free, drug-free, alcohol-free, scent-neutral environment. This position may be required to conduct and/or participate in public health emergency preparedness and response activities.

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS: We’re committed to a fair and equitable hiring process. Only materials submitted through the official application will be considered. Emailed resumes or documents won’t be accepted or shared with the hiring manager.

Click “Apply” to complete your application. Attach your resume, cover letter, and DD-214 (if applicable). List at least three professional references, directly in your Applicant Profile or as a separate attachment, including a supervisor, a peer, and someone you’ve supervised or led (if applicable).

DO NOT INCLUDE private details like your SSN or birth year, personal photos, transcripts, certifications, diplomas, projects, portfolios, or letters of recommendation.

Veterans Preference: Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or a signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please remove or cover any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers and birth year

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: We regard diversity as the foundation of our strength, recognizing that differing insights and abilities enable us to reflect the unique needs of the communities we serve.

DOH is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race/ethnicity/color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the presence or perception of a disability, veteran’s status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity.

Questions and Accommodations: If you have questions, need assistance with the application process, require an accommodation, or would like to request this posting in an alternative format, please contact Zach Covington at [email protected] and reference DOH8986.

Technical Support: Reach out to NEOGOV directly at 1-855-524-5627 for technical support and login issues.

SUBSCRIBE to DOH Job Alerts This recruitment may be used to fill positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment are filled, the candidate pool may be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.

Only applicants who follow the directions and complete the Application Process in full will have their responses reviewed for consideration.

Experience and education selected, listed, or detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable on the submitted applicant profile