Job Description: Human Resources Assessment Consultant

Job Title: Human Resources Assessment Consultant / HR Organizational Effectiveness Consultant
Client: City of Redmond, Washington
Location: Redmond, Washington, USA
Work Arrangement: Project-based consulting; on-site and remote work as agreed with the City
Employment Type: Contract / Consulting Engagement
Contract Duration: 6 months (January 2027 - June 2027)
Experience Level: Senior-level HR consulting experience preferred
Positions Required: Lead Consultant and supporting project team, as appropriate
Industry: Government Consulting / Human Resources / Organizational Development
Application Deadline: October 23, 2026, at 2:00 PM Pacific Time (RFP proposal deadline; not necessarily the candidate application deadline)

Job Summary

The City of Redmond, Washington, is seeking a qualified Human Resources Assessment Consultant or consulting team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of its Human Resources (HR) department, policies, processes, organizational structure, governance, systems, and service delivery.

The selected consultant will evaluate existing HR operations, identify process gaps and operational risks, assess staffing capacity and workload distribution, and develop practical, prioritized recommendations to improve efficiency, accountability, compliance, and employee service delivery.

The engagement will also assess readiness for the transition from the existing Eden system to UKG, including governance, data migration, resource planning, and risk mitigation.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated experience conducting comprehensive HR assessments, organizational reviews, process improvement initiatives, and consulting engagements, preferably for municipal or public-sector organizations.

Key Responsibilities

1. HR Discovery and Current-State Assessment

• Review existing HR policies, procedures, organizational structures, decision-making practices, and governance arrangements.

• Evaluate HR service delivery, stakeholder engagement, and cross-departmental coordination.

• Conduct approximately 36 individual interviews, along with multiple group stakeholder interviews or interactions, as specified in the RFP.

• Engage HR personnel, Finance and Payroll staff, hiring managers, and other stakeholders involved in employee relations, benefits, leave administration, and recruitment.

• Identify operational and compliance risks, including payroll errors, hiring delays, accountability gaps, and ineffective escalation processes.

• Assess readiness for the Eden-to-UKG HRIS/payroll transition, including governance, implementation timelines, data migration, and record retention.

• Document findings, root causes, operational impacts, and improvement opportunities.

2. HR Process and Gap Analysis

• Evaluate the HR department//'s organizational structure, operating model, systems, staffing, and service model.

• Assess recruitment, hiring, benefits administration, customer service, labor contract implementation readiness, retirement administration, workers//' compensation, and claims management.

• Map and document HR workflows, procedures, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.

• Conduct detailed end-to-end process reviews of:

  • Recruitment and hiring.

  • Timekeeping-to-payroll handoff.

• Evaluate employee and departmental workload distribution, resource constraints, and staffing capacity.

• Identify process bottlenecks, duplication, inefficiencies, and opportunities for standardization.

• Assess HR and Finance ownership of payroll accuracy, error identification, corrections, employee communication, escalation, and resolution.

3. Recommendations and Improvement Planning

• Develop a prioritized set of recommendations to improve HR operational performance, accountability, and service quality.

• Recommend governance improvements, including clear ownership, escalation paths, decision-making authority, and resolution timelines for cross-departmental HR and Finance issues.

• Quantify staffing and workload requirements using estimated hours or full-time equivalent (FTE) needs.

• Distinguish responsibilities that existing staff can absorb from those requiring additional resources.

• Evaluate HR technology solutions supporting recruitment, benefits, payroll, timekeeping, retirement administration, and customer service.

• Develop recommendations for the Eden-to-UKG transition, addressing governance, data quality, resources, implementation readiness, and risk mitigation.

• Incorporate applicable compliance requirements, industry benchmarks, and HR best practices.

• Standardize and document procedures to promote consistency, efficiency, and sustainable service delivery.

Required Deliverables

The consultant will be responsible for developing the following project deliverables:

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience conducting comprehensive Human Resources assessments and organizational effectiveness reviews.

• Strong knowledge of HR operations, policies, procedures, governance, and service delivery models.

• Experience evaluating recruitment, hiring, payroll, benefits administration, employee relations, and related HR functions.

• Proven ability to conduct stakeholder interviews, analyze qualitative and quantitative information, and identify root causes.

• Experience mapping business processes and developing practical improvement recommendations.

• Ability to evaluate workforce capacity, workloads, staffing models, and FTE requirements.

• Knowledge of HRIS, payroll, timekeeping, data governance, and system implementation readiness.

• Strong report-writing, analytical, presentation, and project management skills.

• Ability to develop clear, actionable recommendations supported by evidence and operational analysis.

• Experience working with municipal governments or other public-sector organizations is strongly preferred.

Preferred Experience

• Leading HR assessments for cities, counties, or other public agencies.

• Evaluating HR and Finance coordination, payroll controls, and cross-functional governance.

• Supporting HRIS or payroll system transitions, including data migration and records management.

• Developing recruitment, onboarding, benefits, employee relations, and payroll process improvements.

• Performing organizational design, staffing assessments, workforce planning, and workload analysis.

• Preparing executive-level reports and presenting recommendations to senior leadership.

• Managing consulting projects with defined milestones, deliverables, budgets, and timelines.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Human Resources Consulting

• HR Organizational Assessment

• HR Process Improvement

• Organizational Development

• HR Governance and Policy Review

• Workforce Planning

• Staffing and FTE Analysis

• Recruitment and Talent Acquisition

• Payroll Process Assessment

• Timekeeping and Payroll Reconciliation

• Benefits Administration

• Employee Relations

• Workers//' Compensation and Claims Management

• HRIS Assessment

• UKG Implementation Readiness

• Data Governance and Migration Planning

• Business Process Mapping

• Root Cause Analysis

• Risk Assessment and Mitigation

• Regulatory Compliance

• Stakeholder Interviews and Facilitation

• Change Management

• Project Management

• Executive Reporting and Presentation

• Public-Sector Consulting

Project Timeline and Work Environment

The anticipated engagement runs from January through June 2027, under a six-month agreement with the City of Redmond. The assignment requires collaboration with HR personnel, Finance and Payroll staff, department representatives, and other stakeholders.

The consultant must be able to manage the assessment activities, complete interviews and process reviews, prepare documentation, and deliver recommendations within the agreed project schedule.

Subcontracting restriction: The RFP states that subcontracting of any kind is not permitted. The proposing firm must plan to perform the contracted work using its own authorized personnel.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior HR consultant with strong analytical and advisory capabilities, experience assessing complex HR operations, and the ability to translate findings into practical operational improvements. The candidate should be comfortable engaging with multiple departments, reviewing sensitive payroll and personnel processes, identifying governance issues, and preparing executive-ready reports.

Experience leading similar municipal HR assessment projects and working with a consistent consulting team will be an advantage.

Application Instructions

Interested candidates should submit an updated resume highlighting relevant HR consulting assignments, public-sector experience, process improvement projects, HRIS/payroll assessments, stakeholder engagement, and major deliverables.

Candidates should include examples of comparable projects, their role and responsibilities, project outcomes, and experience meeting defined project schedules.

Important: This is a consulting services procurement rather than a conventional individual employment vacancy. Final staffing arrangements, project team composition, work location, and compensation should be confirmed with the proposing firm and the City’s requirements.