Thurston County | Human Resources

Thurston County facilities are now open to the public with restrictions, including maintaining physical distancing of at least six feet at all times and, per the Washington State Secretary of Health’s face covering order wearing a cloth face covering or mask. If you come to county facilities, please be prepared for potentially long wait times or lines due to distancing guidelines. We continue to encourage residents to access county services online, by phone, by email, or through the use of drop boxes located outside of county buildings.
The availability of remote services vary by office and department.

Click here for office and department contact information
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Employment

While most county employment opportunities are open to the public, some are open only to current county employees.

External Employment Opportunities

Employment Opportunities for external position postings are “Open to the Public” and current Thurston County employees. Any person who meets the minimum position qualifications, is encouraged to apply. Please review the Employment Opportunity and Job Specification for specifics.

Internal, Recall, and Rehire Employment Opportunities

These opportunities are open to “current” Thurston County employees and those individuals on the county's “recall” or “rehire” lists. In order to be considered a “current” employee, the internal applicants must have received compensation from Thurston County payroll for hours worked during the preceding payroll period or must be actually working or scheduled to work during the payroll period in which the vacancy closes. Any current Thurston County employee or individual on the recall or rehire lists, who meets the minimum position qualifications, is encouraged to apply.

Sheriffs Office Positions (Civil Service)

The filling of vacancies within the Thurston County Sheriffs Office is subject to the Civil Service process. The Civil Service Commission gives competitive tests to determine the fitness of candidates to work in the Sheriff's Office. Applicants that pass all tests are ranked on the Employment Eligibility List according to their test score. Applicants placed upon the eligibility lists are then processed through a vigorous background and reference check process.

Independent Contractor - Professional Services Provider

Professional Services Contractors provide occasional and temporary services for Thurston County when there is not regular staff available to perform such work. Contractors are not employees of Thurston County and must meet the eligibility requirements as established by the IRS. Contractors are not eligible to receive any employee benefits, must be responsible for their own unreimbursed business/service related expenses and must be responsible for any profit or loss associated with the service agreement.

Written contracts will be required of all professional service relationships to determine the extent of the services performed, the extent to which the contractor is available to perform services, the durations of the relationship or intended project, associated business liability coverage and fee for service structure.

All independent professional services contracts will be administered through the individual departments. Interested parties should contact those respective departments for specific information including fees, services, limitations and duration.

Equal Opportunity Employer:
Thurston County is committed to provide equal opportunity to all persons seeking or having access to its employment, services and activities, which is free from restriction based on race, sex, marital status, color, creed or religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, including gender expression or identity, pregnancy, status as an honorably discharged veteran or military status, genetic information, or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, unless based upon bona fide occupational qualifications. Applicants with disabilities who need accommodation with the application or selection process should contact Thurston County’s Human Resources, at (360) 786-5498. Those who are deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing or speech impaired may use the statewide relay system to reach Thurston County offices and departments to conduct their business telephonically. Relay users can simply dial 7-1-1 (or 1-800-833-6388) to connect with Washington Relay.

NeoGov and Online Application Assistance

How To Complete the Online Application

NeoGov Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Applicant tech support for NEOGOV/governmentjobs.com:
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Monday through Friday
Toll free: 1-855-524-5627

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How often are employment opportunities updated?

Employment opportunities are updated each Friday at midnight.

May I submit an application or resume for a position that is not currently posted or to be considered for future employment?

No, we only accept application materials for positions that are currently posted. You may use the Job Interest Notification process to be notified of new job opportunities.

Do I need to submit a separate application for each position that I am interested in?

Yes, you need to apply separately to each position recruitment.

I am a contract employee with Thurston County. Do I qualify for an internal posting?

No, a “current employee” is defined as an individual who was paid by Thurston County in the most recent pay cycle.

To whom do I direct my questions about an employment opportunity?

The contact person and phone number is listed on each employment opportunity.

How do I obtain more information about an employment opportunity?

You can view a complete copy of the job description under the Job Classifications section of our webpage. For additional questions and information, you may call the contact person listed on the employment opportunity.

How can I check the status of my application?

You can call the contact person listed on the Employment Opportunity. Please keep in mind, due to the large number of applications received for each recruitment, it can take up to 30 days to screen through applications prior to the scheduling of interviews. Only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Why does the application ask for veterans’ preference?

If two individuals are equally qualified for a job, a veteran will be given preference when making the hiring decision.

Am I automatically disqualified if I have a felony?

Not necessarily. It depends upon the type of felony and the job function and requirements of the hiring office or department.

What benefits do you offer to your employees?

Thurston County offers a competitive benefits package. Additional information can be found under the Benefits menu above.

Employment Types

Regular Full-Time Employees

A regular full-time employee works forty (40) hours per week in a regularly budgeted, on-going position. Regular employees are eligible to receive the standard benefit package.

Regular Part-Time Employees

A regular part-time employee typically works a minimum of twenty (20) hours per week but no more than forty (40) hours per week in a regularly budgeted, on-going position. The standard benefits package is prorated to match the FTE percentage.

Regular with End Date Employees

An employee with an end date is hired for a specific assignment that has a defined beginning and ending date and is anticipated to require more than one thousand and thirty-nine (1,039) hours in a calendar year. An employee with an end date is eligible for the standard benefits package, which may be prorated to match the FTE percentage. The employee will not be eligible for the rehire list upon reaching the end of the specified employment period.

If a regular employee accepts an assignment of a position with an end date, that employee will be eligible to return to their former position upon completion of the specific assignment or term. Any new-hire employee who is hired to fill the vacancy, which was created by the regular employee accepting a position with an end date, will be hired as a regular employee with an end date and that employee will cease to have employment rights upon the return of the regular employee to the former position.

Employees in positions with end dates serve a defined but not guaranteed term. While a term of employment is anticipated, the assignment/project may be terminated at any time for any reason, with or without notice.

Non-Regular Employees

Non-regular employees are restricted to departments that have 24-hour operations. They are used to fill in for regularly, scheduled positions or facility overflow. These positions may be covered by a benefits package, which is established by their respective union agreement.

Temporary Employees

A temporary employee works for a specific amount of time and may not exceed one thousand and thirty-nine (1,039) accumulated hours in a twelve (12) month period. Temporary employees are not eligible to receive the benefits package.

Extra Help Employees

An extra help employee works in a limited, but on-going capacity. An extra help employee typically works fewer than 20 hours per week and must work fewer than one thousand and thirty-nine (1,039) hours within a twelve (12) month period. Extra help employees are not eligible for the benefits package.

Independent Contractor - Professional Services Provider

Written contracts will be required of all professional service relationships to determine the extent of the services performed, the extent to which the contractor is available to perform services, the durations of the relationship or intended project, associated business liability coverage and fee for service structure.

All independent professional services contracts will be administered through the individual departments. Interested parties should contact those respective departments for specific information including fees, services, limitations and duration.