Human Resources and Civil Service Director

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

This is highly responsible administrative and professional work in planning, directing, and managing the City’s centralized Human Resources (HR) programs and services. The Director serves as the City’s chief human resources officer and provides strategic guidance and leadership in the areas of recruitment, employee and labor relations, classification and compensation, employee development, and compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws. Work involves frequent contact with department directors, City administration, employees, union representatives, and external partners. The incumbent exercises considerable independent judgment and initiative in the administration of a comprehensive HR program designed to support the City’s workforce and service delivery goals. Work is subject to review through discussion and analysis of program effectiveness and accomplishments.

This is a continuous recruitment process and will remain open until the position is filled.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Provides leadership and oversight for all human resources operations, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and best practices in municipal government.

Advises and supports City leadership on workforce planning, organizational structure, compensation, employee relations, and personnel policy matters.

Interprets and communicates HR programs, policies, and procedures to City administration, department directors, employees, and their representatives, professional groups, and the public.

Leads and manages employee and labor relations programs, including workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, and grievance processing.

Directs and coordinates the City’s Equal Employment Opportunity programs, including plan development, monitoring, complaint investigations, and recordkeeping.

Develops and oversees the City’s general training, employee engagement, leadership development, retention, and labor relations programs.

Administers employee engagement and recognition programs, such as the Employee Suggestion Program, Service Awards, Educational Assistance, and City-sponsored employee activities.

Supervises the preparation and dissemination of internal HR communications.

Oversees human resources transactions and records, ensuring accuracy, security, and legal compliance.

Serves as a member of the labor negotiations team and acts as liaison with the City’s employee association.

Leads or supports initiatives related to change management, workforce modernization, and organizational development.

Provides administrative support to, implements policies and administrative decisions of, the City’s Civil Service Board, including maintaining Board documents, statistical data, and attending all meetings of the Civil Service Board, its committees, and subcommittees.

May be required to participate in and/or facilitate training to support departmental or City initiatives and requirements.

May be required to work alternate hours as necessary for the efficient operation of the department.

Position designated as Mission Critical.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS:

Performs related work as required.

QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE)

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in Human Resources, Public Administration, Business Administration, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or a related field.

Ten years of progressively responsible professional human resources experience, including at least three years in a supervisory or senior leadership role.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.

Must possess and maintain a valid telephone number.

Master’s degree is preferred.

Professional certification in the field of Human Resources (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR, IPMA-SCP) is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES

Extensive knowledge of public sector human resources practices, labor relations, and applicable federal and state employment laws.

Extensive knowledge of the structure, functions, and operations of municipal government.

Knowledge of compensation and classification systems, organizational development practices, and workforce analytics.

Knowledge of modern office technology, HRIS platforms, and data management best practices.

Skill in preparing and analyzing reports, research findings, and survey data for policy and decision-making.

Ability to lead, manage, and develop staff while fostering a high-performance and service-oriented culture.

Ability to build consensus, communicate complex ideas clearly, and maintain confidentiality and discretion in sensitive matters.

Ability to coordinate and manage multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously.

Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with community stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

Ability to inspire confidence, drive organizational change, and model professionalism and integrity.

Ability to plan, assign, evaluate, and support the professional development of Human Resources staff.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Requires sedentary work that involves walking or standing sometimes, exerting up to ten pounds of force regularly, and routine keyboard operations.

The job has no significant exposure to environmental hazards.

The job requires normal visual acuity, field of vision, hearing, speaking, color perception, sense of smell, depth perception, bright/dim light, and texture perception.

All City of Lakeland positions are subject to testing (e.g. written, oral, performance, computerized, interview, and/or any combination). Candidates selected for testing will be notified via email or telephone. Please check your e-mail and telephone messages regularly, including "junk" folders. Test times and locations to be announced.

THE CITY OF LAKELAND IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/EQUAL ACCESS EMPLOYER AND A DRUG FREE WORKPLACE