DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

The City of Huntington Beach is seeking an exceptional leader with demonstrated passion for engaging staff, helping others succeed, and shaping the culture of the organization. This human resource professional will report to the Assistant City Manager and join a cohesive Executive Leadership Team that is aligned to serve the public interest through good governance, dedicated to Huntington Beach's quality of life, and committed to City Council policy.
The candidate selected will be an inclusive Director who is committed to mentoring and developing the professional capacity of both the Human Resources Department and all City employees. To that end, the Director needs to have a solutions-oriented mindset and collaborative demeanor to work with other departments and understand their needs. With a team orientation, the HR Director will earn and maintain credibility by consistently putting the needs of the team first. The professional selected will work cooperatively and collaboratively with colleagues and readily contribute their expertise and experience for the common good.
An energetic and positive personality will be well received by both departmental staff and other City employees. The HR Director should be a hands-on leader, willing to work alongside his or her staff and build a strong team. The candidate selected will ensure that members of the Human Resources team understand their role in the City's broader mission and take an enterprise-wide view. The Director plays a key role in aligning employees and service areas with the mission, promoting a culture of learning and high performance, and encouraging continuous improvement to deliver service excellence.
The individual selected will be an effective and credible written and verbal communicator with well-developed political acumen. The new Director will exhibit transparency, compassion, and emotional intelligence. An approachable professional, the candidate selected will display outstanding interpersonal skills and be proactive about maintaining open and active lines of communication with internal as well as external stakeholders.
This position is responsible for promoting communication, connection, and trust between the HR team and all City employees. Actively supporting the City's values, vision, and mission statement to be active caretakers of Huntington Beach's unique people-centric culture will be key. Further, the ability to engender trust between HR and the workforce, and a history of establishing and maintaining productive and positive relationships with labor groups is critical to this Director's success.
Exposure to or knowledge of labor-management negotiation strategies and techniques and applicable laws is preferred. The ideal candidate will also be well-versed in risk management that includes property, casualty and liability insurance, employee benefits, workers' compensation and loss control. In addition to being well-networked, they will also be actively engaged in the profession. A dedication to implementing efficient and effective innovations for recruitment and retention is paramount, as are efforts to organize and track useful data that will help focus future efforts.
The City of Huntington Beach is located in northwestern Orange County 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles and 90 miles northwest of San Diego. The City encompasses 28 square miles of land and 26 square miles of water, making it the 24th largest city in California. With a population of about 202,265 residents, Huntington Beach is the fourth largest populous city in Orange County.
Known as "Surf City USA," Huntington Beach features nearly 8.5 miles of spacious beaches and hosts an annual visitor population of over 11 million people, especially during the summer, and features numerous large-scale special events, surf competitions and festivals. Even with its swell of visitors, Huntington Beach has been listed for decades as among the FBI's safest cities in the nation. In 2022, WalletHub ranked the City of Huntington Beach #1 in the nation for quality of services to residents. Huntington Beach consistently ranks near the top of WalletHub's annual rankings of the happiest cities in the country.
Huntington Beach has one of the largest recreational piers in the world and has the longest concrete pier in California. The City is home to a thriving beach community and is consistently named as one of the top ten beaches in California. Running parallel to Pacific Coast Highway and just steps from the ocean is a ten-mile strand perfect for biking, inline skating, jogging, or a leisurely stroll.
Huntington Beach boasts a wide variety of municipal amenities. It has a world-class Central Library with four branch libraries. The City's Park system includes 79 public parks (including a dog park), riding stables, and the largest city-owned and operated regional park in Orange County - the 356-acre Huntington Central Park. Residents enjoy five recreation centers (including a senior center), three miles of equestrian trails, two golf courses, 72 tennis courts, a marina, and a protected wildlife preserve.
Huntington Beach draws some of the largest crowds in the world for its popular events, including the U.S. Open of Surfing, AVP Pro Beach Volleyball, the Surf City Marathon, and the Pacific Air Show. It's also home to the International Surfing Museum, the Surfing Walk of Fame, the Surfing Hall of Fame, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, and the Huntington Beach Art Center. Responsible for directing, planning, organizing, and managing the personnel functions and programs of the City including: Employee relations, labor negotiations, recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, training, employee benefits, risk management, City's self insured programs in liability and workers compensation, as well as loss prevention program.

The Human Resources Department provides exceptional internal and external customer service in support of the OneHB Mission and the City's Core Values. Human Resources supports the other 11 City departments in all aspects of talent management and development, including recruitment, selection, training, and professional development. Working with the City Manager's Office, Human Resources builds and maintains strong labor relations with the City's nine bargaining groups. Human Resources also oversees the City's Risk Management operations - developing, administering, and coordinating the citywide liability insurance risk management programs.
The Department currently has 13 FTE and 3 part-time team members organized across four business units: Administration, Labor Relations, Risk Management, and Department Liaisons. Core services provided by the Department include:
Recruit, select, and onboard employees
Manage labor contract negotiations
Employee Relations
Plan and implement citywide training programs
Oversee the classification and compensation plan
Administer the City's health and retirement programs, employee assistance program, and other employee benefits
Coordinate leaves, disability, and return-to-work programs
Support workplace safety and reduce injuries by managing the City's workers' compensation program
Oversee liability claims administrationAny combination of education, training, and experience that would likely provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform in the position is qualifying. A typical combination includes five years of professional-level HUMAN RESOURCES management experience and a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in HUMAN RESOURCES, business or public administration or a related field. Public sector experience in a large municipal agency and a Master's degree is highly desirable.
This recruitment is open until the position is filled. To be considered for this opportunity, upload a cover letter, resume, and list of professional references using the "Apply" feature.
Application packets will be screened and the best qualified candidates will be invited to participate in an oral board interview, which may be conducted virtually or in-person. Following the initial interview, the top candidates will be invited for a "selection" interview.Employment Type: Full-Time