Description

The City of Helena is an equal opportunity employer.  The City shall, upon request, provide reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified individuals with disabilities.

Job Purpose:

The work performed by this position involves strategic leadership, coordination and oversight of the Human Resources Department. The incumbent provides highly responsible, professional, administrative and complex support to the City Manager, Department Heads, supervisory staff, and support staff and is responsible for advancing strategic initiatives to support the City’s strategic pillar of being an “Employer of Choice.”

Essential Duties: These job functions are the essential duties of the position and are not all-inclusive of all the duties the incumbent may be assigned.

Duty 1: Human Resources Leadership

25% Time

Essential

Tasks:

       Advance the City of Helena’s Strategic Goal to “Be the Employer of Choice” through:

       offering a competitive compensation package,

       maintaining competitive and attractive benefits,

       offering supervisory and leadership professional development,

       cultivating a healthy, cohesive, supportive workplace culture,

       implementing inclusive processes in city ordinances, resolutions, policies, and procedures,

       hiring and retaining excellent employees,

       implementing digital interface efficiencies for HR operations. 

       Provide professional development opportunities to improve employees’ skills and knowledge base as well as to improve workplace culture.

       Serve as member of the executive leadership team.

       Stay abreast and appropriately implement trends and innovations in human resource management.

       Provide subject matter expertise to staff and department heads, City Manager, and City Commission.

       Identify opportunities for improving service delivery methods and procedures; review them with appropriate management staff and implement improvements.

       Chair the City Compensation Committee who provides to its City Manager, advice and recommendations on the administration of the city's compensation suite, to include wages and benefits. 

       Ensure integrity of pay and classification: conduct job analyses and administer the job wage/salary placement and reconsideration processes. 

Duty 2: HR Staff Management

20% Time

Essential

Tasks:

       Provide direction and leadership for three (3) human resources staff to include Human Resources Generalist, Human Resources Specialist, and Human Resources Administrative Assistant.

       Manage and administer all functions of human resources for the City to include:  classification and compensation, benefits, employment/recruitment and selection, Union Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations and contract compliance, leave to include FMLA/workers’ compensation/ADA, city employee professional development and training, personnel records management and retention, safety and workers’ compensation, employee data integrity, human resources department budget, employee recognition and appreciation, wellness initiatives, drug and alcohol testing, employee relations and performance management.

       Conduct performance reviews, develop professional development plans and develop strategic goals.

       Continually mentor, coach, and communicate for optimal performance and service delivery of the human resources department. 

Duty 3: Labor Relations 

15% Time

Essential

Tasks:

       Serve on the Management Team for labor negotiations.

       Prepare for and serve as a Management Team member of union/association-management contract negotiations to include collection and presentation of pertinent data (e.g., organizational similarity, comparable salaries, benefits, leave, other contract provisions), knowledge of current contract terms, knowledge of applicable state and federal labor and employment laws.  

         Provide subject matter expertise on policies, procedures, benefits and pay issues.

       Serve as management team representative in union activities to include cases of Unfair Labor Practice, mediation, arbitration, and grievances.  

       Collaborate and liaison with payroll to administer the provisions of union contracts and agreements. 

        Advise staff regarding collective bargaining agreement provisions.

Duty 4: Employee Development and Relations

30% Time

Essential 

Tasks:

       Develop strategies for promotion, advancement, success, and recognition of employees.

       Provide professional development opportunities to improve employees’ skills and knowledge base as well as to improve workplace culture.

        Provide advice and support to staff on employment-related concerns, policy provisions, disciplinary and complaint processes and actions.

       Collaborate with and guide and lead supervisors and department heads in administering employee corrective action and disciplinary policies and procedures.  

       Develop strategies to support and defend City decisions on employee actions to include grievances, adverse action, and discrimination claims.

Duty 5: Policy and Legal Compliance

10% Time

Essential Duties

Tasks:

       Ensure the City’s compliance with policies, contracts, and ordinances, as well as Federal, State, and local human resources management laws, rules and regulations.

        Interpret, explain, and administer City Personnel Policies

       Continually analyze and update policies to include developing and presenting new policies and initiating policy updates for Commission approval.

       Review and analyze trends, legislation, case law, and related employment related information to assure compliance and best practices at the City. 

Supervision Received: 

This position reports to the City Manager.

Supervision Exercised:

This position supervises 3.0 FTE:  Human Resources Generalist, Human Resources Specialist, and Human Resources Administrative Assistant.

The specific statements shown in each section of this position description are not intended to be all inclusive.  They represent typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully.  

Requirements

Essential Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Related to this Position:

Knowledge of:

        Montana and Federal employment laws to include, but not limited to, the Montana Wrongful Discharge in Employment Act, Montana Safety Culture Act, Equal Employment Opportunity provisions, American with Disabilities Act law, Fair Labor Standards Act, state and national public employer laws.

        Principles of supervision, management, motivation and leadership. 

        Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation and coordination of people and resources.

        Operational characteristics, services, and activities of a human resources program.

        Principles and employment record keeping and reporting.

        Principles and practices of collective bargaining and labor relations.

        Techniques of recruiting, interviewing, and selecting applicants for employment.

        Wage and salary/benefit administration principles and practices.

        Principles for job evaluation and analysis.

        Principles and methods of training and education.

        Principles of mathematical and statistical computations.

        Strategic planning and organizational development.

Skill or ability to:

        Contribute to a culture that fosters collaboration and sets vision for a healthy and productive workplace culture. 

        Offer critical thinking to adequately identify relevant issues and use good judgement to offer sound solutions.

        Inspire and achieve change management to include behavior modification.

        Establish and maintain trust and integrity. 

        Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment.

        Manage and coordinate the work of technical and clerical personnel.

        Select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff.

        Understand the organization and operation of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.

        Prepare and administer budgets.

        Interpret and apply the policies, procedures, laws, and regulations pertaining to assigned programs and functions.

        Identify and resolve sensitive and complex employee relations’ problems.

        Compile and maintain complex and extensive records and prepare reports.

        Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and data.

        Prepare and maintain accurate and complete records.

        Prepare clear and concise administrative reports.

        Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.

        Establish, maintain, and foster positive and harmonious working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Physical Demands:

Ability to work in a standard office environment.

Safety

Performs all functions in the safest possible manner and according to policies and procedures. Participates fully with safety trainings. Reports unsafe work conditions and practices, work-related injuries, illnesses, and near-misses as soon as possible to assigned supervisor. 

Minimum Qualifications (Education, Experience and Training):

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, management or related field from an accredited college or university. A master’s degree in a related area is preferred but not required. The position also requires six years of progressively responsible experience in human resources leadership and management, preferably working in a government setting, with four years of management and supervisory experience. Other relevant combinations of education and work experience may be evaluated on an individual basis.

License or Certificate:

Human Resources professional certification, such as SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.