HR Director

Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District

Director of HR

The Community

Vallejo Flood & Wastewater District (District) serves the City of Vallejo and unincorporated areas of Vallejo.  The District serves a population of more than 120,000 and is situated near major metropolitan cities such as San Francisco and the State capital of Sacramento.  The area boasts a diverse community with a wealth of history, culture, attractions, and events.  Residents enjoy a multitude of outdoor and recreational activities as well as the historic downtown and waterfront, shopping, and restaurants.

The District is committed to the community they serve.  Each year, employees spend countless hours giving back to the community through charity, education, and simply lending a hand when needed.

The Organization

The District’s mission is to provide quality wastewater and flood control services to the Vallejo community in order to protect the public’s health, safety and the environment. The District is an independent special district created by the State of California in 1952 governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees.

The District employs approximately 88 full time employees working in Administration, Engineering, Environmental Services, Finance, Field Operations, Human Resources, Plant Operations & Maintenance, and Safety/Risk Management.

The fiscal year 2018-19 operating budget is approximately $46.9 million and the capital budget is $13.7 million.  The District’s fund structure is comprised of three enterprise activities: wastewater, storm water, and upper lateral program.  The District continues to be financially stable and has the necessary resources to achieve its goals.

The District encourages a culture of collaborative intra- and interdepartmental partnerships. The development of strong relationships between all levels of staff, as well as with the District’s customers and community, is highly valued.

The current management team is a well-established group of professionals eager to enhance each other’s performance to ensure the best possible service to the community. The Human Resources Department is looking for leadership to strengthen their service to the organization.

The HR Department

The HR Department assists the District Manager in the administration of District personnel, employee development, recruitment, classification, and employee relations. The HR Director’s functions include:

• Analysis, interpretation, and application of HR laws, regulations, and rules.
• Manage position classification and compensation studies; maintain and update job descriptions; conduct salary surveys and recommend appropriate salary ranges; conduct recruitments including testing, oversee performance management, and assist as applicable with coaching and corrective action plans.
• Advise, assist and investigate, where applicable, personnel and employee relation issues, concerns, and problems, including grievances and disciplinary actions.
• Procures and administers employee benefit programs, and monitors benefit program rates, coverage levels, industry trends, cost, and quality.

The Position

Under the general direction of the District Manager, the HR Director assists in activities related to the broad function of personnel, including providing day-to-day direction for recruitment and selection, equal employment opportunity, job analysis and classification, compensation and benefits, and employee records maintenance.

Duties may include but are not limited to the following:

• Assists in the development and implementation of human resource objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for the District.
• Consults with and advises District Manager, department heads, and supervisors on specific personnel and employee relations problems, investigates employee relations issues, concerns, and problems.
• Manages the processing of personnel transactions to ensure timely processing and implementation of additions, changes and deletions to the human resources information management system; coordinates the processing of personnel transactions with the Finance Department.
• Directs the new employee orientation program; maintains the District’s personnel files and related records; oversees the enrollment process into the employee benefit program.
• Participates in representing the District in matters of concern to bargaining units with regard to District employees.
• Manages, directs and conducts recruitment, testing and certification program for the District; consults with staff in operating departments to determine staffing needs and develops appropriate staffing plans; develops and maintains recruitment and testing schedule.
• Develops, recommends and maintains HR policies, programs and procedures; amends and interprets District rules, policies, procedures, and Memorandums of Understanding; applies Federal, State and local regulations.
• Administers the District’s leave management programs, negotiates with insurance carriers on rates and coverage; monitors industry trends and recommends strategies to the District Manager dealing with cost and quality.
• Manages, directs and conducts the District’s performance management program; trains and educates managers, supervisors, and employees in conducting performance reviews; consults with managers, supervisors and employees in developing plans for resolving performance issues.
• Manages, directs and conducts classification and compensation studies; reviews position description questionnaires; conducts or supervises desk audits; analyzes and recommends new job classifications, amendments to existing job specifications, reclassifications; conducts salary surveys using appropriate methodologies and recommends appropriate salary ranges.
• Schedules training workshops and assists in preparation of workshops.
• Explores application of new human resources technologies and recommends acquisition when appropriate.
• Prepares department’s annual budget; monitors expenditures; forecasts upcoming costs.
• Conducts investigations into discrimination and other employee complaints; recommends resolutions.

The Ideal Candidate

• Mentors and develops staff to succeed and ensures professional conduct and accountability by all.
• Develops strong relationships with peers and subordinates to build and maintain constructive and collaborative teams, reasonable goals and develops a plan to achieve goals while ensuring routine activities continue productively for themselves and their staff member.
• Shares information to create consensus; works to calm situations, de-escalates issues and mediates conflict.
• Works with Department Heads to achieve District-wide goals and provides guidance and counseling to Department Heads to resolve employee disputes, using a constructive 2-way approach.
• Listens to and achieves understanding in communications with others and expresses him/herself in a clear, constructive manner.
• Maintains confidentiality and exercises judgement in sensitive situations in an objective and constructive manner.

Minimum Qualifications

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices and techniques of personnel assessment and employment testing including, but not limited to, the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures; Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing and other authorities.
• Principles, practices and techniques of position classification and compensation management.
• Principles, practices and techniques and requirements of the Meyers-Millias-Brown and the Ralph M. Brown Acts as they pertain to scope of bargaining and commissions.
• Principles, practices and techniques of program analysis.
• Pertinent Federal, State and local laws, codes and regulations dealing with the employment process.
• Principles, practices and techniques of employee benefit management.
• Principles, practices and techniques of supervision, training, employee evaluation and performance management programs and employee counseling.
• Assist the District Manager in Union negotiation, strategy and practice.

Education Experience and Licenses

• Graduation from an accredited college with a degree in human resources, public or business administration or a related field.
• 10 – 15 years of experience in human resources, with 5 – 10 of those spent in public sector service is desirable.
• 5 – 10 years of experience in supervision and managerial experience, including performance management and accountability.
• Proficiency with business office and financial accounting software applications used in human resources information systems.
• Senior Certified Professional designation through IPMA-HR very desirable.
• Masters in Human Resources is desirable.

Compensation

The salary range is $140,549 – $154,955.42 annually.

Annually, salaries are increased a minimum of 2% based on the CPI for April each year, all employees contribute 2% yearly toward an Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) fund for retirement health benefits.

Benefits

The District offers a generous and competitive benefits package under the management MOU. Details can be found at www.koffassociates.com/jobs in the job announcement for this position.

Important Application Information

To apply for this opportunity, please visit Koff & Associates’ website at www.koffassociates.com/jobs and complete an online application. As an alternative, you can mail the completed application materials to this address:

Koff & Associates

2835 7^th Street

Berkeley, CA 94710

The deadline to apply is November 27, 2017.

The Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District is an equal opportunity employer encouraging workforce diversity.

The information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract, and these provisions are subject to change.