Human Resources Director

JOB TITLE: Human Resources Director

AGENCY: City of Tulare

LOCATION: Tulare, CA

FILING DEADLINE:  July 28, 2025

SALARY RANGE:  $135,942.60 - $165,238.92

THE POSITION

Reporting to the Assistant City Manager, the Human Resources Director plans, organizes, manages, continuously improves, and provides administrative direction and oversight for the City’s human resources functions including labor relations, learning and development, recruitment, classification and compensation, benefits administration, employee performance evaluation, employee engagement and recognition, safety and regulatory compliance, and risk management, including the City’s insurance, loss control and benefits programs. The Director supervises a team of four and also serves as an individual contributor.

Essential functions include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Develop, direct, and coordinate the implementation of goals, objectives, policies, and procedures.
• Manage and participate in the development and administration of the department’s budget, including forecasting of funds needed for staffing and operations.
• Responsible for the overall quality of the department’s service by developing, reviewing, and implementing policies and procedures to meet legal requirements and City needs.
• Lead the work of staff, directly or through subordinate levels of supervision.
• Direct, plan, and manage the administration of the risk management program including workers’ compensation, employee benefits, general liability, loss control and property insurance, and claims.
• Direct the City’s health and safe work environment programs to ensure regulatory compliance, and mitigation of risk.
• Participate on the City’s leadership team; assist in decision making and policy advice to the City Manager and department heads.
• Develop and implement modern recruitment, testing, and selection processes.
• Perform or direct the performance of job analysis and classification studies, conduct compensation studies, and develop compensation and benefit strategies.
• Clarify, interpret, ensure compliance with, and suggest changes to Personnel Rules and Regulations, City policies and procedures, Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), and other pertinent rules and regulations. Participate in labor relations and negotiations.
• Administer the City’s benefit plans. Serve as liaison with benefit carriers, serve on and insurance benefits committee.
• Perform special projects and other duties as assigned.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is energetic, flexible, and collaborative. The ideal candidate is a problem solver who also has the necessary interpersonal skills to quickly build and maintain positive working relationships with staff, department heads, labor representatives, and elected officials. The ideal candidate is solutions-oriented and possesses the ability to adapt to changing and competing priorities. Experience with core human resources functions is imperative, including a solid background in public sector budget development, policy development and administration, process improvements, labor relations and negotiations, and employee learning and development. In addition to human resources acumen, the Director has a strong working knowledge of public policy, municipal functions and activities, including the role of an elected City Council. The City’s next Human Resources Director will be creative and people centric as they continue to build on the current culture of high performance and stability, while bringing innovative programming in this post pandemic organizational structure, providing expert guidance around recruitment initiatives and succession planning, benefits’ plans, risk management, classification and compensation, and overall staff support.

Key Attributes and Characteristics

The ideal candidate…

• Can demonstrate superb leadership skills.
• Comfortably navigates uncertainty.
• Is approachable, with a positive and calm demeanor.
• Has attention to detail and can articulate concepts and ideas clearly and directly.
• Skillfully handles public speaking.
• Listens more than they speak.
• Is politically astute and understands political implications, while remaining apolitical, and knows when to escalate items.
• Champions staff mentoring and professional development.
• Is adaptable and creative and looks at situations from all perspectives to assess and improve efficiencies and implement best practices.
• Shows emotional intelligence and easily works and communicates with various intelligences, work styles, and personalities.
• Collaborates and focuses on innovative solutions.

THE COMMUNITY

The City of Tulare is an exceptional, family-oriented community with a population of 73,908, situated in the Central San Joaquin Valley along Highway 99, just 47 miles south of Fresno and 64 miles north of Bakersfield. Our mid-state location benefits businesses needing same-day access to key California markets as well as residents seeking recreational opportunities in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east and the spectacular California coastline to the west.

For more details about this opportunity, please visit the job brochure at: https://koffassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Rev3-Tulare-HRD.pdf

To be considered, please submit a resume, cover letter, and five work related references (who will not be contacted in the early stages of the recruitment) to: https://koffassociates.com/tulare-hr-director/. Resumes should reflect years and months of positions held.

For additional information, please contact:

Frank Rojas

(510) 495-0448

[email protected]

Website: https://koffassociates.com/