DEPUTY DIRECTOR - HUMAN RESOURCES

Job Description:

DEPUTY DIRECTOR - HUMAN RESOURCES

Description

DESCRIPTION

See the full recruitment brochure & benefits here: Creative Brochure LB DHR

THE COMMUNITY

Idyllically located on the Pacific Coast just south of Los Angeles and adjacent to Orange County, Long Beach is a vibrant city of approximately 450K residents. Known for its diverse and inclusive community, Long Beach features a unique blend of urban sophistication, cultural richness, and coastal charm. The City encompasses about 51 square miles, offering an array of parks, beaches, and recreational opportunities. Residents enjoy mild climate year-round perfect for outdoor activities such as biking, running, water sports, and much more. Long Beach is home to world-class attractions including the Aquarium of the Pacific, the historic Queen Mary, and the annual IndyCar Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. Long Beach will be the largest venue city for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Long Beach also boasts a thriving economy supported by industries such as aerospace, education, health services, manufacturing, tourism and professional services. With two advanced educational institutions, California State University Long Beach and Long Beach City College, and robust K-12 schools, the City is a hub for learning and innovation. Transportation options abound. The Long Beach and Metro transit systems along with the City’s own airport provide convenient access throughout the broader Southern California region. Long Beach is recognized as one of the nation’s most walkable and bike-friendly cities.

THE CITY GOVERNMENT

Long Beach operates as a charter city governed by an elected Mayor and nine City Council members elected by district. The City Manager, appointed by the Mayor and City Council, oversees the daily operations of 15 departments and a proposed Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) annual budget of $3.7B. The City employs over 6K full-time and part-time staff; dedicated to providing exceptional public services with the vast majority being represented by eleven employee associations. The City of Long Beach fosters an environment where every employee is celebrated for their individuality and unique talents they bring to their role. Reflecting the diversity of the community within the workforce is a key priority embraced at every level of the organization, from management to policy creation. City Leadership actively promotes equity and inclusion by partnering with staff and community stakeholders to advance fairness in all initiatives. Transparency remains a cornerstone of these efforts with demographic data, including workforce diversity and pay equity by race and gender, shared publicly to ensure accountability and progress.

THE DEPARTMENT & BUREAU

The City’s Human Resources Department (Department), led by the Director, plays a critical role in advancing the City’s mission by attracting, developing, and retaining a talented and diverse workforce. As a comprehensive internal services department supporting more than 6K employees across a full-service municipal enterprise, the Department delivers integrated workforce, risk management, safety, labor relations, talent acquisition, benefits, organizational development, and HR systems services Citywide. With a FY26 operating budget of approximately $52.9M and 119 authorized positions, the Department ensures alignment with strategic objectives and community needs while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and high performance. Following voter approval of Measure JB in November 2024 and the successful merger of the former Civil Service and Human Resources Departments in FY2025, the newly unified Department is now structured around eight (8) Bureaus: (1) Administration, (2) Personnel Operations, (3) Talent Management, (4) Systems Management, (5) Labor Relations, (6) Risk Management, (7) Safety, and (8) Equal Employment Opportunity. These reform efforts modernized the City’s personnel framework and created a more cohesive and operationally aligned service model.

Today, recruitment, classification and compensation, labor relations, employee relations, risk management, safety, benefits, return-to-work coordination, HR systems, and organizational development are centralized within a single integrated department, strengthening consistency, responsiveness, and service delivery across all City departments. As the Department continues to stabilize following the merger and advance citywide modernization initiatives, including automation of HR services, business process re-engineering, HR SaaS implementation, and policy modernization, operational excellence, cross-bureau collaboration, and consistent, proactive service delivery remain central priorities.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

THE POSITION & IDEAL CANDIDATE

The Deputy Human Resources Director (Deputy) reports directly to the Director of Human Resources and serves as the Department’s operational executive leader. This role is designed to anchor day-to-day operations across all Bureaus and citywide, ensuring services are aligned, responsive, accountable, and consistently delivered at a high standard. A strong partnership between the Director and Deputy is essential. The Deputy must complement the Director’s skillset and operate as a cohesive leadership team, serving as both trusted thought partner and execution-focused leader. While the Director sets strategic direction, the Deputy translates vision into operational systems, performance standards, and measurable outcomes. Overseeing eight (8) direct and 108 indirect reports, the Deputy works across Bureaus to strengthen collaboration, eliminate silos, and elevate service delivery. In close partnership with the Director, this role also supports oversight of the Department’s FY26 budget of approximately $52.9M, ensuring operational priorities are aligned with fiscal stewardship and organizational goals. Key responsibilities include: Driving operational performance and accountability Reinforcing consistent, timely, and solution-oriented service Advancing process improvements, automation efforts, and ERP readiness Supporting policy modernization and post-merger cultural stabilization The ideal candidate is an experienced public-sector HR leader with a strong operational mindset and executive presence. This individual demonstrates sound judgment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build trust across diverse teams and stakeholder groups. A collaborative leadership style, coaching mentality, and commitment to professional development are essential. The City seeks a confident, solutions-oriented leader who communicates clearly, holds others accountable with respect, and fosters a culture grounded in partnership, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Driving operational performance and accountability
  
• Reinforcing consistent, timely, and solution-oriented service
  
• Advancing process improvements, automation efforts, and ERP readiness
  
• Supporting policy modernization and post-merger cultural stabilization
  

REQUIREMENTS TO FILE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university human resources, business administration, public administration, labor relations, or related field.
• Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of increasingly responsible full-time paid professional experience in human resources with at least three (3) years of experience at the management level.

DESIRED BUT NOT REQUIRED

• Local government experience; Master’s degree

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Professional experience beyond the minimum qualifications may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

An annual salary of $188,717 - $229,523 DOE/DOQ, plus a generous benefits package that includes:

• Retirement: California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) defined benefit retirement plan, which is coordinated with Social Security. 2.5% @55 for "Classic" members and 2% @62 for new members as defined by PEPRA. Subject to employee contribution. Both the City and the employee contributes toward CalPERS retirement contributions. The City also participates in Social Security.
• Health and Dental Insurance: City pays a major portion of the premiums.
• Life Insurance: Equal to three (3) times annual salary up to a maximum of $500,000.
• Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Management Physical: Annual City-paid physical examination.
• Vacation: 12 days per year, increasing with years of service. Prior years of public sector service counted towards vacation accrual tier
• Executive Leave: 40 hours per year. City Manager has discretion to grant an additional 40 hours annually
• Sick Leave: One day earned per month; unlimited accumulation; conversion upon retirement to cash credit toward health and/or dental insurance premiums.
• Holidays: 11 designated holidays per year, plus four personal holidays.
• Transportation Allowance: $550 per month.
• Deferred Compensation: 457 Deferred Compensation Plan; 401(a) plan with City contribution of 2% (Classic) or 4% (PEPRA; will increase to 5% October 2025)
• Optional Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule: Available (subject to City Manager approval).
• Paid Parental Leave: After 6 months of City employment; up to 30 calendar days (160 hours) of PPL, taken in full-day increments, in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child, up to the age of 17.
• Negotiable relocation assistance
• Recruitment Incentive of up to $6,000: $1,000 at time of hire; $2,000 after 6-months of service (1,044 hours worked); $3,000 after 18-months of service (3,132 hours worked)

SELECTION PROCEDURE

HOW TO APPLY: For consideration, apply by April 6 th , at: https://tristargov.applicantpool.com/jobs/1287266

SAVE THE DATES: Interviews have been firmly scheduled to take place in-person on May 7 th and 8th. Candidates must be available for all day for both interview dates.

QUESTIONS? Please contact your recruiter, Sam Sackman, with any questions:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.tristargovsolutions.com
• Phone: 408-605-0790

Employee Benefits

The City of Long Beach offers its employees opportunities to grow personally and professionally. As a permanent employee, you are eligible to receive fringe benefits that include:

• Retirement: California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) defined benefit retirement plan, which is coordinated with Social Security. The benefit is 2.5% @55 for "Classic" members and 2%@62 for new members as defined by PEPRA. Subject to employee contribution. Both the City and the employee contributes toward CalPERS retirement contributions. The city also participates in Social Security.
• Health and Dental Insurance: The City offers the choice of HMO and PPO plans. The city pays major portion of the premium for employee and dependents depending on the health/ dental plan selected.
• Life Insurance: City-paid term life insurance policy equal to three (3) times annual salary to a maximum of $500,000.
• Disability Insurance: City-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Management Physical: Annual City-paid physical examination.
• Vacation: Twelve (12) vacation days after the first year of service; 15 days after four years, six months of service; 20 days after 19 years, six months of service.
• Executive Leave: Forty (40) hours Executive Leave per year. The City Manager has discretion to grant an additional 40 hours each year.
• Sick Leave: One day earned per month; unlimited accumulation; conversion upon retirement to cash credit toward health and/or dental insurance premiums, or to pension credits.
• Holidays: Eleven (11) designated holidays per year, plus four personal holidays to be used at the employee's discretion.
• Transportation Allowance: Monthly allowance is allocated by classifications below;
  • Department Head $650.00
  • Deputy Director/Manager $550.00
  • Chief of Staff / Administrator / Principal DCA: $450.00
  • Executive Support Staff: $300.00
• Deferred Compensation Plan: Optional for employee contribution to a supplementary retirement savings program available through Mission Square Retirement formerly ICMA-RC Retirement Corporation). City contributes 1% of employee's base pay to the employee's 401(a) plan; effective September 30, 2022, the City will contribute 2% of employee's base pay to the employee's 401(a) account. Employees may opt to contribute up to the IRS annual limits as well.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA): Optional election for employees to reduce taxable income for payment of allowable childcare or medical expenses.
• Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule: Available (subject to City Manager approval).
• Paid Parental Leave: After six (6) months of City employment; up to 30 calendar days (160 hours) of PPL, taken in full-day increments, in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child, up to the age of seventeen (17).

Management positions - Refer to the Job Posting brochure included in the job posting.

Closing Date/Time: 4/6/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$188,717.00 - $229,523.00 Annually