City of Portsmouth, VA Jobs Hiring Now

Under general supervision, this position is responsible for providing a full range of support to assigned departments in various human resources functional areas such as benefit administration, talent acquisition, employee relations, classification & compensation, performance management, and workforce development. Reports to Director of Human Resource Management or designee.

Manages, organizes, and maintains all aspects of employee benefit program, to include, but not limited to: health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, flexible spending account, health spending account, legal plan, deferred compensation, Virginia Retirement System, basic and voluntary life insurance, and fitness plan.

Partners with insurance providers to plan, coordinate, and implement benefit open enrollment. Performs research to identify and ensure optimal comprehensive plans as offerings. Serves as intermediary between insurance providers and employees.

Updates and maintains enrollments and terminations and performs COBRA administration. Responds to inquiries regarding the city’s health insurance plans.

Functions as a strategic partner to assigned departments by providing guidance and assistance in the areas of recruitment and selection, employee relations, performance management, classification and compensation; reviews personnel actions and provides recommendations to ensure consistent application of human resources policies and procedures.

Manages employee complaints and works with departments to secure an effective resolution; counsels supervisors and managers on employee coaching and developing performance standards; develops and conducts employee relations training in all aspects of workforce development.

Coordinates recruitment and employment activities by developing recruitment strategies, conducting job analysis, revising job descriptions, screening and evaluating applicant qualifications, developing or reviewing interview questions; participates on interview panels; attends career fairs, develops and maintains relationships with employment agencies, universities and other recruitment sources.

Responsible for reviewing reclassification requests; performs salary analysis; establishes job requirements and standards; develops job descriptions and recommends appropriate classification and placement of jobs; conducts and responds to salary surveys as appropriate.

Develops and conducts training and educational programs for all levels of employees to include new employee and supervisors’ orientation and other professional development trainings; serves on project teams, and conducts exit interviews.

Knowledge of Job: Has considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of human resources and benefits. Have considerable knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, rules and regulations governing human resource administration. Has considerable knowledge of the city's organization and operational policies and procedures. Has considerable knowledge of human resource and management principles, practices and techniques as they relate to benefit administration, talent acquisition and management, employment law, employee relations, and related personnel and management functions and services. Has considerable knowledge of organization, functions and programs of municipal government. Has considerable skill in the collection and analysis descriptive data and report writing. Has experience working with computers. Has considerable knowledge of the current literature, trends and developments in the fields of human resource administration and employment law. Is able to exercise tact and courtesy in frequent contact with employees, staff and citizens. Is able to understand and follow oral and written instructions. Is able to explain orally and in writing Human Resource Management policy and procedures to individuals or groups. Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments

Quality of Work: Maintains high-standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication and interacts within department and division, and with co- workers and the public.

Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under "Essential Job Functions."

Dependability: Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, administrative policies, standards and prescribed procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.

Attendance: Attends work regularly and adheres to city policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time-off requests.

Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities. Strives to anticipate work to be done and initiates proper and acceptable direction for completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.

Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors. Seeks expert or experienced advice and researches problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.

Cooperation: Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of it. Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, i.e., poor communications, variance with city policy or procedures, etc. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons within the department.

Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees, staffers and managers in other departments, representatives from organizations, and the public to maintain good will toward the department and project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons to maintain good will within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees of all levels and the public.

Coordination of Work: Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establish a personal schedule accordingly. Attends meetings, planning sessions and discussions on time. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines and events.

Safety and Housekeeping: Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the city and various regulatory agencies. Sees that the standards are not violated. Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.

Planning: Plans, directs and uses information effectively to enhance activities and production of the department. Knows and understands the expectations of the city regarding the activities of the division and works to see that these expectations are met. Designs and formulates ways, means and timing to achieve the goals and objectives of the department and the division. Within the constraints of city policy, formulates the appropriate strategy and tactics for achieving departmental and city objectives.

Organizing: Organizes work and that of subordinate staff well. Ensures that staff members know what results are expected of them and that they are regularly and appropriately informed of all city and department matters affecting them and/or of concern to them.

Staffing: Works with other city officials and management to select and recommend employment of personnel for the department and city who are qualified both technically and philosophically to meet the needs of the department and the city. Personally, directs the development and training of division personnel to ensure that they are properly inducted, oriented and trained.

Decision-Making: Uses discretion and judgment in developing and implementing courses of action affecting the department. When a policy, procedure or strategy does not appear to be achieving the desired result, moves decisively and definitively to develop and implement alternatives.

Creativity: Regularly seeks new and improved methodologies, policies and procedures for enhancing the effectiveness of the department. Employs imagination and creativity in the application of duties and responsibilities. Is not averse to change.

Policy Implementation: Has a clear and comprehensive understanding of city policies regarding the department and city function. Adheres to those policies in the discharge of duties and responsibilities and ensures the same from subordinate staff.

Policy Formulation: Keeps abreast of changes in operating philosophies and policies of the city and continually reviews division policies to ensure that any changes in city philosophy or practice are appropriately incorporated. Also understands the relationship between operating policies and practices and department morale and performance. Works to see that established policies enhance it.

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resource Management, or related field with 3 to 5 years of related professional human resource management experience or any equivalent combination of education and experience. Professional certification or designation preferred.

An acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check.

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including a word processor, copier, calculator etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are those for Sedentary Work.

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or compositional characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communication: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants; and receiving instructions, assignments or directions from superiors.

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of reports, surveys, memos, forms, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, forms, and statistical analyses. Requires the ability to prepare EEO reports using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence.

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems; to deal with nonverbal symbolism in its most difficult phases; to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables; to comprehend the most abstruse classes of concepts.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in standard college-level English.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; interpret graphs and compute percentages and ratios, etc. and apply the theories of descriptive statistics.

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment and various hand tools.

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

Color Discrimination: Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations.

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone.