Talent Acquisition and Training Lead

Come for the pizza. Stay for the opportunity. Come work for New Haven!

APPLY DIRECTLY HERE: Employment Opportunities - City of New Haven - Online Employment Center

Are you an experienced Human Resources professional who enjoys solving problems, developing people, and finding better ways to attract and support a talented workforce? The City of New Haven is seeking a Talent Acquisition and Training Lead to join our Human Resources team in a dynamic, hands-on role that extends well beyond traditional recruitment.

This position works across a broad range of HR functions, including talent acquisition, Civil Service recruitment and testing, job analysis and classification, employee training and development, employee relations, workplace investigations, and manager coaching. The successful candidate will be a resourceful and adaptable HR professional who can independently manage complex assignments, build effective partnerships, apply sound judgment, and develop practical, cost-conscious solutions in a fast-paced public-sector environment.

We are looking for someone who brings substantial professional HR experience, strong communication and relationship-building skills, and an interest in using data, technology, and evolving HR practices to improve how we recruit, develop, and support the City's workforce.

PRIMARY FUNCTIONS

This is professional level work in the administration and operation of human resource management programs critical to the fulfillment of departmental goals and objectives. Incumbent will be expected to perform or manage functions and/or activities of a variety of specialty areas including but not limited to administering compliance programs, training, recruitment, merit system testing, classification, investigations, and other human resource related programs as the department determines important to implement based on industry trends and forecasted priorities.

Work is performed under the general supervision of the Manager of HR and Benefits and the Personnel Director and is often performed independently requiring effective judgment and reference to policy, law, or precedent.

TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Independently plans, prioritizes, and implements both long- and short-term projects in the areas assigned.
• Responsible for Recruitment, Screening, and Testing functions across a variety of industries with a full understanding of how to attract and retain top talent within the confines of Civil Service.
• Plans or assists in developing processes to attract qualified and diverse applicant pools using existing, new, and creative sources of recruitment. This includes attending career fairs and creating and developing partnerships with City organizations and educational institutions.
• Prepares and coordinates conditional employment offers and related hiring documentation; communicates offer terms and pre-employment requirements to selected candidates and works with departments to facilitate the hiring and onboarding process.
• Conducts job analyses and reviews position duties, responsibilities, organizational relationships, and qualification requirements to support classification and recruitment activities.
• Develops, reviews, and revises job descriptions and class specifications in consultation with departments to accurately reflect assigned duties, minimum qualifications, knowledge and skills, and organizational needs.
• Develops and administers merit-based Civil Service examinations and selection processes, including examination development, assessment methods, scoring criteria, administration, and evaluation of results.
• Provides information to City departments concerning established departmental practices, procedures, or policies as it relates to the City’s hiring process.
• Advocates for and creates policies, practices and systems which help attract and retain talent to support City priorities.
• Creates and/or executes employee development and training programs.
• Works with managers to coach and drive staff performance.
• Works with managers and employees on policy interpretation, managing conflict, optimizing performance and in ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and local laws.
• Performs investigations related to workplace complaints; documents findings; recommends appropriate actions and executes thereafter.
• Serves as the day-to-day liaison with the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) including conflict resolution and critical incident response.
• Reviews and responds to Unemployment Claims, participates in hearings as needed to represent the best interests of the City. Follows up with departments to ensure Letters of Assurance are issued annually (e.g. In Spring to ten-month employees)
• Participates in community outreach and engagement efforts to enhance the organization's reputation as a leader in hiring and contribute positively to the wider community.
• Maintains confidentiality with information and/or documents processed, handled, or stored by the department.
• Performs related work as required.

EDUCATION, QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Graduation from a four year college or university with major course work in Public Administration, Psychology, Industrial Relations, or a closely related field.
• A minimum of seven years’ business experience in increasingly responsible HR work with experience including but not limited to designing and leading recruitment strategies, employee training and development, employee relations, manager coaching and experience managing conflict.
• HR experience must be in a large-scale / multi-unit environment. (e.g. more than 50 employees and multiple locations/divisions)
• In lieu of college degree, an additional four years of related work experience may be considered.
• PHR, SPHR, IPMA-CP or IPMA-CS certification preferred

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Knowledge of and ability to apply the principles, concepts, laws, and professional standards and practices of modern public HR administration.
• Knowledge of Federal and State laws relevant to employment matters.
• Knowledge of recruitment and selection principles, best practices, and procedures.
• Knowledge of employment practices related to diversity, equity and inclusion, with demonstrated cultural competence and the ability to work effectively and sensitively in a diverse community.
• Ability to interpret and implement collective bargaining unit contracts in a unionized environment.
• Ability to keep abreast of emerging industry trends, benchmarks, and best practices.
• Ability to plan and administer recruitment, screening, selection, and testing activities in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Ability to develop recruitment strategies and outreach initiatives designed to attract qualified and diverse applicant pools.
• Ability to design and deliver formal and informal employee training and development programs.
• Ability to assess training and development needs and develop appropriate learning programs, materials, and delivery methods.
• Ability to develop and administer job-related Civil Service examinations and other selection instruments and to establish appropriate evaluation and scoring criteria.
• Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret workforce, recruitment, and training data to evaluate outcomes and support program improvements.
• Ability to analyze problems, evaluate relevant information, and determine effective solutions.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality in assisting and advising City employees and management.
• Considerable verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with varied audiences.
• Public speaking and presentation skills sufficient to present to groups, facilitate discussions and training, and support stakeholder engagement activities.
• Considerable interpersonal and interviewing skills.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, department heads, employees and their representatives, professional groups, and the public.
• Ability to work independently, remain adaptable and resilient in a fast-paced environment, effectively managing changing priorities, competing demands, setbacks, and time-sensitive responsibilities.
• Ability to identify and implement practical, cost-effective solutions that improve efficiency, service delivery, and organizational outcomes while making effective use of available resources.
• Ability to assign and direct the work of clerical, part-time, and/or support personnel.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications sufficient to create documents, reports, and spreadsheets and maintain databases and records.
• Competency in using email clients (e.g., Outlook, Gmail), calendar applications, and collaboration tools (e.g. Teams, Zoom) for scheduling, managing correspondence, and participating in remote meetings.
• Knowledge of current and emerging technologies used in human resources administration, recruitment, selection, training, and workforce management, and the ability to evaluate and effectively apply technology to improve HR processes and services.