What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Personnel Services position at County Of Maui?
Appointed Position
The Director of Personnel Services is appointed by the Civil Service Commission.
The Director plans, organizes, directs, and coordinates the County of Maui’s (County) comprehensive personnel management program and is the head of the Department of Personnel Services (DPS). DPS has a Director, Deputy Director, and 23 employees. The County utilizes Workday for its Human Resources Information System (HRIS).
The County of Maui is unique in that it consists of the three (3) inhabited islands of Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i. The County is comprised of 23 departments and one agency and provides a broad range of municipal services, including public safety (police, fire, emergency management, prosecuting attorney, and liquor control), sanitation, social services, culture and recreation, transportation, planning and zoning, and the construction and maintenance of County highways and streets.
The County currently has approximately 3215 (2956 regular employees and 259 seasonal employees). Most of the workforce is part of the Civil Service under HRS Ch. 76 and included in a union bargaining unit (BU), each with its own collective bargaining agreement (CBA):
- BU 1 - Nonsupervisory employees in blue collar positions (Union – UPW)
- BU 2 - Supervisory employees in blue collar positions (Union – HGEA)
- BU 3 - Nonsupervisory employees in white collar position (Union – HGEA)
- BU 4 - Supervisory employees in white collar positions (Union – HGEA)
- BU 11- Firefighters (Union – HFFA)
- BU 12 - Police officers (Union – SHOPO)
- BU 13 - Professional and scientific employees, who cannot be included in any of the other bargaining units (Union – HGEA)
- BU 15 - State and county ocean safety and water safety officers (Union – HGEA)
HRS Pursuant to HRS 76-12 sets forth the general powers and duties of the Director of Personnel Services, and states that the Director shall:
- Represent the public interest in the improvement of human resources administration in the civil service;
- Assist in fostering the interest of institutions of learning and civic, professional, and employee organizations in the improvement of human resources standards in civil service;
- Advise the chief executive on policies and problems concerning the human resources program;
- Make investigations concerning the administration of human resources policies in the civil service, including any matter respecting the enforcement or effect of this chapter or the rules adopted thereunder, or the action or failure to act of any officer or employee with respect thereto;
Pursuant to HRS § 76-13 sets forth the specific duties and powers of the Director of Personnel Services, and states that the Director shall:
- Direct and supervise all the administrative and technical activities of the director’s department;
- Establish and maintain a roster of all persons in civil service;
- Appoint employees necessary to assist the director in the proper performance of the director’s duties and for which appropriations shall have been made;
- Foster and develop, in cooperation with appointing authorities and others, programs for the improvement of employee efficiency;
- Cooperate fully with appointing authorities, giving full recognition to their requirements and needs, in the administration of this chapter to promote public service by establishing conditions of service that will attract and retain employees of character and capability, and to increase efficiency and productivity in governmental departments by continuously improving methods of human resources administration and maximizing the use of advanced technology;
- Encourage and exercise leadership in the development of effective human resources administration within the several departments and make available the facilities of the director’s department to this end;
- Investigate from time to time the operation and effect of this chapter and the rules adopted thereunder;
- Develop and maintain classification systems;
- Make recommendations and advise the chief executive on appropriate adjustments for employees excluded from collective bargaining as authorized under chapter 89C;
- Perform any other lawful acts deemed by the director to be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes and provisions of this chapter.
- Pursuant to HRS § 76-75 and Maui County Charter Section 8-9.2, the Director shall, at the time of the Director’s appointment, and thereafter be thoroughly familiar with the principles and methods of personnel administration and shall believe in applying merit principles and scientific administrative methods to public personnel administration.
- Be a citizen of the United States (HRS § 78-1)
- Be a resident of the State of Hawaii for at least one year immediately preceding the appointment, provided that the foregoing one year residency requirement may be waived by the appointing authority when the appointive officer is required to have highly specialized or scientific knowledge and training and a qualified applicant who is a resident for at least one year is not available to fill the position. (HRS § 78-1(b))
Preferred Leadership Competencies
- Strategic, forward-looking leadership — the ability to anticipate workforce and labor relations challenges across County departments and proactively shape policy and practice;
- Demonstrated ability to build trust and drive consistency across labor and management, including multiple bargaining units and a diverse, multi-departmental workforce;
- Commitment to developing HR capacity countywide, including assisting department-level personnel liaisons and strengthening consistency in policy application across departments;
- Forward-looking approach to modernizing classification systems and personnel administration methods, consistent with HRS Ch. 76 and other applicable laws;
- Clear, credible communication with employees, union representatives, County leadership, and the public;
- Sound, defensible judgment in personnel matters, with the ability to balance public accountability, merit principles, and operational needs.
Additional Preferred Qualifications
Basic Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, human resources, industrial relations, or a closely related field.
- General Experience: Five (5) years progressively responsible professional analytical work experience in human resources administration.
- Specialized Administrative Experience: Three (3) years of general experience must have been in an administrative, managerial, or supervisory capacity overseeing multiple HR functional areas (e.g., recruitment, labor relations, or classification) in a civil service framework or unionized environment.
- Substitutions Allowed: A master’s degree in human resources, public administration or a related field may substitute for one (1) year of non-administrative general experience. No substitution is permitted for the specialized administrative requirement.
- possess a current, valid motor vehicle operator’s license to drive in the State of Hawaii.
Salary
The salary for the Director of Personnel Services is established by the Salary Commission. The Salary Commission has set an annual salary of $192,458 for the Director of Personnel Services.
How to Apply
- Interested candidates should submit:
- Resume;
- Position-specific cover letter; and
- DPS Director Candidate Questionnaire - Please click the item name to open the linked document.
- Submit application materials by email only to: DPSDirRecruitment@mauicounty.gov or DPSDirRecruitment@co.maui.hi.us.
- Deadline for application: July 31, 2026 at 4:30 PM Hawaii Standard Time
- For any questions relating to this recruitment, contact the Department of Management at DPSDirRecruitment@mauicounty.gov; or DPSDirRecruitment@co.maui.hi.us.
Selection Process
The recruitment and selection process for the position of Director of Personnel Services will be conducted in the following phases:
Step 1 – Application Submission Period
July 2, 2026 – July 31, 2026
Interested candidates must submit the following required application materials:
- Resume;
- Position-specific cover letter; and
- DPS Director Candidate Questionnaire.
- DPSDirRecruitment@mauicounty.gov; or
- DPSDirRecruitment@co.maui.hi.us.
Applications received after the deadline or missing required documents may not be considered. The Commission may request additional documentation throughout this process.
Step 2 – Qualification Screening and Merit-Based Ranking
August 1, 2026 – August 4, 2026
At the CSC regular meeting on August 5, 2026, the TIG will present its findings and recommendations regarding candidate qualifications and rankings.
At the CSC special meeting on August 12, 2026, the Commission will deliberate and take action on TIG recommendations regarding the final candidates and interview process.
Step 3 – Leader’s Intent and Reference Questionnaire Submission
Deadline: August 19, 2026 (date subject to change)
- Candidates advancing to the final phase of consideration will have their interviews confirmed and will be provided specifications for a written Leader’s Intent Statement specific to the position of Director of Personnel Services.
- DPS Director Candidate Reference Questionnaire will also be due.
- The Leader’s Intent Statement and Reference Questionnaire must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. HST on August 19, 2026.
Step 4 – Candidate Interviews and Deliberations
August 24, 2026 – August 28, 2026- Dates subject to change
Candidate interviews will be scheduled.
Additional commission meeting may be scheduled on August 31, 2026 (date subject to change)
Step 5 – Final Selection and Conditional Offer of Employment
September 9, 2026
Following completion of interviews and deliberations, the Civil Service Commission will make its final selection and extend a conditional offer of employment to the selected candidate, subject to any required pre-employment/post-offer reviews, approvals, and conditions established by applicable law, rule, or policy.
Please note: This is a non-civil service position appointed by the Civil Service Commission. Accordingly, this recruitment is being administered on an open-competitive basis to establish an eligible list that shall be effective for not more than one year unless extended by the Civil Service Commission. The standard footer below does not apply to this recruitment.