Assistant Director of Human Resources, Office of Human Resources (Posting N129-2627)

POSITION: Assistant Director of Human Resources, Office of Human Resources

REPORTS TO: Executive Director of Human Resources

POSITION SUMMARY: The Assistant Director of Human Resources provides operational leadership for the daily administration of the Human Resources Department. Working under the direction of the Executive Director of Human Resources, the Assistant Director oversees districtwide human resources operations, including staffing, recruitment, onboarding, certification, employee records, HR compliance, customer service, human resources information systems, personnel transactions, and continuous process improvement.

The Assistant Director serves as the Executive Director's chief operational partner, ensuring Human Resources delivers timely, accurate, equitable, and customer-focused services to employees, applicants, school leaders, and district departments. The position also assists with strategic initiatives, workforce planning, organizational development, and implementation of the district's human capital priorities. This role is intentionally operational, enabling the Executive Director to focus on strategic leadership, labor relations, organizational development, Cabinet initiatives, and Board-level responsibilities.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Human Resources Operations

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the daily administration of the Human Resources Department, ensuring that all operational functions are executed efficiently, accurately, and in alignment with district priorities, Board policies, collective bargaining agreements, and applicable federal and state employment laws.
• Oversee the complete lifecycle of personnel administration, including recruitment, selection, onboarding, appointments, transfers, promotions, reassignments, leaves of absence, separations, retirements, and other employment actions, while ensuring timely processing, regulatory compliance, and exceptional customer service to schools and departments.
• Develop, implement, and continuously evaluate department-wide operational systems, standard operating procedures, workflow processes, and internal controls that improve efficiency, strengthen accountability, reduce processing time, and ensure consistency across all Human Resources functions.
• Monitor departmental performance indicators, workload distribution, response times, and service delivery standards while proactively identifying operational challenges, implementing corrective actions, and recommending process improvements that enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Coordinate the work of assigned Human Resources staff by establishing priorities, assigning responsibilities, monitoring progress toward established goals, and ensuring that projects and personnel actions are completed accurately and within established timelines.

Certification, Employment Compliance, and Personnel Administration

• Provide leadership for the district's certification and employment compliance functions by ensuring that all employees meet Connecticut certification requirements and that personnel actions comply with applicable federal and state employment laws, Board policies, negotiated agreements, and district procedures.
• Oversee certification monitoring systems, permit and waiver applications, licensure renewals, personnel file maintenance, audit preparation, and compliance reporting while ensuring the district maintains accurate employment records and meets all statutory reporting obligations.
• Develop internal procedures that minimize compliance risk, improve documentation standards, and strengthen accountability for certification monitoring, employment eligibility verification, record retention, and regulatory compliance.

Human Resources Information Systems, Data Analytics, and Reporting

• Provide executive oversight for the district's Human Resources Information Systems and workforce data management practices to ensure the integrity, accuracy, security, and effective utilization of employee information.
• Develop and maintain workforce dashboards, staffing reports, vacancy analyses, demographic reports, turnover metrics, recruitment analytics, and organizational workforce data that support informed decision-making by the Superintendent, Cabinet, Board of Education, Finance Department, and district leadership.
• Analyze workforce trends, staffing patterns, retirement projections, hiring outcomes, and operational performance measures to identify emerging workforce needs and recommend strategic improvements.
• Lead initiatives that improve data governance, reporting accuracy, system functionality, and integration between HRIS, applicant tracking systems, payroll, and other district technologies.

Budget Administration and Fiscal Stewardship

• Assist the Executive Director in developing, administering, and monitoring the Human Resources operating budget while ensuring responsible stewardship of district resources.
• Monitor expenditures related to staffing, recruitment, employee stipends, professional development, contracts, advertising, and departmental operations by reviewing budget activity, reconciling expenditures, forecasting costs, and identifying opportunities for operational savings.
• Develop quarterly budget reports, analyze expenditure trends, evaluate staffing costs, and implement financial controls that improve budget management and support fiscally responsible decision-making.
• Collaborate with Finance to ensure accurate budget reconciliation and recommend resource reallocations that improve operational efficiency while maintaining compliance with approved budget allocations.

Customer Service, Employee Experience, and Department Administration

• Establish and promote a culture of exceptional customer service by developing service standards, monitoring response times, resolving complex customer concerns, and ensuring that Human Resources consistently provides professional, responsive, and solution-oriented support to employees, applicants, administrators, and community stakeholders.
• Develop department-wide communication protocols, standard operating procedures, guidance documents, forms, and resource materials that improve transparency, consistency, and accessibility of Human Resources services.
• Lead departmental projects that strengthen operational effectiveness, improve communication, and enhance the overall employee experience throughout the employment lifecycle.

Technology, Innovation, and Continuous Improvement

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that leverage technology, automation, artificial intelligence, and digital workflow solutions to modernize Human Resources operations and improve service delivery.
• Evaluate existing business processes and recommend improvements that reduce manual work, eliminate redundant procedures, strengthen internal controls, improve data quality, and increase organizational efficiency.
• Collaborate with Information Technology and software vendors to optimize the use of HRIS, applicant tracking systems, onboarding platforms, electronic personnel records, and workflow automation tools.
• Promote a culture of innovation by encouraging staff to identify opportunities for improvement and implement best practices that support organizational excellence.

Staff Leadership and Professional Development

• Provide leadership, supervision, coaching, mentoring, and performance management for assigned Human Resources personnel by establishing clear expectations, promoting accountability, fostering collaboration, and supporting professional growth.
• Develop staff capacity through ongoing coaching, professional learning opportunities, succession planning, cross-training, and leadership development initiatives that strengthen departmental effectiveness and prepare future leaders.
• Conduct performance evaluations, monitor work quality, provide constructive feedback, recognize employee contributions, and address performance concerns in accordance with district policies and collective bargaining agreements.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, inclusive, and service-oriented departmental culture characterized by integrity, innovation, teamwork, continuous learning, and high professional standards.

Strategic Projects and Executive Support

• Assist the Executive Director in implementing strategic initiatives that advance the district's human capital priorities, organizational goals, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Lead department-wide projects involving policy development, organizational restructuring, workforce planning, technology implementation, process improvement, staffing initiatives, and operational modernization.
• Represent the Executive Director at district meetings, Board committee meetings, community events, and interdepartmental workgroups, as assigned.
• Prepare reports, presentations, briefing materials, and recommendations for executive leadership, Cabinet, the Superintendent, and the Board of Education.
• Serve as the operational leader of the Human Resources Department in the absence of the Executive Director and perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS/ABILITIES OF IDEAL CANDIDATE:

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree in human resources, public administration, educational leadership, business administration, or a closely related field.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible Human Resources leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff and leading complex organizational initiatives.
• Comprehensive knowledge of employment law, labor relations, compensation, recruitment, certification, employee relations, HRIS, personnel administration, and organizational development.
• Experience managing departmental budgets and analyzing workforce data.
• Demonstrated ability to develop policies, implement operational improvements, and lead organizational change.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, presentation, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, collaboration, innovation, and exceptional customer service.

Preferred Qualifications:

• SHRM-CP, SPHR, or equivalent senior Human Resources certification.
• Connecticut Intermediate Administration or Supervision Certification (092), or the ability to obtain.
• Experience in a large urban public school district.
• Experience leading technology modernization, AI implementation, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Experience supporting collective bargaining, organizational redesign, and executive leadership teams.

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: Non-certified

SALARY AND TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: This position is a twelve-month role, and salary is by individual employment contract. The salary range is $110,000 to $130,000.

UNION AFFILIATION: Non-bargaining

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: To be considered, all internal and external applicants must fully complete a Hartford Public Schools’ online application, which can be accessed through our Applicant Tracking System, Nimble, at https://app.hirenimble.com/jobs/hartford. Internal applicants should use a personal email address when applying. Please do not use your hartfordschools.org email.