Description
The Orange County Water District is seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Director of Human Resources. Reporting to the General Manager, this executive-level position assumes full management responsibility for the District’s Human Resources, Safety, Labor Relations, and Security functions. The Director leads and manages all aspects of recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, benefits administration, labor negotiations, training and development, performance management, workplace safety, and workers’ compensation.
This pivotal role acts as the District’s chief labor negotiator, advising executive management and the Board on labor relations and employment matters. You will provide high-level counsel, investigate sensitive employment issues, manage complex claims, oversee regulatory compliance, and shape organization-wide policies that impact every level of the District.
Examples of Duties
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only)
The following essential job functions are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed job functions and/or may be required to perform additional or different job functions from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. Management reserves the rights to add, modify, change, or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.
Manage and direct all HR department activities including employee and labor relations, classification and compensation, recruitment, benefits, and organizational development.
- Serve as the District’s Labor Negotiator, responsible for negotiating, presenting, and administering labor agreements (MOUs).
- Provide executive-level guidance to the General Manager, Board, and leadership staff on HR policy, compliance, and workforce strategy.
- Ensure legal and regulatory compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws and reporting requirements.
- Investigate and resolve complex employee relations issues, workplace complaints, and claims involving alleged discrimination or policy violations.
- Oversee ongoing maintenance of District classification and compensation programs; recommend classification and salary changes based on studies and analyses; reviews and approves or prepares new or modified class specifications; supervises the conduct of special surveys and studies regarding compensation and other human resource management issues; provides classification, compensation and benefits information to other organizations.
- Manages administration of the District’s benefits programs; manages and oversees the annual open enrollment process and health fair; oversees maintenance of employee benefits records; ensures the timely and accurate reconciliation of benefit provider invoices and the resolution of discrepancies in employee records and with Payroll.
- Manage the staff responsible for workplace safety programs, training compliance, and audit readiness.
- Represent the District in legal and regulatory matters related to HR and Safety.
- Direct the development of department goals, objectives, budgets, policies, and procedures.
- Conduct research and analysis to support decision-making and policy development.
- Serve as a trusted liaison between employees, management, external agencies, and vendors.
- Prepare a variety of reports related to human resources activities.
- Handles job stress.
- Interact effectively with others in the workplace.
- Follows all workplace and job safety rules and policies.
- Performs other duties of a similar nature or level as required.
Typical Qualifications
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.
Qualifications & Experience
Knowledge of:
Ability and Skills in:
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training: Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Human Resources, Organizational/Workforce Development, Public or Business Administration or a closely related field. Professional Human Resources Certification preferred.
Experience: Twelve years of progressively responsible human resources management experience including labor relations, including five years of supervisory/management experience.
License: Valid California Class “C” Driver’s License.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Environment: Standard office setting.
Physical: Positions in this class typically require reaching, manual dexterity, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.
Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.
DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS
All Orange County Water District employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employees are required to complete all related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
Qualifications & Experience
- Proven experience leading labor negotiations in a unionized public sector environment.
- In-depth knowledge of state and federal labor laws, workers’ compensation, ADA, Leave Lawa, OSHA, and public agency best practices.
- Demonstrated success in developing and implementing HR strategies, policies, and programs.
- Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust and consensus.
- Experience managing risk and safety programs.
- Public agency experience, particularly in a special district or utility, is preferred but not required.
Knowledge of:
- Organization and management practices applied to the development, analysis, and evaluation of programs, policies, and operational needs of the assigned area of responsibility.
- Principles and practices of leadership.
- Principal sand practices of employee supervision, including work planning, assignment, review and evaluation, and the training of staff in work procedures.
- Modern and complex principles and practices of safety, industrial hygiene, environmental engineering, and emergency response.
- Principles and practices of generally accepted labor relations and negotiations.
- Principles and practices of program development and administration. Methods and techniques of conflict resolution and negotiation.
- Principles and practices of benefits and compensation administration. Principles and practices of budget preparation and administration.
- Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation. Pertinent federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations including, but not limited to, FLSA, ADA, ADEA, and FMLA.
- Rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing workplace safety including OSHA/Cal-OSHA standards.
- Complex human resources principles, theories, and procedures.
- Policy development principles and procedures.
- Reliability and validity of human resource techniques.
- Needs assessment principles.
- Advanced mathematical concepts.
- Research and statistical techniques and principles.
- Mediation and conflict resolution principles.
Ability and Skills in:
- Monitoring and evaluating employees.
- Prioritizing and assigning work.
- Developing and implementing organizational policies and procedures.
- Evaluating human resources programs.
- Interpreting and applying applicable local, state, and Federal laws and regulations.
- Resolving conflict.
- conduct internal employment investigations including harassment and workplace violence.
- Respond to and investigate inquiries and complaints and prepare appropriate response; effectively negotiate and resolve conflict and complex issues within assigned area of responsibility.
- Identify and respond to sensitive community and organizational issues, concerns, and needs.
- Analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, and implement recommendations in support of OCWD and department goals and objectives.
- Preparing complex documents or statements.
- Collecting data, establishing facts, and drawing valid conclusions.
- Analyzing complex situations.
- Communicating and applying organizational policies and procedures.
- Communication, interpersonal skills as applied to interaction with coworkers, supervisor, the general public, etc. sufficient to exchange or convey information and to receive work direction.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain knowledge and abilities would be:
Education/Training: Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Human Resources, Organizational/Workforce Development, Public or Business Administration or a closely related field. Professional Human Resources Certification preferred.
Experience: Twelve years of progressively responsible human resources management experience including labor relations, including five years of supervisory/management experience.
License: Valid California Class “C” Driver’s License.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Environment: Standard office setting.
Physical: Positions in this class typically require reaching, manual dexterity, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and to operate assigned equipment.
Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.
DISASTER SERVICE WORKERS
All Orange County Water District employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employees are required to complete all related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
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