HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR
HUMAN RESOURCES
Exempt / Pay Grade: M2
Annual Salary Range: $108,314.26 – $141,467.62 (FY26)
Posting due to a vacancy.
The City of Malden is seeking a dynamic, experienced, and people-centered Director of Human Resources to lead the City's human resources function. Reporting to the Mayor, the Director serves as a key strategic advisor and is responsible for shaping the employee experience, strengthening labor-management relations, and ensuring fair, effective, and legally compliant personnel practices across City government.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Director leads the Human Resources Department and oversees recruiting and hiring, employee and labor relations, benefits administration, compensation, training and development, diversity, equity and inclusion, and language access. The Department serves City employees, School employees for benefits administration, and retirees. The Director formulates, recommends, communicates, implements, and interprets personnel policies and procedures and helps ensure compliance with federal and state law, City ordinances, personnel policies, and collective bargaining agreements.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Leadership, Policy, and Compliance
- Advise the Mayor, department heads, managers, and employees on personnel matters and recommend appropriate personnel actions.
- Develop, implement, interpret, and periodically update the Employee Handbook, personnel policies, procedures, and related City ordinances.
- Ensure compliance with applicable federal and Massachusetts employment laws and regulations, City ordinances, personnel policies, and collective bargaining agreements.
- Oversee annual policy and training requirements, including State Ethics, Conflict of Interest, anti-harassment, and other mandated or City-required programs.
- Analyze and interpret statutes, regulations, agreements, policies, data, and trends to support sound management decisions.
Recruitment, Hiring, and Workforce Administration
- Direct all recruitment and hiring activities, including preparing and updating job descriptions, posting and advertising vacancies, screening applications and resumes, coordinating interview panels, and supporting employee selection.
- Ensure recruitment, selection, promotion, and transfer practices comply with applicable laws, policies, regulations, agreements, and the City's diversity and equity goals.
- Oversee new-employee orientation, required onboarding, CORI processing, pre-employment background checks and drug screening, and applicable U.S. Department of Transportation drug-testing requirements, notifications, and records.
- Oversee attendance records, annual accruals, personnel records, and required workforce reporting, including the federal EEO-4 report.
Labor and Employee Relations
- Serve as a member of the City's collective bargaining team for City union negotiations; help develop bargaining goals and strategies.
- Support ongoing contract administration and advise department heads and Payroll regarding contract interpretation, grievances, disciplinary matters, and other labor-relations issues.
- Investigate employee-relations concerns, mediate disputes, and work toward timely, equitable, and defensible resolutions.
Benefits, Compensation, and Employee Support
- Oversee administration of health, dental, life, flexible spending, wellness, and other employee benefit programs.
- Oversee retiree benefit administration under M.G.L. c. 32B, including Section 18 and Medicare Parts A and B, for eligible City and School retirees.
- Manage compensation administration, including wage and salary plans.
- Work with the City's benefits consultant to remain current on benefit programs, personnel programs, regulations, and human resources trends.
- Serve as management liaison to the Union Insurance Advisory Committee; prepare agendas and correspondence, participate in meetings, and advise on personnel and insurance matters.
- Coordinate the Employee Assistance Program for City employees and their families and serve as Chair of the City's Catastrophic Illness Leave Bank.
Organizational Development, Inclusion, and Department Management
- Coordinate training and professional development for City staff.
- Lead Citywide diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, including language access initiatives.
- Prepare and administer the Human Resources Department budget; authorize departmental expenditures in accordance with City requirements.
- Plan, organize, assign, direct, supervise, and evaluate the work of Human Resources staff.
- Perform other related duties as assigned or required to meet the needs of the City.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Public Administration, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience; master's degree preferred.
- Seven to ten years of progressively responsible municipal management, human resources, and labor-relations experience, including supervisory experience; an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.
- Thorough knowledge of the laws, regulations, principles, and practices governing municipal human resources management in Massachusetts.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret statutes, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, policies, and data.
- At least five years of demonstrated success establishing and sustaining effective relationships with diverse individuals at all levels within and outside City government.
- Strong leadership, planning, organizational, analytical, problem-solving, mediation, and supervisory skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the judgment to handle sensitive and confidential matters appropriately.
- Ongoing professional development and a PHR or SPHR designation are desired.
Why Join the City of Malden?
Malden values its employees and invests in their success through competitive benefits, meaningful recognition, and opportunities for professional growth. The City's modern City Hall offers collaborative office and conference space, an employee fitness center, and free parking. City Hall operates Monday through Thursday and is steps from Malden Center Station, with Orange Line, Commuter Rail, and multiple bus connections, in the heart of a vibrant downtown.
Salary and Benefits
$108,314.26 to $141,467.62, commensurate with qualifications and experience. This full-time, exempt position includes a comprehensive municipal benefits package, including health, dental, life insurance, flexible spending, and free parking.
To apply: Submit cover letter & resume to the Human Resources Director, City of Malden at [email protected]
The City of Malden is an EEO, driven by the value of excellence and believes that everyone deserves the best service and access to resources, regardless of their race, gender identity, religion, ethnicity, age, physical abilities, sexual orientation, veteran status, or personal experience. We embrace diverse perspectives and welcome candidates from these underrepresented groups to help make our vision a reality.
Selected candidate will need to submit to a background check (CORI).
Pay: $108,314.25 - $141,467.62 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
