Job Information
Opening Date/Time
08/20/2026 12:00AM Central Time
Closing Date/Time
09/02/2026 11:59PM Central Time
Salary (Monthly)
$8,620.00- $13,754.00
Salary (Annually)
$103,440.00- $165,048.00
City, State Location
Nashville, TN
Department
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency(TEMA)
LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF TENNESSEE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DAVIDSON COUNTY
As part of the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority's mission, all positions may be called upon to support emergency operations. Employees may be required to work alternate schedules and/or report to alternate work locations to include disaster scenes to support response and recovery operations.
Qualifications
Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree and experience equivalent to substantial (five or more years of) full-time increasingly responsible professional staff administrative and/or analytic work including at least, one year of human resources work; qualifying full-time professional experience may be substituted for the required education, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of four years; additional graduate coursework in human resources administration or other related acceptable field may be substituted for the required non-specialized experience, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of two years; OR four years of full-time increasingly responsible professional staff administrative and/or analytic work including at least, one year of human resources experience with the State of Tennessee.
Necessary Special Qualifications: None.
Examination Method: Education and Experience, 100%, for Career Service positions. For Executive Service positions, Minimum Qualifications, Necessary Special Qualifications, and Examination Method are determined by the appointing authority
Overview
The Department of the Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA) is seeking a highly capable, hands-on human resources professional to serve as Human Resources Director 1. This position provides strategic and operational human resources leadership for an agency whose mission requires responsiveness, adaptability, sound judgment, and a strong commitment to public service.
The Human Resources Director 1 serves as TEMA's primary human resources leader and advisor, working closely with executive leadership, supervisors, employees, and state HR partners. The position leads a very small HR team and is responsible for ensuring the effective delivery of a broad range of human resources services.
This is a transaction-heavy, working leadership position. The successful candidate must be equally comfortable advising senior leaders on workforce strategy and personally completing a high volume of day-to-day HR transactions. The position requires an individual who can move quickly between strategic initiatives, complex employee matters, administrative processes, deadlines, and routine transactions while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality, responsiveness, and excellent customer service.
Responsibilities
Strategic HR Leadership
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Serve as a trusted human resources advisor to TEMA executive leadership and management.
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Develop and implement HR strategies that support TEMA's mission, operational priorities, and workforce needs.
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Advise leadership on organizational structure, workforce planning, succession planning, employee engagement, retention, performance management, and talent development.
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Identify workforce trends, risks, and opportunities and recommend practical solutions.
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Interpret and apply State of Tennessee HR policies, procedures, rules, and applicable employment laws.
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Partner with agency leadership to develop approaches that strengthen organizational effectiveness and employee performance.
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Use workforce information, HR metrics, and operational data to support decision-making and identify areas for improvement.
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Lead or participate in agency-wide HR initiatives and special projects.
HR Operations and Transactional Responsibilities
This position is expected to remain directly involved in the daily execution of HR services. Due to the small size of the HR team, the HR Director 1 will personally perform and oversee a high volume of transactional and administrative HR duties, including:
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Recruitment, job postings, candidate selection processes, hiring, onboarding, and employee separations.
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Personnel actions, employee data changes, promotions, transfers, salary actions, and related documentation.
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Position management, organizational changes, classification matters, and compensation-related processes.
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Performance management activities and required documentation.
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Leave administration, attendance matters, and employee records.
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Employee relations matters, including counseling management, researching issues, documenting actions, and coordinating appropriate responses.
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Coordination of benefits, payroll-related HR matters, and other employee inquiries as appropriate.
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Maintenance and auditing of personnel records and HR data to ensure accuracy and compliance.
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Preparation of correspondence, reports, spreadsheets, workforce information, and other HR documentation.
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Tracking and completing HR transactions within required state systems and established deadlines.
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Responding promptly and professionally to routine and complex questions from employees and managers.
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Coordinating with the Tennessee Department of Human Resources and other state partners as necessary.
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The successful candidate must be willing and able to personally complete transactional work rather than solely delegate or oversee it.
Team Leadership
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Lead, develop, and support a small team of HR professionals.
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Establish priorities and allocate work based on agency needs, deadlines, and available resources.
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Provide coaching, training, and technical guidance to HR team members.
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Review work for quality, consistency, accuracy, and compliance.
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Create an environment of accountability, collaboration, responsiveness, and exceptional customer service.
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Cross-train team members and maintain sufficient working knowledge of all major HR functions to ensure continuity of operations.
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Step directly into operational work when workloads, deadlines, vacancies, or emergency operations require additional support.
Employee Relations and Management Consultation
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Provide managers and supervisors with timely, practical guidance regarding employee performance, conduct, attendance, workplace concerns, and other employee relations matters.
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Assist leadership in addressing sensitive and complex personnel issues using sound judgment, discretion, and consistent application of policy.
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Support appropriate documentation and corrective or disciplinary processes.
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Coordinate with appropriate state HR, legal, and other partners on complex matters.
Promote consistent, fair, and professional treatment of employees throughout the agency.
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Emergency Management Environment
As an HR leader within TEMA, the incumbent must understand that agency operations may change rapidly in response to emergencies, disasters, exercises, activations, and other operational needs.
The position may be required to:
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Support HR and staffing needs associated with emergency activations and disaster response operations.
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Adjust priorities quickly in response to emerging agency needs.
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Work extended hours outside normal business hours when operational circumstances require.
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Maintain composure, professionalism, accuracy, and sound judgment in a fast-paced or high-pressure environment.
Perform other duties necessary to support TEMA's mission and continuity of operations.
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Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
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Comprehensive knowledge of human resources principles, practices, and employment-related requirements.
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Strong working knowledge of recruitment, classification, compensation, employee relations, performance management, leave administration, and HR operations.
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Ability to balance strategic leadership with a substantial volume of hands-on transactional responsibilities.
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Ability to effectively prioritize and complete a large and varied workload with competing deadlines.
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Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate, timely work.
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Excellent judgment and the ability to appropriately handle confidential and sensitive information.
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Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
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Ability to interpret policies and requirements and translate them into practical guidance for managers and employees.
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Strong written and verbal communication skills.
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Ability to establish effective working relationships with executives, managers, employees, HR partners, and other stakeholders.
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Ability to lead effectively in a small-team environment where flexibility, cross-functional knowledge, and individual contribution are essential.
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Ability to independently identify work that needs to be completed and take ownership through completion.
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Strong organizational skills and comfort operating in a high-volume, deadline-driven environment.
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Commitment to responsive, solutions-oriented customer service.
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Event planning as well as taking an active role in completing duties to make events successful.
Preferred Qualifications
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Masters degree with 5 years of recent human resources leadership experience in Tennessee State Government.
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Progressive professional human resources experience, including experience providing guidance to organizational leadership.
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Experience supervising or leading HR staff.
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Broad generalist experience across multiple HR disciplines.
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Experience managing both strategic HR initiatives and high-volume transactional HR responsibilities.
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Experience working in state government, public-sector HR, emergency management, public safety, military, or another highly regulated environment.
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Experience interpreting and applying HR policies, procedures, employment laws, and organizational requirements.
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Experience with HR information systems, reporting, data analysis, and Microsoft Office applications.
SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or other relevant professional certifications are preferred but not required.
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Successful Candidate Profile
This role is best suited for an HR leader who enjoys both strategy and execution. The successful candidate will not view transactional HR work as separate from leadership responsibilities. Instead, they will be willing to shift throughout the day from advising agency leadership on a sensitive workforce matter, to processing or reviewing personnel actions, to coaching an HR team member, to resolving an employee concern, to planning a longer-term workforce initiative.
Because the TEMA HR team is small, success requires a leader who is highly organized, accessible, adaptable, detail-oriented, and willing to roll up their sleeves. The volume and variety of work require disciplined prioritization, strong follow-through, and the ability to distinguish urgent operational needs from longer-term strategic priorities.
Above all, Human Resources Director 1 must be able to provide strategic HR leadership without losing sight of the daily work required to keep the agency operating effectively.
Competencies (KSA's)
Knowledge:
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Personnel and Human Resources
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Law and Government
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Administration and Management
Skills:
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Management of Personnel Resources
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Judgement and Decision Making
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Critical Thinking
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Service Orientation
Abilities:
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Inductive Reasoning
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Deductive Reasoning
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Oral Expression
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Oral Comprehension
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Problem Sensitivity
Competencies:
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Drives Vision and Purpose
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Manages Ambiguity
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Manages Conflict
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Strategic Mindset
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Decision Quality
