Director of Human Resources

Director Of Human Resources

The City of Syracuse seeks a Director of Human Resources to lead the Office of Human Resources and Labor Relations in support of a large, unionized, public-sector workforce. This role calls for a public-sector HR leader who can strengthen day-to-day operations, support effective labor and employee relations, enhance service delivery to departments and employees, advance process modernization, and guide a consistent, compliant, and responsive HR function within the realities of city government, civil service rules, and shared decision-making.

The Director will oversee the City's personnel, labor, hiring, benefits, leave, and employee-relations functions with a focus on operational reliability, legal and contractual compliance, responsiveness, staff development, and implementation of improved systems and controls. The position requires a leader who can succeed through judgment, partnership, and influence, while establishing clear expectations, strong follow-through, and better accountability across the HR function and its stakeholders.

Typical Work Activities

• Provides leadership and oversight for personnel administration, labor relations, recruiting, onboarding, benefits administration, leave administration, investigations, safety, workers' compensation, policy implementation, and related HR compliance functions for the City.
• Strengthens core HR operations by improving process controls, promoting timely and consistent service delivery, and ensuring transactional work is accurate, timely, and well documented.
• Oversees the City's labor and employee-relations functions in a heavily unionized environment, including grievance administration, discipline, investigations, contract interpretation, bargaining support, and coordination with legal counsel and City leadership.
• Provides practical guidance to supervisors and departments regarding policy application, leave and accommodation issues, investigations, and other people-management matters, ensuring guidance is consistent, timely, and aligned with legal and contractual obligations.
• Oversees the City's recruiting and civil-service-related processes, including coordination with departments, hiring workflows, candidate communication, appropriate use of panels and structured processes, and navigation of title, classification, and County civil service requirements.
• Builds and maintains service-oriented relationships with City departments while ensuring appropriate controls, consistent standards, and sound judgment in matters involving exceptions, escalation, and political pressures.
• Leads staff development and accountability within HR through role clarity, supervision, cross-training, documented procedures, and the conversion of institutional knowledge into durable workflows, guides, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Provides leadership in HRIS and applicant tracking system (ATS) modernization and process redesign.
• Uses metrics, dashboards, and workflow data to improve decision-making, monitor risk, measure service performance, and identify opportunities for operational improvement.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong knowledge of municipal or public-sector human resources administration, including civil service issues, public-sector hiring constraints, employee and labor relations, leave and accommodation administration, benefits administration, and policy implementation in a unionized environment.
• Working knowledge of HR operational controls, process documentation, investigations, compliance risk management, and the implementation or improvement of HR technology systems.
• Excellent judgment, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to respond clearly and effectively to departments, employees, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to build credibility and maintain effective working relationships with departments and employees.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with payroll, finance, legal, and executive leadership.
• Ability to lead through influence in an environment where HR must often partner rather than simply direct.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage a high-volume workload effectively.
• Ability to identify and establish practical process improvements that strengthen HR operations and service delivery.
• Ability to use metrics and performance data to manage and evaluate performance.
• Ability to establish expectations, hold staff accountable, and coach and develop employees.
• Ability to create and maintain a responsive, reliable, and trusted HR function.

Preferred Characteristics/Leadership Profile

• Steady, practical, responsive, and credible leadership style.
• Ability to strengthen working relationships while maintaining clear and consistent standards.
• Strong understanding of the importance of dependable, accurate, and timely HR service delivery.
• Comfortable operating in a politically sensitive municipal environment.
• Demonstrates sound, risk-based judgment in addressing complex personnel and organizational matters.
• Communicates with professionalism, responsiveness, and consistent follow-through.
• Ability to effectively partner with departments, employees, and unions as stakeholders.
• Demonstrates a hands-on, continuous-improvement mindset with a strong commitment to documentation and accountability.
• Ability to balance day-to-day operational detail with long-term organizational and process improvement.
• Experience leading teams through organizational change and strengthening core HR processes.
• Experience implementing modern HR technology tools, including UKG, in a complex public-sector or similarly regulated environment.

Minimum Qualifications

A bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management, Business Management, Psychology, Sociology, or related field required. Master's degree preferred.

At least five years of related experience, preferably in a municipal or union environment or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

At least three years of leadership experience preferably in a municipal and/or union environment.

City of Syracuse residency is required and must be maintained throughout the course of employment.

Benefits

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance
• Retirement plan

The Affirmative Action Policy of the City of Syracuse is to provide equal employment opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, creed, age (18 and over), marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status, gender identity or gender expression, sexual or affectional preference or orientation, or any other classified group within the protected class. The City also complies with 31 CFR part 51. If you have a disability for which you wish special accommodation to be made, contact the Office of Human Resources at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io.

All offers of employment will be contingent on the successful completion of a background check and/or drug screen.