Assistant Human Resources Director

Assistant Director, Human Resources

The Assistant Director will join the Human Resources Department during an exciting period of growth and transformation. Working closely with the Director, this newly created position expands the department's executive leadership capacity to implement strategic initiatives, strengthen workforce governance, and build policies, programs, and procedures. The Assistant Director will help translate strategic priorities into sustainable systems and operational standards, ensuring the department is well positioned to meet the evolving needs of the City and its workforce. The Assistant Director will manage the day-to-day activities of assigned human resources areas, develop short- and long-term goals, establish priorities, create and implement policies and programs, and oversee budgets and contracts. While the selected individual will supervise employees and lead functional areas, specific responsibilities will be determined based on their areas of expertise as well as departmental needs. Examples of priority areas and potential direct oversight responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Employee & Labor Relations, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Strategy, Classification and Compensation.

Salary: $152,604.00 - $196,704.00 Annually

Location: City of Santa Cruz, CA

Job Type: Regular Full-Time

Job Number: 27-009

Department: Human Resources

Opening Date: 07/30/2026

Closing Date: 8/30/2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time (US & Canada); Tijuana

To apply, submit: Resume, Cover Letter, and References are REQUIRED. Please submit your resume, cover letter, and list of six (6) references via Teri Black & Co website at: For questions regarding the required application materials, please contact Jennifer Curtis at View phone number on click.appcast.io or View email address on click.appcast.io

Application materials will be competitively screened based on the minimum and desired qualifications for this position. Applicants with the most relevant qualifications will be granted a preliminary interview by the Recruiter. Candidates deemed most qualified will be invited to interview on-site in October. The interview may include a written and/or performance exercise.