The City of Cedar Park is a vibrant suburb of over 83,000 residents, located 17 miles northwest of downtown Austin and is recognized for its fast growth in the dynamic Central Texas region. Cedar Park is the third largest city in the Austin metropolitan area, ideally situated for corporate headquarters and has a growing number of high tech and major manufacturing employers. With deep roots as a small community and ability to retain a hometown feel, it is known for its outstanding schools, pro-business climate and relaxed family environment. Named one of the Best Suburbs for Growing Families and Best Small City in America in 2020, Cedar Park offers all the benefits of life in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, with desirable neighborhoods, an entrepreneurial business environment, and an effective, well-managed city government.
Government
The City of Cedar Park operates under the council-manager form of government, per the city charter. The council-manager form is a system of local government that combines the political leadership of elected officials in the form of a council or other governing body with the managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The Cedar Park City Council consists of a Mayor and six at-large Council positions. All of these elected positions are volunteer. The City Manager is appointed by the City Council and serves as the Chief Administrative Officer for the City. The current City Manager has been with the City since 1996 and was appointed City Manager in 2006. In addition, the Deputy City Manager and two Assistant City Managers have twenty-five years of experience with the City, providing stable leadership within the City Management team. Working with the Mayor and City Council, the City Manager oversees a robust, full-service city operation known for being innovative, forward-thinking, and implementing best practices in local government. In 2022, the City received the highest possible credit rating of AAA from S&P Global and joins a small list of Texas cities to accomplish this feat.
Human Resources Department
The Human Resources Department serves the community by developing and driving the City’s people philosophy, strategy and programming to attract and retain a professional, motivated, diverse and highly qualified workforce. The HR Department serves as a business partner to department leadership and employees by offering timely and accurate strategic and operational HR programming and support. The HR Department strives to promote and uphold the City's Core Values through decisions and actions ensuring the delivery of exceptional public service to the citizens. The Human Resources Department is primarily responsible for compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, recruiting, compensation, training and development, labor relations, benefits administration, risk management, and Civil Service administration.
The Position
The Director of Human Resources develops and implements strategic initiatives, leverages technology to drive efficiency and effectiveness, collaborates effectively with other leaders across the organization, and has a commitment to inclusion in the workplace. The Director of Human Resources reports to the Deputy City Manager and may serve as the Civil Service Director, if the successful candidate has those skills and experience.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
Develop and execute City of Cedar Park’s people philosophy and multi-year strategic plan/program roadmap that is in alignment with and supports City vision achievement and multi-year goals and objectives.
Develop and implement a total rewards strategy that aligns with the organization's goals and objectives. Oversee the administration of benefits, compensation and other total rewards programs and ensure compliance, effectiveness, and efficiency.
Lead and mentor a team of human resources professionals to ensure the delivery of high-quality services and programs.
Drive transformational change within the human resources department by creating and implementing innovative practices and processes.
Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders, including executive leadership, HR team members, and other functional leaders. Collaborate with other leaders across the organization to understand business needs and ensure human resources strategies are aligned with those needs.
Serve as a trusted advisor and partner to the organization. Provide guidance related to the application of policies, employee relations, performance management, and employee support.
Identify and implement technology solutions that increase efficiency and effectiveness within the Human Resources department.
Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations related to human resources and payroll. Responsible for resolution of employee relations issues and may conduct investigations.
Partner with other leaders to foster a diverse and inclusive work environment that aligns with organization values and the City’s people philosophy and strategy.
Lead organizational talent planning, organizational development, and design initiatives to attract, retain, and develops top talent. Evaluate current and future talent needs to ensure the organization is prepared to support the changing needs of the city and adapt to the dynamic recruiting landscape.
Develop and implement talent development programs including oversee the training curriculum development and delivery.
Measure and report on the effectiveness of human resources programs and initiatives, and use data to continuously improve.
Collaborate with leaders and the financial team to develop and manage the organization’s employee programs, salaries, and benefits budget.
Manage vendor relationships with external service providers, including benefits brokers, compensation consultants, and other vendors.
Develop and implement communication strategies that engage employees and showcase the value of our total rewards programs.
Assists Risk staff in identifying and resolving liability exposures, ensuring that benefits and safety administration programs and systems are developed and implemented properly and consistently with City Council and City Management adopted policies.
May serve as Civil Service Director, which provides direct support to the City Civil Service Commission as mandated by Local Government Code 143.012; and assures City compliance with Local Government code 143 in the personnel administration of police and fire classification and appointments, compensation practices, disciplinary actions, leaves, entry and promotional examinations, and other statutory provisions. Police and Fire are Civil Service and participate in a Meet and Confer process.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Passion for: City of Cedar Park’s vision, commitment to its people and vision for how people play a critical role in the success of the City and its citizens in the success of the City and its services to and quality of life for citizens.
Knowledge of: human resources management practices and principles; personnel policies and procedures; State and Federal employment laws and regulations; general business and management practices and principles; municipal governmental operations; and budgeting procedures and formats.
Skill/Ability to: analyze and evaluate programs, policies, procedures and/or services. Skill in the coordination of personnel activities to best utilize available resources; planning and coordinating training activities; interviewing and maintaining a high degree of confidentiality; prioritizing work assignments; establishing and maintaining good working relationships with other City employees and the public; and conflict resolution. Ability to supervise and motivate employees; develop and maintain a human resources management program based upon established goals and objectives of the City and fiscal responsibility; resolve grievances and other situations that vary widely in character and in importance; provide City management with advice and information; implement and manage human resource activities requiring continuing City-wide coordination; operate standard office equipment, including computer and standard word processing and spreadsheet software; gather, compile, analyze, and communicate a variety of information; establish and maintain effective working relationships with city officials, city departments, state and federal officials, community organizations and groups, and the general public; and demonstrate proficiency in both oral and written communication.Must be willing to learn Civil Service Local Government Code Chapter 143.
Education and Experience
Qualified applicants will have a Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, plus at least ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in human resources, with at least three (3) years in a leadership role. An equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be considered. Experience with technology solutions for human resources is required, and experience with Tyler Technologies or NeoGov is a plus. Civil service and/or union and municipal experience preferred.
Certifications
A SHRM-Senior Certified Professional (SCP), Senior Professional Human Resources Certification (SPHR) or equivalent preferred.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a visionary leader who can develop a people vision, curate and implement people programs to continually evolve and strengthen employee engagement and establish City of Cedar Park as an employer of choice. The ideal candidate will have strong experience building and refining HR programming including a strong human resources foundation in recruitment, talent management, compensation, benefits, employee relations, and compliance. The ideal candidate has the ability to develop and implement strategic initiatives, and leverage technology to drive efficiency and effectiveness. The ideal candidate should have a proven track record of driving transformational change within a human resources department or organization, and a demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
The ideal candidate needs to have excellent communication skills with the ability to instill trust, and collaborate effectively with other leaders across the organization, employee communications, and experience presenting to a Board of Directors or Council.
The ideal candidate will be an approachable, transformative leader of human resources with experience developing and overseeing progressive and innovative employee programs. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker, with the ability to drive change, use data to drive decision-making, and create a culture of excellence within the human resources department by possessing the capacity and interest to be an effective mentor and develop a high-performing team.
Salary
The City of Cedar Park is offering a competitive salary commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package, which includes participation in the Texas Municipal Retirement System. Relocation assistance will be available for the successful out of area candidate.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to:
