invites your interest for the position of

Director of Human Resources

Stanislaus County

The Community

Located in the heart of California’s fertile Central Valley, Stanislaus County is blessed with mild weather year round and some of the world’s richest soil. With a population of nearly 525,000, Stanislaus County is proud of its vibrant citizenry, great traditions, educational opportunities, and multi-cultural lifestyles. The area offers a mixture of urban, suburban, and rural environments and lifestyles. The economy is based primarily on agricultural production and related services, food processing and retail services. California State University Stanislaus and Modesto Junior College are higher educational institutions located in the County.

The area offers a variety of cultural programming such as events at the Gallo Center for Performing Arts to outdoor recreational opportunities including a Minor League baseball team. The San Francisco Bay Area, the Silicon Valley, Sacramento and California’s Central Coast are only a 90-minute drive from Modesto. Eastward are the foothills of the Mother Lode gold country that lead to the majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range, Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe.

County Government and Human Resources

Stanislaus County is a general law county governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors. The Board is elected by district for four-year staggered terms. The Board Chairperson rotates annually among the five members. The County provides a wide range of services, including health care, law enforcement, corrections, library services, social services, road services, and general government programs. The Board is responsible for an annual operating budget of more than $1 billion.

The Chief Executive Office is responsible for overseeing the management of County resources and providing long-range financial, facilities and organizational planning. Department managers work closely with the County’s Board of Supervisors and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in developing the strategic direction for the County and supporting the County’s commitment and vision to be “a county that is respected for its service in the community.”

The Human Resources Unit is a division of the Chief Executive Office. The County utilizes a decentralized HR model with this unit providing strategic direction and guidance to county operations. The HR Director leads a strong and effective team of five HR managers that provide consulting services throughout county operations. Transactional HR activities are handled directly within the various operating departments. The mission of the Human Resources Team is to create an environment that attracts, cultivates, and retains a world-class workforce.

The Position and Ideal Candidate

As a valued and vital member of the County’s Senior Executive Leadership Team, the Human Resources Director (HRD) is key advisor and participant in all aspects of county operations. The HRD reports directly to the CEO but works closely and collaboratively with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Assistant Executive Officers on a regular basis.

The various priorities in this role provide high levels of visibility and challenges. Recruitment and retention programs are critical focus areas as a significant percentage of the county workforce is at or near retirement eligibility. Related to this issue is the desire to rebuild and expand organizational development initiatives including succession planning and various programs related to supervisory and professional training. There is also a continual focus on technology initiatives to modernize HR systems and processes through efficient and/or “paperless” solutions.

On an operational level the HRD must serve as a valued “business” partner in providing proactive and preventative strategies and services in support of the departments. This will often require a depth of knowledge that spans beyond personnel only areas. Budget and financial acumen as well as keen insights to the specific nature of business operations within the County will be essential to success. The HRD also serves as the county’s chief labor negotiator and is expected to maintain a positive, respectful working relationship with labor. This requires a value system of integrity, ethics, and honesty in dealing with the difficult issues that arise through contract negotiations or employee relations concerns. The ideal candidate will be a team player with strong communication and organizational skills and the ability to adapt to changing or competing priorities within a diverse, fast paced environment. Positive interpersonal skills, a commitment to excellence, and a focus on customer service are critical skills. As a leader, the HRD will provide mentorship and development towards expanding HR’s service capacity.

Experience in developing innovative recruiting programs, creative organizational development initiatives and a successful history in labor relations are critical to this assignment. This position requires an HR background that includes a minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience managing human resources programs and related services. Experience supervising staff at the analyst or management level is highly desirable. An educational background equivalent to graduation from an accredited four year university is also required. An advanced degree in Personnel/Human Resource management or a closely related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience. Public sector experience is preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Stanislaus County offers an excellent compensation and benefits program. The base salary range for this position is $92,310 - $138,444 annually, DOQ. This salary is currently under review. The competitive benefits package includes::

♦ County Retirement program is through the 1937 Act. Classic members have a formula of 2% at approximately age 61. The employee contribution varies based on age at entry. New members have a formula of 2% at 62 with an employee contribution of 7.3%.

♦ Health Plan coverage for employee and dependents (health, dental, vision).♦ County paid Deferred Compensation at 1.5% of base salary.♦ Two weeks annual vacation accrual upon entering County service (beginning the third year, three weeks of

annual vacation; beginning the 11th year, four weeks of annual vacation; and, beginning the 21st year of service, five weeks of vacation per year).

♦ 32 additional vacation hours annually.♦ 40 hours of administrative/management leave per year (does

not carry over).♦ 96 hours of sick leave annually.♦ 10 paid holidays annually.♦ Term life insurance.♦ Disability protection.♦ Portion of out-of-area moving expenses.

The Process

To be considered for this exceptional and unique career opportunity, please electronically submit your cover letter, resume, current salary and contact information (including email addresses) for five work-related references (who will not be contacted until mutual interest is established and you have approved the contact) to:

Paul Kimura or Bill LopezAvery Associates3½ N. Santa Cruz Ave., Suite ALos Gatos, CA 95030E-mail: jobs@averyassoc.net

The final filing date for this position is March 11, 2016.

If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Paul Kimura at 408.399.4424 or by email at paulk@averyassoc.net or Bill Lopez at 831.454.8301 or williaml@averyassoc.net.

The County of Stanislaus is an Equal Opportunity Employer.