ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Human Resources

City of Chicago Department of Law; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Chicago is seeking an Assistant Director - Human Resources in the Office of Public Safety Administration. The role leads an operational division, oversees staffing, payroll, and compliance, and guides policy implementation across departments.

Candidates must have substantial supervisory experience and progressive leadership in human resources, payroll, and operations. The position is based at Public Safety Headquarters with standard hours and a Monday–Friday workweek.

Qualifications

• Nine (9) years of experience related to the responsibilities of the position, with at least two (2) years in a supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role.
• Associate’s degree in a related field with seven (7) years of related work, including two (2) years in a supervisory role.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field with five (5) years of related work, including two (2) years in a supervisory role.
• Master’s degree or higher in a related field with four (4) years of related work, including two (2) years in a supervisory role.

Responsibilities

• Lead and direct staff within OPSA; supervise sworn and civil personnel.
• Oversee daily operations, assign work, monitor performance, and conduct evaluations.
• Develop strategic plans and implement changes to staffing and processes for efficiency and compliance.
• Provide guidance on personnel, payroll, and labor-related matters in line with regulations.
• Prepare comprehensive reports, dashboards, and briefings for leadership.
• Coordinate with departments and external partners on collaborative projects.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Project management

Staff leadership

Policy compliance

Education

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Job description

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Job Description

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Human Resources

Job Number:

420785

Job Announcement

Office of Public Safety Administration (OPSA)

Human Resources

Number of Positions: 1

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 11/06/2026

Essential Duties

• · Functions as the head of an operational division within OPSA by leading and directing staff and supporting sworn and civil personnel
• · Manages daily operations by assigning work, setting expectations, monitoring performance, conducting performance evaluations, and ensuring adherence to organizational policies and practices
• · Coordinates work efforts with management in developing strategic plans and implementing changes in staffing, operating procedures, and work processes designed to improve the administration of programs, increase operational efficiencies and accomplishments
• · Provides guidance to staff on complex personnel, payroll, and labor-related matters and stays abreast of relevant laws and regulations pertinent to program division or program operations
• · Oversees daily operations in personnel processing, hiring, payroll, investigations support, training compliance, and administrative workflows.
• · Reviews escalated personnel actions for accuracy and policy alignment and troubleshoots operational issues such as hiring delays, payroll discrepancies, discipline, workflow bottlenecks, or compliance concerns.
• · Facilitates and implements directives from department leadership ensuring they are implemented by setting expectations, monitoring performance, and managing resources
• · Develops and implements performance measurement systems to track operational efficiency, service delivery, and staff productivity
• · Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing program operations
• · Manages and provides guidance on functions including budget preparations and grant funding, human resources, labor relations, finance and accounting, contracts administration and purchasing, accounts payable, inventory management, and administrative operations activities,
• etc.
• · Prepares comprehensive reports, dashboards, and briefings for departmental leadership
• · Serves as a liaison with operating departments, governmental agencies, and private consultants participating in collaborative projects
• Additional duties may be required for this position

Location

Public Safety Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Avenue

Days

Monday - Friday

Hours

9:00AM – 5:00PM

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• · Nine (9) years of experience related to the responsibilities of the position, of which at least two (2) years must be in a supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as defined below by any of the following:
• o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);
• o working as a project or program manager;
• o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others, working as a senior or team lead), OR
• · Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate’s degree in a field related to the duties performed, including seven (7) years of work experience related to the position, of which at least two (2) years must be supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as defined below by any of the following:
• o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);
• o working as a project or program manager;
• o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others, working as a senior or team lead), OR
• · Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a field related to the duties performed, including five (5) years of work experience related to the position, of which at least two (2) years must be supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as defined below by any of the following:
• o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);
• o working as a project or program manager;
• o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others, working as a senior or team lead), OR
• · Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree or higher in a field related to the duties performed, including four (4) years of work experience related to the position, of which at least two (2) years must be supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as defined below by any of the following:
• o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);
• o working as a project or program manager;
• o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others, working as a senior or team lead)
• NOTE:Candidates must pass a background investigation, drug screen, and other pre-employment procedures as determined by the Office of Public Safety Administration.

Selection Requirements

This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

Application Evaluation

Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

Commitment to Diversity

To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio‑Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices.

All References to Political Sponsorship or Recommendation Must Be Omitted from All Application Materials Submitted for City Employment

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair ChanceEmployer.

City of Chicago

Job Posting

Oct 22, 2026, 9:11:53 PM | Closing Date (Period for Applying) - External : Nov 7, 2026, 5:59:00 AM