Human Resources Director

Travaux Inc; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM) seeks a strategic Human Resources Director to lead the full lifecycle of HR services, drive workforce planning, and ensure compliant, service-centered people practices that support HACM's mission and sustainability.

The Director will guide executive HR strategy, oversee compensation and benefits, talent acquisition, performance management, training, HR operations, and HR analytics while safeguarding confidentiality and promoting organizational

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, organizational leadership, or closely related field.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible HR experience, including at least three years leading staff.
• Experience in employee relations, workplace investigations, policy administration, recruitment, compensation, benefits, performance management, HR operations, and employment-law compliance.

Responsibilities

• Serve as senior HR leader reporting to the Secretary-Executive Director and executive team.
• Lead workforce planning, employee relations, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, performance management, learning and development, HR technology, and HR operations.
• Develop and administer policies, handbook, pay structures, and compliance with federal, state, and local requirements.
• Direct employee relations including investigations, disciplinary actions, accommodations, leaves, and separations.
• Lead HR budget, procurement, contracts, and vendor management; ensure cost-effective service delivery.
• Develop dashboards and executive reports on vacancies, turnover, demographics, costs, and other HR metrics.

Skills

Strategic judgment

Independent fact-finding

Clear communication

Coaching leaders

Project management

HR analytics

Cultural competence

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/related

Master's degree in HR/public/business/organizational leadership

Tools

HRIS

Applicant tracking system

Payroll/Timekeeping interfaces

Microsoft 365

Reporting tools

Data analysis

Job description

The Human Resources Director is the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee's senior human resources leader and a trusted advisor to the Secretary-Executive Director and executive team. The Director provides strategic and hands-on leadership for the full employee lifecycle and builds fair, consistent, legally compliant, and service-centered people practices that support HACM's mission, operational recovery, and long-term sustainability. The position leads workforce planning, employee relations, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, performance management, learning and development, HR operations, records, HR technology, and organizational culture. The Director is expected to exercise sound independent judgment, protect confidentiality, strengthen management accountability, and translate workforce data and risk into timely action.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team and align the human resources strategy, annual work plan, budget, and performance measures with HACM's strategic priorities, recovery commitments, sustainability plan, and resident-service objectives.
• Lead, coach, assign, and evaluate Human Resources staff; establish service standards, internal controls, documentation requirements, cross-training, and succession coverage for critical HR functions.
• Advise the Secretary-Executive Director, executives, and managers on organizational structure, staffing, position design, spans of control, workforce capacity, leadership effectiveness, change management, and workforce-related risk.
• Develop, maintain, interpret, and consistently administer personnel policies, procedures, the employee handbook, work rules, and management guidance. Coordinate legal review and required approvals when appropriate.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, Wisconsin, and local employment requirements and with HACM policies, contracts, grant or funding conditions, and record-retention obligations. Monitor changes and implement corrective action promptly.
• Direct employee relations, including management coaching, workplace investigations, complaints, corrective action, accommodations, leave coordination, separations, and workplace dispute resolution. Ensure decisions are timely, impartial, well documented, and consistently applied.
• Establish reliable recruitment and selection practices that support equitable access, timely hiring, workforce diversity, appropriate screening, defensible selection decisions, onboarding, introductory-period reviews, and retention of qualified employees.
• Lead workforce and succession planning for mission-critical and difficult-to-fill roles. Maintain current organizational charts, position descriptions, staffing plans, vacancy data, and contingency coverage.
• Administer a coherent classification and total-rewards program, including job evaluation, salary structures, internal equity, market analysis, pay actions, incentive or recognition programs, employee benefits, retirement coordination, vendor performance, and annual enrollment.
• Design and administer performance management processes that set clear expectations, connect individual performance to agency goals, address performance deficiencies, recognize contributions, and support leadership accountability.
• Assess learning needs and implement required and role-specific training, including supervisor fundamentals, respectful workplace, ethics, safety, employment practices, documentation, and leadership development.
• Oversee HR operations and employee records, including personnel files, transactions, position control, time and attendance coordination, HRIS workflows, data security, retention, reporting, and audits. Partner with Finance to reconcile authorized positions, payroll-impacting changes, benefits deductions, and workforce costs.
• Develop dashboards and regular executive reports on vacancies, time-to-fill, turnover, retention, attendance, leave, employee complaints, discipline, training, workforce demographics, personnel costs, and other indicators. Use data to identify risk, service gaps, disparities, and corrective actions.
• Lead culture, engagement, and organizational-change initiatives that reinforce ethics, accountability, inclusion, psychological safety, respectful conduct, collaboration, and high-quality service to residents and the public.
• Manage the Human Resources budget, procurements, contracts, consultants, insurance or benefit brokers, and other vendors; monitor costs, service levels, deliverables, renewals, and compliance with procurement requirements.
• Coordinate workforce-related responses to internal audits, external reviews, litigation holds, public-records requests, regulatory inquiries, and corrective-action plans. Maintain audit-ready documentation and report material risks promptly.
• Maintain appropriate access to the Secretary-Executive Director and, for sensitive matters involving executive leadership, retaliation, ethics, or significant legal/compliance risk, elevate concerns through established legal, ethics, or Board channels without interference.
• Perform other related duties consistent with the role, classification, and business needs of HACM.

Leadership and Management Accountability

• Models integrity, discretion, impartiality, responsiveness, and respect in all employment matters.
• Sets measurable departmental goals and reports progress, risks, resource needs, and overdue corrective actions to executive leadership.
• Builds manager capability instead of substituting HR for appropriate supervisory accountability.
• Protects employees from retaliation for good-faith reporting and ensures concerns are routed and addressed appropriately.
• Maintains continuity plans for essential HR services during vacancies, emergencies, system outages, or organizational transitions.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in human resources, business administration, public administration, organizational leadership, or a closely related field.
• At least eight years of progressively responsible, broad-based human resources experience, including at least three years leading staff or a major HR function.
• Demonstrated experience in employee relations, workplace investigations, corrective action, policy administration, recruitment, compensation, benefits, performance management, HR operations, and employment-law compliance.
• An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience that provides the knowledge and abilities required to perform the essential duties may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in human resources, business or public administration, organizational leadership, law, or a related field.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or another advanced, nationally recognized human resources certification.
• Experience in a public authority, municipal or quasi-governmental agency, housing organization, highly regulated organization, or organizational turnaround.
• Experience leading HRIS improvement, classification and compensation studies, organizational redesign, and audit or corrective-action work.

Required Knowledge

• Contemporary human resources strategy and administration across the employee lifecycle.
• Employment-relations principles; workplace investigations; due process; consistent discipline; accommodations and leave; wage and hour; equal employment opportunity; workplace safety; and records confidentiality.
• Public-sector governance, ethics, accountability, procurement, and records-management practices.
• Organizational design, workforce planning, change management, succession planning, learning, employee engagement, and leadership development.
• Classification, compensation, benefits, HR budgeting, position control, payroll interfaces, HR information systems, data governance, and workforce analytics.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Strategic judgment and the ability to convert agency priorities into practical workforce plans and controls.
• Independent, neutral fact-finding; risk assessment; problem solving; conflict resolution; and defensible decision-making.
• Clear written and verbal communication with employees, executives, counsel, commissioners, auditors, regulators, vendors, and community stakeholders.
• Coaching leaders through difficult personnel matters while preserving accountability, fairness, confidentiality, and appropriate documentation.
• Project management, prioritization, follow-through, budget management, vendor oversight, and delivery under urgent or changing conditions.
• Use of HRIS, applicant tracking, payroll/timekeeping interfaces, Microsoft 365, reporting tools, and data analysis to improve service and accuracy.
• Cultural competence and the ability to build trust across a diverse, multigenerational workforce serving residents and the public.

Independent Judgment and Decision-Making

The Director works within applicable law, Board-approved policy, agency strategy, budget authority, and executive direction. The position independently resolves complex operational matters, recommends policy and organizational changes, and escalates material legal, ethical, financial, employee-safety, or reputational risks. Decisions frequently involve confidential information, competing interests, significant employee impact, and precedent for the agency.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements

Work is primarily performed in an office environment and generally involves prolonged sitting and computer use, with periodic standing, walking, reaching, speaking, hearing, and repetitive hand motions. The position may require travel among HACM locations, attendance at meetings outside normal business hours, and the ability to move or position materials weighing up to 10 pounds. HACM will consider reasonable accommodations that enable a qualified individual to perform the essential functions of the position.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately.
• Ability to meet any background, reference, credential, driving, or other job-related requirements established by HACM for the position.
• Regular and reliable attendance and availability to respond to time-sensitive employee, safety, compliance, or operational matters.

HACM is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without unlawful discrimination or retaliation and in accordance with applicable law and HACM policy.

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