PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATOR

City of Long Beach; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Long Beach is seeking a Personnel Administrator (Administrative Officer) to provide leadership for personnel and payroll services in the Police Department. The position reports to the Business Operations Bureau Chief and serves on Command Staff.

The role drives labor relations, recruitment, training, and employee relations while ensuring compliance with Civil Service rules and Memoranda of Understanding across multiple union contracts. A full-time in-office schedule is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience in labor relations, payroll services, and personnel management.
• Public sector experience and knowledge of Civil Service rules are highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Oversee talent acquisition, onboarding, and payroll processing for a large police department.
• Maintain employee records and documentation across divisions; ensure compliance.
• Lead labor relations, grievance handling, and pre-arbitration investigations.
• Coordinate with Finance and HR to ensure payroll requirements and compliance.
• Provide guidance on personnel policies, Civil Service Rules, and MOU compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Labor relations

Payroll services

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration

Master’s Degree in Public Administration/HR (Desirable)

Job description

Applications are available online beginning Friday, September 18, 2026, through 11:59 PM, Tuesday, October 06, 2026.

INTERVIEW DATE: Candidates selected to move forward in the selection process will interview on Thursday,October 15, 2026.

The City of Long Beach is seeking a Personnel Administrator (Administrative Officer) to ensure efficient human resources and payroll services are provided to the Police Department.

THE COMMUNITY

Ideally located on the Pacific Ocean south of Los Angeles, adjacent to Orange County, the City of Long Beach, California (population 470,000) is frequently described as a series of strong, diverse interwoven smaller communities within a large city. Enjoying an ideal Southern California climate, Long Beach is home to an abundance of cultural and recreational options. The Long Beach Convention Center, Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary, and the annual Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, plus a wide variety of other attractions (two historic ranchos, three marinas, and five golf courses), serve to draw 6.5 million visitors a year. The City is also home to California State University, Long Beach, and Long Beach City College. Cal State Long Beach is the second largest university in the state and was recently ranked the No. 3 best–value public college in the nation. Covering approximately 50 square miles, Long Beach is supported by a wide mix of industries with education, health and social services, manufacturing, retail trade, and professional services comprising the highest representation. Known for its livable and desirable neighborhoods, Long Beach was named by America’s Promise Alliance as one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People two years in a row. While it offers all the amenities of a large metropolis, many say Long Beach offers the added benefit of having maintained a strong sense of community and cohesiveness despite its growth. A superb climate, quality schools, a vibrant downtown, and a wide variety of neighborhoods help make Long Beach one of the most livable communities in the country.

CITY GOVERNMENT

Long Beach operates as a charter city governed by an elected Mayor and nine City Council members elected by district. The City Manager, appointed by the Mayor and City Council, oversees the daily operations of 15 departments and a proposed FY26 citywide annual budget of $3.7B. The City employs over 6,000 full-time and part-time staff; dedicated to providing exceptional public services with the vast majority being represented by eleven employee associations.

• City Departments
• Proposed FY26 Budget
• 2030 Strategic Vision
• Elevate '28 Infrastructure Investment Plan

The City of Long Beach fosters an environment where every employee is celebrated for their individuality and unique talents they bring to their role. Reflecting the diversity of the community within the workforce is a key priority embraced at every level of the organization—from management to policy creation. City Leadership actively promotes equity and inclusion by partnering with staff and community stakeholders to advance fairness in all initiatives. Transparency remains a cornerstone of these efforts with demographic data, including workforce diversity and pay equity by race and gender, shared publicly to ensure accountability and progress.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Long Beach Police Department’s mission is public safety through partnerships. The Department provides a diverse array of services in order to safely and constitutionally address a variety of public safety concerns; its core services include 24/7 response to 9-1-1 emergencies and general calls for service, criminal investigations, victim support, police contract services supplied to external agencies, and a growing workload stemming from federal and state legislative mandates. The Police Department has over 1,187 employees with a budget of $269 Million.

The Business Operations Bureau has 38 employees; an operating budget of over $10.8 Million and three divisions Finance and Facilities, Personnel and Training, and the newly created Special Projects - Leaves and Payroll Division.

The Personnel Administrator is a member of the Department's Command Staff Team and reports directly to the Business Operations Bureau Chief.

The Department is seeking an experienced personnel professional to serve as a key member of the Police Department’s Command Staff. This position provides leadership and expertise across a broad range of personnel functions, including labor relations, recruitment, training, employee relations, and personnel operations. The Personnel Administrator will work closely with Department leadership, employees, employee representatives, and City partners to address complex personnel matters, improve processes, and support the Department’s operational and organizational priorities.

THE POSITION

The Personnel Administrator is an at-will management position responsible for overseeing personnel operations and human resources services for the Police Department. This position provides strategic leadership and operational oversight across the full spectrum of human resources and personnel functions for a department of over 1,187 sworn and civilian employees. The Personnel Administrator is responsible for directing labor relations, recruitment, training, employee relations, payroll operations, and personnel administration, and leads both Department-level and citywide personnel initiatives. The Personnel Administrator reports directly to the Business Operations Bureau Chief and partners closely with the Wellness Administrator to coordinate personnel and wellness initiatives across the Department.

As the Department's subject matter expert on labor relations, personnel services, and staff management, the Personnel Administrator advises Command Staff and senior leadership on complex and sensitive personnel matters affecting both sworn and civilian personnel, including executive management. The position identifies administrative and personnel-related challenges, develops solutions and programs to address them, and ensures sustained compliance with Department policy, Civil Service rules, applicable Memoranda of Understanding, and state and federal legal requirements. This position requires a full-time, in-office work schedule.

This position serves as a member of Command Staff and provides guidance to leadership regarding personnel policies, procedures, Civil Service Rules and Regulations, and human resources best practices.

Directs and manages complex human resources operations including:

• Manages all aspects of talent acquisition, employee onboarding, and employment processing for a large police department workforce.
• Maintains comprehensive employee records and documentation systems for multiple divisions;
• Handles complex labor relations matters, grievance procedures, and conducts pre-arbitration investigations to resolve contract disputes.
• Manages compliance across five union contracts simultaneously; leads the Meet and Confer process, providing strategic planning and guidance to Command Staff and Subject Matter Experts.
• Oversees payroll operations for full-time and part-time staff, including timekeeping, payroll processing, record maintenance, and position control systems.
• Coordinates with Financial Management and Human Resources to ensure employment requirements and payroll compliance across the entire Department.
• Provides oversight of Live Scan and AWID access operations.

Interprets complex personnel matters and provides guidance:

• Interprets and applies federal and state laws, City policies and procedures, union contracts, and memoranda of understanding to complex personnel decisions and disputes.
• Provides guidance to supervisors and administrators on difficult personnel-related issues and reviews applicable documentation for appropriateness and legal compliance.
• Advises on progressive discipline and performance improvement processes for non-performing employees.
• Designs and delivers strategic human resources services across multiple bureaus and divisions to address competing needs.
• Aligns employee training and development initiatives with Department and citywide goals.
• Oversees employee safety, disaster preparedness, and return-to-work programs.

Leads and develops personnel:

• Selects, supervises, evaluates, and trains divisional personnel.
• Builds effective working relationships with employees, supervisors, Department leadership, and City partners to support the delivery of responsive human resources services.
• Identifies operational and administrative problems, develops process improvements, and implements training to improve efficiency.
• Serves as liaison to Human Resources, Financial Management, other City Departments, and external operations, including committee representation.

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE ATTRIBUTES

Leadership and Relationship Building

• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership on complex and sensitive personnel matters, balance competing priorities, and build agreement among employees, supervisors, management, and employee representatives.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Police Department Command Staff, employees and their representatives, and other City employees.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate confrontational or emotionally charged situations while maintaining professionalism, sound judgment, and appropriate confidentiality.
• Ability to communicate complex personnel issues, policies, agreements, and requirements clearly and effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to represent the Police Department management on sensitive personnel matters in small and large group settings.
• Demonstrated ability to assess situations and make sound judgment when managing high-pressure or time-sensitive situations.
• Demonstrated high level of integrity in handling confidential and sensitive personnel matters.
• Demonstrated dedication to responsive quality customer service and continuous improvement.

Analytical and Organizational Skills

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex personnel issues, evaluate competing interests, and develop practical recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to identify underlying problems, determine appropriate resources or information needed, and develop solutions that address the issue rather than only the immediate concern.
• Experience evaluating and improving with business process, including documenting workflows and implementing changes that improve efficiency and reduce errors.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize a high volume of work manage multiple deadline and maintain accuracy across complex systems and competing priorities.

Experience

• A minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience performing a variety of personnel-related duties of a complex nature;
• A minimum of one (1) year of supervisory experience; and,
• Experience in labor relations and payroll services.

Education

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Human Resources Management, or a related field.
• Management experience offering specific and substantial preparation for the duties of the position may be considered as substitution for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

Desirables

• Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Human Resources Management, or a related field.
• Experience working in a public safety setting.
• Professional human resources certification (e.g. PHR, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, IPMA-SCP, etc.).

A valid California driver license is required to perform work-related duties, including driving to meetings and work events.

*Required documents, such as transcripts, degrees and/or certification, must be uploaded to the online application at time of filing. Any proofs submitted must contain either the applicant’s name or other identifying characteristic on the documentation. Degrees must indicate the field of study and conferral date on diploma or transcript. Candidates who possess degrees from college or university from outside the United States must attach proof of educational equivalency at the time of filing.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE WILL DEMONSTRATE

• Professional human resources certification (e.g. PHR, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, IPMA-SCP, etc.);
• Experience working on public safety related issues;
• Broad understanding of Human Resources practices and procedures;