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City of Port Townsend Job Description
People and Performance Director
Classification title: People and
Performance
Director
Working title: People and
Performance
Director
Department: People and Performance Union: No
FLSA status: Exempt Wage Classification: 627
Hours: Full Time Effective date: Dec. 2022; May 2026
Reports to: City Manager Civil Service: No
IDEAL CANDIDATE
A strategic, compassionate, and courageous leader and change-maker with extensive public-sector
HR experience who is passionate about working collaboratively to build and nurture a positive, high-
performing workplace culture.
JOB SUMMARY
Under general direction of the City Manager, inspires and delivers a coordinated, strategic, and
positive lift to the organizational culture of the City of Port Townsend to generate greater value for
the city’s residents. In partnership with department leadership, builds and nurtures the capacity
of staff with the toolsets, skillsets, and mindsets needed to achieve better lasting outcomes
together.
Lead initiatives to inspire and instill a positive working environment characterized by teamwork,
trust, organizational values, and accountability. Drives strategic approaches around employee
engagement, training and skills enhancement, performance and performance evaluation, equity-
diversity-inclusion-access, and recruitment and retention. Plans, coordinates, and directs the
operations of the City’s People and Performance Department. Provides advice and counsel to
City staff, management and the City Manager for the resolution of human resources issues.
Interprets and administers policies and agreements, leads the negotiation team for effective labor
relations and collective bargaining contracts, and manages assigned personnel. Supports the
City Manager and all directors in assessing current and future training and skills needs for all
levels of employees and establishing an effective performance management system that awards
excellent service and technical expertise while ensuring fairness and consistency in
accountability.
Decisive but also a consensus builder with a penchant for strategic execution. Thrives and
inspires in a change management and organizational transformation role.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Develops, manages, and implements Human Resources strategies, policies, and programs
aligned with the City’s workplan. and Directs human resources operations for the City;
exercises independent judgement within broad policy guidelines; provides leadership
direction, motivation, and guidance in human resource strategies, policy development, and
People and Performance Director
priorities.
• Oversees compliance with federal, state and local employment laws and regulations.
human resource regulations, standards and legislation.
• Oversees recruitment, hiring, onboarding, retention strategies, and offboarding.
• Effectively leads employee and labor relations, including conflict resolution and collective
bargaining and builds trust between the City and represented employees. Directs and leads
organizational performance management system, as well as works with managers on its
application, including both motivating and rewarding performance excellence and tactfully and
deliberately handling discipline and performance issues.
• Supervises People and Performance Department staff.
• Serves as Chief Examiner for the Civil Service Commission; ensures proper
procedures for recruitment, testing, and maintenance of eligibility rosters.
• Oversees and manages requests for accommodation under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) and other medical disabilities.
• Prepares and administers department budget; collaborates with the City leadership team on City
priorities and budgeting.
• Oversees organizational investigations, disciplinary actions, and conflict resolution and may
conduct internal investigations. Interprets and explains Federal and State rules and regulations,
assists with interpretation and correct application of City policies and procedures, while
exercising the highest degree of confidentiality.
• Works with departments to develop and implement safety programs to reduce
accidents/injuries and to maintain compliance with State and Federal regulations. Ensures
that the City’s Accident Prevention Program is up to date.
• Serves as strategic advisor to leadership on workforce planning, organizational design, and
employee engagement. Guides leadership in coaching, feedback, and performance
conversations.
• Fosters a positive, inclusive, and high-performing organizational culture.
• Oversees training, leadership development, and employee workplace initiatives. Provides
support to leadership in assessing current and future training needs for all levels of
employees. Creates and facilitates learning and development programs based on those
assessments to identify partner needs; provides individual or group coaching; facilitates
department retreats; provides technical guidance, coaching and consultation regarding
training and development and human resource development practices and procedures to
employees, directors, and department managers.
• Oversees, develops and, in some cases, capably delivers in-house materials, training, and
resources to enhance technical professional and administrative skills of employees; creates
workbooks, manuals, handouts, visuals, modules, and other training materials; develops and
implements a blended approach that integrates different learning modes, such as coaching,
classroom instruction, and online learning.
• Oversees City personnel policy development, updates, and implementation communicates
changes to City Council and City staff.
• Leads and manages preparation of salary and benefit surveys, creates policies and overall
structure for the salary classification plans , and supervises any related contractors.
• Liaises with partner, regional, and State agencies and organizations to troubleshoot,
share learning, and maintains a proactive understanding of the current human resources
landscape in the region.
People and Performance Director
• Attends regular day and evening meetings as required, including City Council meetings.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
• Superior written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, including active listening, modeling
courageous conversations, and reflecting without judgement; approachable with an executive
presence; inspiring and compelling presentation skills and abilities
• Deep ethical foundations, honesty, empathy, and integrity; high emotional intelligence; a positive
attitude; a collaborative spirit
• High level of political acumen, including effective engagement with elected officials, strategic
collaboration with department directors, and building rapport, and partnership with external
agencies
• Decisive and able to operate to the full extent of positional authority while also amicably building
trust and consensus and bringing along and motivating colleagues and staff to make tangible
progress on a range of initiatives
• Knowledge of principles and practices of public human resources administration; an active
innovator and calculated risk-taker who is both pragmatic and visionary
• Knowledge of effective personnel policies, rules and procedures
• Knowledge of principles and concepts of performance evaluation systems, salary
administration practices, and related issues
• Knowledge of current laws and regulations pertaining to leave laws and leave administration,
employee benefits and personnel administration
• Knowledge of best practices in recruitment and hiring, employee discipline and
termination procedures and administrative support requirements
• Knowledge of safety and industrial insurance laws and application
• Proven skills in labor relations, collective bargaining and contract administration
• Proven skills in coaching, negotiating and embracing and managing workplace conflict
• Proven skill in conducting and coordinating research and analysis
• Mediation and facilitation skills.
• Communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact with diverse groups of people
• Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances, such as shifting priorities, unexpected challenges,
or variations in the workload, while maintaining composure and effectiveness
• Ability to maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with co-workers, peers, elected
officials, community groups, other agencies, volunteers, customers, and the general public
• Ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with team members, the general public, and
other departments, both verbally and in writing, using tact, patience and courtesy to convey
instructions, provide feedback, receive feedback, and resolve issues
• Ability to interpret and administer City personnel policies and procedures and negotiated
agreements
• Proven ability to organize complex initiatives and effectively prioritize multiple dependencies,
timelines and deadlines
• Ability to interpret, evaluate and apply complex rules and regulations
• Ability to plan, assign and evaluate the work of subordinate staff
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and work on confidential and sensitive matters
• Ability to lead, organize, and manage multi-departmental support activities
People and Performance Director
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
• Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, human resources, or related field
• At least 5 years of progressive human resources and labor relations experience, including at least
three years in a supervisory or management role
• Professional human resources certification (PHR or SHRM-CP or SPHR, SHRM-SCP)
• An extensive combination of directly relevant experience and training may substitute for formal
education.
Preferred
• Relevant Master’s degree
WORKING CONDITIONS
Duties are performed primarily in an office environment with sitting for long periods of time, using
standard office equipment and personal computer. The noise level in the work environment is
usually moderately quiet. May be required to interact with upset customers. This position typically
requires movement around the office, reaching, pushing, grasping, finger dexterity, hearing, seeing
and repetitive motions. Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of
force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee
to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made
to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The City of Port Townsend is an equal employment opportunity employer. The City employs,
retains, promotes, disciplines and otherwise treats all employees and job applicants strictly on the
basis of job- related qualifications and competence. These policies and all employment practices
shall be applied without regard to any individual's sex, race, color, creed, religion, national origin,
sexual orientation (including gender identity), pregnancy, age, marital status, military status,
disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties to be performed. The employee
occupying the position will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform
any other job-related duties requested by their supervisors. All employees must comply with all
City policies and procedures relevant to their position as a condition of City employment.
This job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the City and the employee
and is subject to change as the needs of the City and requirements of the job change.