Human Resources Director

Multnomah County Health Department
Human Resources Director

About the Multnomah County Health Department
Every day, Multnomah County’s dedicated employees and partners work to make the community healthier. More than a third of Multnomah County families struggle to meet their basic needs. The twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism have revealed the systemic challenges residents face, from the crisis of homelessness and housing affordability; food instability and domestic violence to lack of access to health care and how people who are older or have a disability are treated. Against that backdrop, Multnomah County is a grounding force that has the people, the power, and the values to make a difference for those in need.

The Multnomah County Health Department works to keep the community healthy and provide quality care for people who otherwise might not be able to afford it. The Department works directly with patients, design and evaluate programs, partner with other agencies to provide comprehensive care, and address public health issues that affect everyone living and working in Multnomah County.

The mission of the Health Department is to promote and protect the health of the people of Multnomah County. In order to best reach the diverse populations served, the Health Department has primary care clinics, dental clinics, pharmacies and other medical facilities located throughout the Multnomah County region.

Additionally, the Department provides specialized programs, such as early childhood services, immunizations, environmental health services and school-based health centers. To read more about the work of the Multnomah County Health Department please visit https://www.multco.us/health/about-health-department/about-our-programs

Mission

We work with communities to advance health equity, protect the most vulnerable, and promote health and wellness for everyone.

Vision

Thriving communities that nurture the health and resilience of all.

Values

Compassion and Care: We treat all with kindness, dignity and respect as we seek to uplift one another’s humanity.

Empowerment: We work collaboratively to ensure that our policies and programs amplify people’s voices and uplift community-driven solutions.

Racial Equity: We acknowledge that racism negatively affects everyone in our county, and we commit to accelerating our progress in eliminating racial inequities.

Connection: Our success depends on the diversity, brilliance, and care of one another. So that employees reach their full potential, we further environments that instill trust,

About the Position
Reporting directly to the Health Department Director, the HR Director oversees a team responsible for providing resources and leadership to Health Department employees in a way that fosters a supportive, compassionate, safe, trustworthy, respectful, and motivating work environment. Human Resources supports a workforce of over 1900 staff at various work sites where Public Health, Behavioral Health, Corrections Health, Integrated Clinical Services, and Finance/Business Services operate.

This is a key leadership position responsible for developing and executing organizational human resources strategy. The HR Director aligns human resources strategy with the direction of the Health Department and ensures the HR system is effective and efficient in its design and operation. The Director embraces and promotes a customer-centered HR philosophy.

In addition, the HR Director provides expertise, consultation and leadership to ensure a highly skilled and diverse workforce is hired, supported, and retained while upholding the department’s core values of equity and inclusion, managing the compliance of personnel rules and legal requirements and developing and maintaining partnerships with labor unions and community stakeholders.

The key functional areas that drive Human Resources operations are:
•      Recruitment and Staffing that include onboarding new staff, strategic partnering with leadership on critical staffing priorities while driving diversity targets and strategies, also includes career counseling for staff seeking skill development and promotion and strategies for building networks and partnership with community organizations to foster pipelines for County employment.
•      Employee Relations that involves working with management and staff on matters related to employee satisfaction and recognition, team development, employee and supervisor performance management and coaching.
•      Labor Relations that involve leading and managing investigations, providing conflict resolution and mediation, partnering with County Labor Relations and Legal teams on union contract interpretation, compliance and negotiations, and interpretation and compliance of local, state, and federal law requirements. This work also involves partnering with union staff representing AFSCME Local 88, Dental and Physicians, and Oregon Nurses Association collective bargaining agreements.
•      Other Human Resources Operations areas include Workday implementation, Leave Administration, ADA, Privacy Compliance, Classifications/Compensation, Data Management and Employee File Maintenance.

Importantly, the HR Director will be responsible for integrating the Organizational Development team into the HR Division. Organizational Development supports the Health Department’s effectiveness by helping to set a unified departmental strategy and developing leaders who foster a culture of safety, trust and belonging. Services include organizational assessment, change management, strategic planning, executive coaching, leadership and team development, onboarding, mentorship, succession planning, equity and inclusion coaching and training, communications and marketing, and culture change.

The Ideal Candidate
The Multnomah County Health Department seeks a respected and unifying HR leader who is energetic, strategic, visionary, responsive to the workforce demands of the twenty-first century, and who will be able to continue ongoing efforts to promote the organization as an employer of choice. Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and experience planning and executing HR change management strategies.

The HR Director will provide leadership that inspires and encourages others to deliver their best performance and who will build equity, diversity and inclusion as key components of leadership, business planning and customer service.

The candidate is expected to have experience working with executive teams to set direction, develop and implement HR policies, and have had demonstrated success developing, implementing, and evaluating programs. The ideal candidate is creative, has the ability to adjust quickly to changing priorities and conditions, and establishes positive relationships with employees, peers and partners.

The candidate’s leadership strengths include consensus building, problem solving, decision-making, training and organizational development, coaching, fostering collaboration, and team building. As the top HR executive, the candidate will need to be skilled in all aspects of communication, such as listening, persuasion, negotiation, and relationship management.

Desirable Qualifications
A Bachelor’s Degree and five years of experience managing human resources programs and professional staff. Public sector HR experience and labor relations experience is highly desirable. Professional Certification (SPHR) in human resources management is a plus.

About the Area
Multnomah County Oregon has a diverse population exceeding 8000,000, covering an area of over 465 square miles. Although the county’s beautiful and progressive city of Portland has the cultural and recreational opportunities of a large city, it has the heart of a small town. In addition to Portland, Multnomah County encompasses cities such as Fairview, Gresham, Maywood Park, Troutdale and Wood Village. Portland is just thirty minutes from the Cascade Mountains, with hiking, world-class ski resorts, camping and fishing. Travel one-hour west to find some of the most dramatic and pristine beaches on the west coast. Portland lies in the Marine west coast climate region, marked by warm, dry summers and rainy but mild winters.  Portland is a foodie’s dream, with regional cuisine featuring microbreweries and micro distilleries, local wine, seafood, and produce; along with one of the country’s largest food cart scenes and the quirky Voodoo Donuts, home of the maple-bacon donut. Classical music, ballet and our art museum live comfortably alongside vibrant contemporary art and jazz music scenes. Portland is a reader’s paradise – our libraries boast the largest circulation in the country and bookstores abound. Sauvie Island, an agricultural and scenic wildlife preserve, has some of the region’s best produce, including Oregon’s famous berries.  Portland has been referred to as one of the most environmentally friendly or “green” cities in the world. The city and region are noted for strong land-use planning and investment in light rail, supported by Multnomah County, a distinctive regional government.

Application Process
Persons interested in this position should submit the following information:
A cover letter describing your interest in and qualifications for the position
A current resume

If you have questions regarding this announcement, please call Marissa Karras at 360-956-1336. This position will remain open until filled but the screening process will move quickly. In order to be considered for the first round of interviews please submit your application materials at karrasconsulting.net as soon as possible.

Multnomah County is an equal opportunity employer and is strongly committed to enhancing the diversity of its workforce. We will provide assistance in the recruitment, application and selection process to applicants with disabilities who request such assistance.

If you are a veteran and want to apply for veterans’ preference, please include a statement in your cover letter that you are a veteran AND submit a copy of your DD214 or DD215 or other documentation with your application packet by the closing date. Veterans’ preference cannot be honored for this recruitment without it.

Total Compensation
The annual salary range for this position is $101K-$163K.  Multnomah County is an excellent employer offering an outstanding benefit package including health, dental, disability and life insurance; defined benefit pension; 6% of salary contribution to retirement paid by the County; work-life balance; annual public transit pass; vacation and sick leave.  For more information about Multnomah County benefits please visit http://web.multco.us/benefits/new-hire-benefits