Human Resources Director

The City of Wilmington is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Are you a focused, strategic Human Resources leader who has demonstrated success building and supporting highly functioning teams and organizations?   

The City of Wilmington is seeking a Human Resources Director to serve as its chief human capital strategist and lead the City’s human resources programs, services, and workforce initiatives with integrity.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff and serving on the Executive Leadership Team, the Human Resources Director provides strategic guidance on complex workforce matters and ensures the City’s personnel practices are fair, consistent, and legally compliant. The Human Resources Director oversees all human resource functions including recruitment and retention, classification and compensation, employee relations and investigations, benefits administration, training and development and HR information systems.

Note: This position will remain open until filled with first application review taking place 2 weeks from posting date.

Responsibilities of this position include: 

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Change

• Develop and implement a comprehensive human resources strategy aligned with the City’s strategic priorities. 
• Perform analyses and employ critical thinking to support continuous improvement efforts.
• Serve as a key partner to executive and departmental leadership in shaping organizational structure, leadership development, and workforce strategy across City departments.
• Guide the City through workforce changes, organizational transitions, and modernization of HR practices.
• Lead initiatives to strengthen organizational culture, employee engagement  and leadership development.
• Identify workforce trends and develop proactive strategies to address recruitment, retention, and succession planning.
  
  

• Build a high-performing team of human resources professionals who can support City leadership in making the City of Wilmington an “Employer of Choice”
• Ensure a customer-centric approach and provide timely and accurate service to City departments, employees, applicants, and other stakeholders.
• Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, and professional development opportunities for HR staff.
• Oversee all HR operations including recruitment, benefits, compensation and classification, employee relations, training and development, and HRIS.
• Evaluate and improve HR processes to enhance efficiency, responsiveness, and transparency.
• Ensure the HR department operates in a trustworthy and collaborative way.
  
  

• Provide leadership and oversight of employee relations functions including workplace investigations, disciplinary processes, grievance management, and conflict resolution
• Ensure personnel matters are handled fairly, consistently, and incompliance with applicable laws and policies.
• Provide guidance to department directors and supervisors regarding complex employee relations issues.
• Oversee investigations involving allegations of misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other workplace concerns.
• Ensure investigative processes are thorough, impartial and legally defensible.
  
  

• Develop, review, and implement personnel policies and procedures to support effective workforce management.
• Ensure policies comply with federal and state employment laws and reflect best practices in municipal human resources management.
• Advise executive leadership and City Council on personnel policies and workforce initiatives. 
• Promote consistent application of policies across departments.
  
  

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws including Title VII, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, ADEA, and related regulations.
• Partner with the City Attorney’s Office on employment-related legal matters.
• Identify and mitigate potential organizational risks related to workforce practices.
• Maintain a fair, respectful, and legally compliant workplace environment for all employees.
  
  

• Develop and manage the Human Resources Department operating budget.
• Monitor expenditures and ensure responsible stewardship of public resources.
• Evaluate staffing, technology and HR operations to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Public Administration, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field with ten (10) years of progressively responsible human resources specific experience to include no less than five (5) years of supervisory or leadership experience.

Additional Qualifications

• Valid driver's license with acceptable driving record
• Experience in municipal or public-sector human resources strongly preferred
• Professional HR certification such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or IPMA-HR certification preferred (required within 1 year of hire)

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be an experienced human resources leader with a history of building effective teams and the ability to guide an organization through periods of transition, growth, and change. This individual will bring a strategic mindset, critical thinking skills, and a bias for action.  The ideal candidate will demonstrate their capability in building credibility and trust across an organization.

The successful candidate will demonstrate sound judgment, integrity, and strong executive communication skills. They will be comfortable advising senior leadership on complex workforce matters and leading the organization through challenging employee relations issues with fairness, consistency, and professionalism.  This individual will be a problem-solver who will align practices, policies, and resources to drive a culture of accountability and mutual respect.

• Office Work: Primarily sedentary, involving prolonged sitting, computer use, telephone and office equipment operation, and standard office tasks. Requires visual acuity, hearing, and manual dexterity for reviewing documents, analyzing data, and completing administrative responsibilities.

• Field Work: require standing, walking, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, pushing, pulling, and lifting or carrying objects up to 10 pounds occasionally. Employees may encounter uneven terrain, traffic, construction areas, and outdoor weather conditions and must use appropriate personal protective equipment.

• General Requirements: The position involves occasional travel to meetings, evening events, and after-hours response, as needed, in support of a 24-hour municipal operation. All work is performed in compliance with applicable State and Federal OSHA regulations, including hazard communication, personal protective equipment, and slip, trip, and fall prevention

Our Core Values: 

INCLUSION | COLLABORATION | CREATIVITY | ACCOUNTABILITY

Our Mission Statement:  Through forward-thinking policies and responsible stewardship, we are creating a better city every day with excellent core services and quality of life for all.

What we offer:

The City of Wilmington believes that employees are one of our most important resources.  We offer an excellent salary and competitive benefits package to serve the needs of our employees and their families.  Our benefits package includes:  

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance + many other insurance options
• Excellent retirement benefits, including a city provided 4.5% contribution each pay period into a 401(k) account and automatic enrollment into the North Carolina Local Government Employees’ Retirement System
• Employer-paid health & wellness clinic
• Free on-site city gym access  
• Paid sick and vacation leave + 13 paid holidays per year
• 6-weeks paid parental leave
• Paid volunteer & blood donation leave to give back to our community
• Flex schedule and telework availability, depending on your position
• Professional development trainings & leadership initiatives 
• Tuition assistance benefits

Applicant Status Updates:  After the closing date for this position, applications will be screened by Human Resources. Applicants who meet the minimum and/or preferred qualifications will be referred over to the hiring department.   All updates regarding an application can be viewed through your applicant portal.