Human Resources Manager at City of Gresham, OR

About the Department

The City of Gresham is seeking qualified candidates to fill a new position as a Human Resources Manager. This position provides professional human resources consulting services to City departments. Reporting to the Human Resources Director, this position leads and directs the HR Business Partner (HRBP) team in the administration of employee and labor relations. The HR Manager will also serve as a spokesperson in labor negotiations, grievance processes, and dispute resolution, working collaboratively with the union partners, and department leadership.

This job announcement will remain open until the position is filled.

As Oregon's fourth-largest city, Gresham is a welcoming community of hard-working people where tradition and heritage meet innovation and opportunity. Gresham is a dynamic and rapidly growing city where families and businesses have a mutual desire and drive to thrive. City of Gresham employees care deeply about the community they serve and go 'one step beyond' to deliver services in collaborative, inventive, practical, and nimble ways. Our work is challenging, fast-paced and rewarding.

We believe that to deliver the highest level of service to all Gresham community members, it is crucial we employ a diverse workforce, foster an inclusive working environment, and ensure our policies and systems result in equitable outcomes. The City seeks candidates who will support these values by continuously incorporating equity in their daily work and actively contributing to a workplace culture that respects unique viewpoints, life experiences and cultural perspectives. Come build the future with us.

Position Duties

What you will get to do:

• Supervise and lead the HRBP team hire, coach, evaluate, and develop staff; manage day-to-day operations; establish performance metrics; identify and implement process improvements.

• Provide professional HR consulting services in employee and labor relations investigate misconduct, discrimination, and harassment complaints; ensure legal compliance of policies; lead contract negotiations, MOUs/LOAs, and grievance/dispute resolution in collaboration with the CAO; advise on corrective and disciplinary actions. Interprets and applies collective bargaining agreements, employment laws, and City policies to provide consistent, legally sound guidance. Analyzes trends in grievances, complaints, and labor relations matters to recommend proactive strategies.

• Support cross-functional initiatives participate on interagency task forces and special projects; develop best practice policies and SOPs; partner with Training staff to deliver leadership and compliance training; provide guidance to management and staff on policies and procedures. Designs and delivers training for managers and supervisors on employee and labor relations practices, policies, and dispute resolution techniques.

• Provide strategic HR leadership serve as a member of the HR management team; act as HR Director in their absence; model respectful leadership and promote an inclusive, high-performance workplace culture grounded in integrity, consistency, and creativity.

Qualities we are looking for:

• Proven record of being a collaborative, diplomatic leader with strong labor relations and negotiation expertise.

• Skilled in conflict resolution, grievance handling, and policy interpretation.

• Demonstrates integrity, accountability, adaptability, and problem-solving ability in a fast-paced environment.

• Committed to equity, inclusion, and respectful workplace practices.

• Ability to coach and develop others, foster teamwork, and promote innovation while ensuring compliance with employment laws. Experienced in building and sustaining collaborative relationships with labor representatives and City stakeholders.

• Analytical thinker who uses data and metrics to anticipate issues and inform proactive solutions.

Work schedule/environment:  

This position is based on-site at the City of Gresham’s City Hall office building. Employees are expected to work primarily in the office to provide direct support to City leadership, staff, and labor partners. Occasional attendance at off-site meetings, hearings, or community events may be required.

Minimum Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of HR management theories, principles, and practices, including employee relations, collective bargaining, and labor contract negotiation.
• Extensive knowledge of dispute resolution procedures, administrative rules, and federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing labor and employment.
• Skill in problem-solving, with the ability to develop innovative and practical solutions to complex issues.
• Ability to define legal issues, perform research, analyze problems, evaluate alternatives, and make sound, well-reasoned recommendations and decisions.
• Ability to exercise diplomacy, discretion, and tact in dealing with sensitive and confidential matters.
• Knowledge of modern office practices and methods and software applications; ability to operate office equipment and technology tools.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, present information, proposals, and recommendations clearly and persuasively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all contacts.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field. 
• Three (3) or more years of increasingly responsible professional experience in Human Resources or management, including experience focused on employee and labor relations.

Any combination of qualifying education, training and/or experience equivalent to seven (7) to ten (10) years will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field.
• Certification in Human Resources, Employee Relations, or Labor Relations, such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PSHRA-CP, PSHRA-SCP, IPMA, CLRP, CERP, etc.
• Six (6) or more years of increasingly responsible professional experience in Human Resources or management, including five or more years focused on employee and labor relations.
• Public-sector experience in labor relations, including working with collective bargaining agreements and union representatives.
• Experience developing Human Resources policies, procedures, and/or training programs.
• Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity and inclusion in the workplace.

Other Qualifications

To apply for this position, click 'Apply' at the top of this job posting.

Required application materials:

• Complete online application (Do not type 'see resume' in any fields or leave work experience fields blank in the application template.)
• Answers to supplemental questions

 The City of Gresham offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education verified in your application. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum and preferred qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Oregon Equal Pay.

If you desire a modification of this process to accommodate a disability, please provide your request in writing to [email protected], or by phone to 503-618-2729, upon submitting the required application documents.

A review of application materials including your response to supplemental questions submitted will determine which candidates will be invited to an interview.

Communication with candidates will be done primarily through e-mail. Sometimes these messages may land in a spam or junk mail folder. We encourage you to monitor your inbox as well as the inbox within the governmentjobs.com portal for important updates related to this process.

Veteran's Preference

The City of Gresham provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with state law. Any candidate wishing to have their qualifying veteran's preference applied to the process must submit a qualifying document (DD Form 214 or 215) at the time of application providing proof of eligibility that includes discharge status. Disabled veterans must also submit a copy of their Veteran's disability preference letter from the US Department of Veteran Affairs at the time of application, unless the information is included in the DD Form 214 or 215.

Our Commitment

The City of Gresham is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without unlawful regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, familial status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, Oregon, or local law.

Please direct questions about this position to 503-618-2729 or [email protected].

If you need assistance with the online application, please contact NEOGOV directly at 1-855-524-5627.

Any offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check. 

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