Director of Personnel Services

About the role

The Director of Personnel Services is appointed by the Civil Service Commission. The Director plans, organizes, directs, and coordinates the County of Maui’s (County) comprehensive personnel management program and is the head of the Department of Personnel Services (DPS).

Responsibilities

• Represent the public interest in the improvement of human resources administration in the civil service;
• Aid in fostering the interest of institutions of learning and civic, professional, and employee organizations in the improvement of human resources standards in civil service;
• Advise the chief executive on policies and problems concerning the human resources program;
• Make investigations concerning the administration of human resources policies in the civil service, including any matter respecting the enforcement or effect of this chapter or the rules adopted thereunder, or the action or failure to act of any officer or employee with respect thereto;
• Direct and supervise all the administrative and technical activities of the director’s department;
• Establish and maintain a roster of all persons in civil service;
• Appoint employees necessary to assist the director in the proper performance of the director’s duties and for which appropriations shall have been made;
• Foster and develop, in cooperation with appointing authorities and others, programs for the improvement of employee efficiency;
• Cooperate fully with appointing authorities, giving full recognition to their requirements and needs, in the administration of this chapter to promote public service by establishing conditions of service that will attract and retain employees of character and capability, and to increase efficiency and productivity in governmental departments by continuously improving methods of human resources administration and maximizing the use of advanced technology;
• Encourage and exercise leadership in the development of effective human resources administration within the several departments and make available the facilities of the director’s department to this end;
• Investigate from time to time the operation and effect of this chapter and the rules adopted thereunder;
• Develop and maintain classification systems;
• Make recommendations and advise the chief executive on appropriate adjustments for employees excluded from collective bargaining as authorized under chapter 89C;
• Perform any other lawful acts deemed by the director to be necessary or desirable to carry out the purposes and provisions of this chapter.

Qualifications

• Be a citizen of the United States (HRS78-1)
• Be a resident of the State of Hawaii for at least one year immediately preceding the appointment, provided that the foregoing one year residency requirement may be waived by the appointing authority when the appointive officer is required to have highly specialized or scientific knowledge and training and a qualified applicant who is a resident for at least one year is not available to fill the position. (HRS78-1(b))
• Possess a current, valid motor vehicle operator’s license to drive in the State of Hawaii.

Preferred Leadership Competencies

• Strategic, forward-looking leadership — the ability to anticipate workforce and labor relations challenges across County departments and proactively shape policy and practice;
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and drive consistency across labor and management, including multiple bargaining units and a diverse, multi-departmental workforce;
• Commitment to developing HR capacity countywide, including assisting department-level personnel liaisons and strengthening consistency in policy application across departments;
• Forward-looking approach to modernizing classification systems and personnel administration methods, consistent with HRS Ch. 76 and other applicable laws;
• Clear, credible communication with employees, union representatives, County leadership, and the public;
• Sound, defensible judgment in personnel matters, with the ability to balance public accountability, merit principles, and operational needs.

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Basic Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, human resources, industrial relations, or a closely related field.
• General Experience: Five (5) years progressively responsible professional analytical work experience in human resources administration.
• Specialized Administrative Experience: Three (3) years of general experience must have been in an administrative, managerial, or supervisory capacity overseeing multiple HR functional areas (e.g., recruitment, labor relations, or classification) in a civil service framework or unionized environment.
• Substitutions Allowed: A master’s degree in human resources, public administration or a related field may substitute for one (1) year of non-administrative general experience.