Executive
$254,005.00 - $450,339.00
per.execsearch@lacity.org
per.execsearch@lacity.org
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
The City of Los Angeles is a world-class city with a vibrant, diverse economy and an unparalleled quality of life. Los Angeles is the second largest city in the United States and has a multi-ethnic population of approximately 4 million. Los Angeles is one of the largest economies, financial entities, and trade centers in the country. It is a trend-setting global metropolis with a fascinating history and a rich cultural heritage. The City prides itself on its ethnic diversity, with an estimated 200 languages spoken. As one of the world’s great cities, Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games as well as other international events.
THE CITY ORGANIZATION
Los Angeles is a charter city, governed by the Mayor and the City Council. The City Council serves full time and has fifteen members elected by district. The other two elected officials of the City are the Controller and City Attorney. The City’s elected officials serve four-year terms. Volunteer Commissions consisting of prominent business and community leaders, appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council, oversee several City departments and bureaus.
The City has over 40 departments, bureaus, and offices for which funds are budgeted annually
by the Mayor and City Council. In addition, the City has three proprietary (enterprise) departments (the Departments of Water and Power, Harbor, and Airports), governed by Commissions, which are financed solely by revenue generated from their operations.
As part of a historic new era, Karen Bass began her first four-year term as 43rd Mayor of the City of Los Angeles on December 12, 2022 as the first woman and second African American to be elected as the City’s chief executive.
THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT
MISSION
Delivering HR solutions to employ, develop, and engage a dynamic City workforce.
VISION
The City of Los Angeles Personnel Department is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce that serves locally, thinks globally, and acts boldly.
THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT GENERAL MANAGER
The General Manager leads a department with an operating budget of over $82 million and a staff of nearly 900 full and part time positions. The General Manager is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The Personnel Department currently provides a range of human resource management services to the City organization and workforce. The divisions of the Personnel Department are:
Administrative Services: Responsible for the Personnel Department’s budget, contracts, grants, purchasing, payroll, accounting, administrative services, facilities maintenance, and emergency preparedness operations.
Civil Service Commission: Supports the Commission, which has the authority and duty to maintain the civil service system in accordance with the Los Angeles City Charter and laws of the State of California.
Candidate and Employment Records Services (CERS): Ensures all civil service applicants meet job requirements, generates eligible lists for hiring civil service positions, and maintains civil service folders for all active and former City employees.
Classification: Establishes minimum requirements and duties statement for exam bulletin and maintains the over 1200 civil service classifications.
Client Services: Provides human resources services to various departments, such as discipline, grievances, hiring, EEO investigations, reasonable accommodations and other specialized functions.
Employee Benefits: Supports the health and wellbeing of Los Angeles City employees and their families by administering the LAWell, LIVEWell, COMMUTEWell, Deferred Compensation plan, and Pension Savings Plan.
Medical Services: Divided into three distinct sections: Correctional Care (medical clinics operating within City jail facilities), Occupational Health, and Psychology and providing quality medical and specialty care services to the populations served in compliance with local, state and federal regulations.
Occupational Safety and Health: Works collaboratively with all City departments towards the shared goal of managing risk for the benefit of the safety and wellness of the City workforce in order to provide a safe and hazard-free workplace.
Office of Workplace Equity (OWE): Supports the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Accessibility (DEIBA) efforts Citywide by developing new policies and procedures, investigating reports of equity violations, leading the City’s Reasonable Accommodations program, partnering with departments to advise and assist their DEIBA efforts, and developing and sourcing training programs that instruct and inspire new ways of working more inclusively and equitably.
Personnel Innovation, Recognition, Onboarding, and Engagement (PIROE): Administers and tracks online training, manages and facilitates the City’s Core Supervisory training and other employee development programs, develops and tracks Citywide surveys related to employee engagement and development needs, and provides training and support to other Personnel Divisions and City Departments related to the implementation of process improvements/innovations.
Public Safety: Manages the recruitment and selection of entry and promotional level sworn candidates in collaboration with Los Angeles Police and Fire Departments.
Selection: Responsible for the recruitment and selection of entry and promotional level civilian candidates to serve the hiring needs of departments throughout the City, including all proprietary departments.
Systems: Supports all the Information Technology needs of Personnel employees.
Workforce Development: Tasked with improving and diversifying the City’s workforce by identifying workforce needs and solutions as well as creating alternative pathways into civil service careers through the LA Local Hire programs.
Workers’ Compensation: Operates and monitors a self-insured workers’ compensation program, ensuring the full provision of benefits under the law to employees whose injuries arose in the course and scope of employment.
The next General Manager will be expected to take the Department to the next level in the following areas:
Strengthen Partnerships with Citywide Department Leadership – Provide services in an open and transparent manner. Build cooperative partnerships and effective working relationships. Identify opportunities to extend and improve services in order to meet the changing needs of a diverse workforce for the successful implementation of critical initiatives.
Investing in our People – Collaboratively develop, implement, and evaluate programs and initiatives designed to support the City employees through training, education, and leadership development, and promote and encourage staff engagement, accountability, and performance.
Creating the Workforce of Tomorrow – Implement a comprehensive strategy to empower the 50,000 plus member workforce, centered on a “talent agenda” of attracting, onboarding, developing, and retaining staff.
Leadership and Change – As a change agent, develop proactive and strategic recommendations that will equip the organization for immediate and long-term human resource management needs; provide leadership and management necessary to create a culture of change within the Personnel Department and throughout the City organization, particularly in light of new technologies in the field of human resources.
DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS
In building a cohesive team of department heads, Mayor Bass is looking for these consistent qualities in all her General Managers:
Leaders who are not only effective managers, but also have the vision, discipline, tenacity, and skills to set and achieve strategic goals and leave a lasting legacy.
Team players who foster collaboration at all levels of the organization, with an understanding that problems and solutions routinely cross department lines and City borders.
Team builders who make it a priority to empower, coach, mentor, and recognize City staff members to increase their individual and shared capacity to achieve success.
Change agents who use data and performance metrics to drive continuous improvements and can identify when the status quo does not achieve the results that matter most.
Strategic thinkers who understand the necessity of taking the long view and the high road in order to realize outcomes that are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
Role models who personally demonstrate the integrity, work ethic, and genuine concern for their fellow Angelenos that inspires public confidence and motivate City workers to do their best.
Active learners who seek best practices across the public, private, non-profit, and academic sectors to apply them to the unique challenges and opportunities in Los Angeles.
Public servants who are passionate about building a greater city in partnership with citizens and civic groups across Los Angeles.
Additionally, top candidates for consideration will also:
Possess exceptional communication skills and responsiveness;
Have a strong background in leading core human resource management functions in large, complex organizations;
Demonstrate the ability to effectively respond to, negotiate, and resolve conflict between, and maintain positive relations with, the officers of the City, City management, the public, community organizations, governmental agencies, and news media;
Possess a track record of recognized and demonstrated leadership, accomplishment, superior performance, and of working collaboratively with public officials and groups within the human resource management profession; and
Demonstrate the capacity to build coalitions among diverse interests to further the development and implementation of a world-class human resource management program.
In summary, the successful candidate will have the leadership skills to create a culture of change, inspire teamwork, champion for open government and transparency, and at the same time, be extremely adaptable and flexible in a robust, fast-paced, and complex environment. An appreciation for incorporating best practices dealing with emerging technology, including social media, is also essential for success. Finally, it goes without saying that sterling integrity and trustworthiness are also vital in this high-profile position.
QUALIFYING EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE
Education – Graduation from a recognized and accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in public administration, business administration, law, political science, or a related field. A postgraduate degree in public administration, business administration, law, or a closely related field is strongly desired.
Experience – Five to seven years of executive-level human resource management experience in large, complex organizations, either in the public, private, or non-for-profit sectors preferred, with an emphasis on having a demonstrated track record of creating and leading organizational change, process improvement, and establishing a culture of change.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
The current salary range for the General Manager of the Personnel Department is $254,005 - $450,339 per year. This compensation is adjusted annually and is scheduled to be incrementally increased for a total of 22% between 2024 and 2028.
A highly competitive benefits package includes an independent retirement plan to which both the employee and the City contribute; a multi-option deferred compensation Plan; generous vacation and sick leave; 13 paid holidays per year; a flexible benefits plan including multi-option health, dental, and vision coverage; family and domestic partner leave; and car or car allowance.
TO BE CONSIDERED
Interested candidates should apply by sending a comprehensive resume, compelling cover letter of interest, and three work-related references with contact information via email to per.execsearch@lacity.org. References will not be contacted until mutual interest is established. All completed submissions will be acknowledged via email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Note: When emailing your application material, the subject line should be “Personnel Department General Manager.”
Submissions from interested candidates will be accepted until Monday, September 30, 2024.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
Submissions will be screened against the criteria listed in this brochure. The most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in a formal interview process with the City of Los Angeles. Top contenders will interview with Mayor Bass, and the selected candidate will be confirmed by the City Council at a regularly scheduled meeting.
This is a confidential process and will be handled accordingly throughout all phases of the recruitment and selection process. Questions and confidential inquiries may be referred to per.execsearch@lacity.org.
The position of General Manager of the Personnel Department is an exempt, at-will management position. The incumbent will not accrue any civil service tenure, contractual employment rights or due process rights. The General Manager is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The incumbent may be removed, without any finding of cause, by the Mayor. Such removal would not be reviewable or appealable.