Human Resources Officer (Class & Comp)

Human Resources Officer: Classification & Compensation

City of Long Beach, CA

Salary DOE/DOQ: $121,200 – $171,702* DOE/DOQ

*Appointment to this position is expected to be at or below the midpoint ($146,451) of the salary range, however, the final amount will be carefully determined based on the candidate’s knowledge, skills, qualifications, and an evaluation of internal equity within the organization.

The City of Long Beach, California, is seeking a skilled and forward-thinking Human Resources Officer (HRO) to lead the City’s newly established Classification & Compensation Division within the Human Resources Department. This brand-new position presents an exciting opportunity to modernize and centralize classification & compensation practices, ensuring competitive pay within City parameters, career progression, and workforce alignment across all City departments. Reporting to the Manager of Administration, the HRO will oversee a growing team of analysts and play a pivotal role in developing a structured classification & compensation program that supports the City’s workforce needs. With a focus on innovation, and strategic workforce planning, this role will drive critical projects such as  overseeing classification & compensation studies, supporting labor negotiated studies, the development of a comprehensive classification & compensation structure, and modernization of outdated classification specifications. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in public sector classification & compensation, a strategic mindset, and the ability to navigate the complexities of a unionized municipal environment.

If you are a strategic HR leader with deep technical classification & compensation expertise, public-sector experience, and a passion for project management and modernization, we encourage you to apply!

See the full recruitment brochure here: https://irp.cdn-website.com/80f4e9b5/files/uploaded/2025_HRO_CC_LB.pdf

THE HR DEPARTMENT

The HR Department (Department) plays a critical role in supporting the City’s mission by attracting, developing, and retaining a talented and diverse workforce. Measure JB, which was approved by voters in November 2024, will fully integrate the Civil Service Department within the HR Department in 2025. The integrated Department operates with approximately 111 staff and an annual FY25 budget of $49.1M. The Department includes seven bureaus comprised of: Administration, City Safety, Labor Relations, Personnel Operations, Talent Management, Risk & Occupational Health Services, and Systems Management. The Department partners with all other City departments to ensure alignment with strategic objectives and community needs, fostering an organizational culture of collaboration and high performance.

The Classification & Compensation Team

The HR Department’s Administration Bureau is looking to develop a team solely dedicated to a creating a modernized and efficient Classification & Compensation Program. This team will be responsible for developing a structured classification & compensation program, providing guidance to departments, and ensuring that classification structures, competitive pay within City parameters, and job specifications are updated, relevant, and sustainable. The immediate need will include managing a backlog of requested classification/ compensation studies, coordinating completion of a contracted classification and compensation project, and proactively working to improve procedures and efficiency in the City’s job classification system.

Key upcoming projects & initiatives include:

• Develop and manage the City’s Centralized Classification & Compensation Program.
• $500k Classification & Compensation Study Project: Oversee the implementation of a large-scale classification & compensation study to update outdated classifications, which may include managing outside consultants.
• Explore and Adopt Innovative Solutions for Class Spec Revisions: Identify ways to leverage technology to improve efficiency in classification & compensation processes.

THE POSITION

The Human Resources Officer – Classification & Compensation (HRO) will be a pivotal member of the HR Department’s Administration Bureau, reporting directly to the Manager of Administration. With two direct reports currently, the HRO will be responsible for building and leading a dedicated classification & compensation team that will work closely not only with the Department’s Administration and Talent Management Bureaus, but all City departments.

This role will oversee job analysis and classification processes, ensuring that job descriptions and salary structures are current, equitable, and aligned with the City’s workforce needs. The HRO will implement a citywide compensation structure, develop classification structures that identify reporting relationships and job families, and provide departments with clear processes for submitting and managing classification & compensation requests. Additionally, the HRO will work closely with department heads, labor teams, and executives to ensure consistency in classification standards, manage stakeholder expectations, and establish a structured update cycle for classification specs, many of which have not been updated in decades. By fostering proactive relationships and streamlining processes, the HRO will play a key role in modernizing the City’s approach to classification and compensation.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate is an experienced HR leader with a strong background in public sector classification & compensation, job analysis, and workforce planning. They must have successfully developed and implemented classification & compensation programs, navigated politically sensitive HR changes, and worked within the complexities of public sector processes, ideally in a unionized environment. This is a working manager role—someone who understands the nuances of government operations, can effectively collaborate with labor groups and department leaders, and is capable of rolling up their sleeves to guide their team while delivering meaningful, structured results.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in related field.
• Experience: Three years of increasingly responsible experience in human resources, which includes overseeing classification and/ or compensation matters with one of those years in a supervisory or lead capacity.

DESIRED

• Master’s degree
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Global Remuneration Professional (GRP), or other relevant professional certification
• Experience working in a unionized public sector environment
• Experience with workforce and succession planning

SUBSTITUTIONS

• Education may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for lengthy experience and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

SALARY & BENEFITS

An annual salary of $121,200 – $171,702* DOE/DOQ (*appointments usually take place at mid-point $146,451), plus a generous benefits package.

See the full recruitment brochure here: https://irp.cdn-website.com/80f4e9b5/files/uploaded/2025_HRO_CC_LB.pdf

HOW TO APPLY: For first consideration, apply by April 18, 2025, at: https://www.tristargovsolutions.com/careers

SAVE THE DATES: Interviews have been firmly scheduled to take place in-person on May 8th and 9th. Candidates must be available for both interview dates.

QUESTIONS? Please contact your recruiter, Sam Sackman, with any questions:

●      Email: sam@tristargovsolutions.com

●      Website: www.tristargovsolutions.com

●      Phone: 408-605-0790