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ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Human Resources

City of Chicago

Chicago, ILFull-time$125–142K/yrSeen 5 days agoSeen in employer's feed 5 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$125–142K/yr
Location
Chicago, IL
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Not specified

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Job overview

The Assistant Director leads an operational division within the Office of Public Safety Administration’s Human Resources function. The role directs staff and daily operations, oversees personnel processing, hiring, payroll, investigations support, training compliance, and administrative workflows, and advises on personnel and labor matters. It also coordinates operational improvements, monitors performance and compliance, prepares reports for leadership, and liaises with departments, agencies, and consultants.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Staff LeadershipPerformance ManagementStrategic PlanningPersonnel ManagementPayroll AdministrationLabor RelationsHiring OperationsInvestigations SupportTraining ComplianceOperational TroubleshootingPerformance MeasurementRegulatory ComplianceBudget PreparationGrant FundingFinance and AccountingContracts AdministrationPurchasingAccounts PayableInventory ManagementReport PreparationDashboard PreparationStakeholder Liaison

Qualifications

9+ Years Related Experience or Associate's+7 Yrs or Bachelor's+5 Yrs or Master's+4 Yrs2+ Years Supervisory ExperienceBackground InvestigationDrug Screen

Full job description

Description:

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Assistant Director

Office of Public Safety Administration (OPSA)

Human Resources

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $125,316 - $141,660

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59pm CDT on 11/06/2026

Under direction, this class functions at the managerial level participating in the Office of Public Safety Administration’s (OPSA) leadership staff. The class manages a major division or program; has direct responsibility for division or program operations; and works to implement and enhance City infrastructure, services, programs and initiatives across City government; and performs related duties as required

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

  • Functions as the head of an operational division within OPSA by leading and directing staff and supporting sworn and civil personnel

  • Manages daily operations by assigning work, setting expectations, monitoring performance, conducting performance evaluations, and ensuring adherence to organizational policies and practices

  • Coordinates work efforts with management in developing strategic plans and implementing changes in staffing, operating procedures, and work processes designed to improve the administration of programs, increase operational efficiencies and accomplishments

  • Provides guidance to staff on complex personnel, payroll, and labor-related matters and stays abreast of relevant laws and regulations pertinent to program division or program operations

  • Oversees daily operations in personnel processing, hiring, payroll, investigations support, training compliance, and administrative workflows.

  • Reviews escalated personnel actions for accuracy and policy alignment and troubleshoots operational issues such as hiring delays, payroll discrepancies, discipline, workflow bottlenecks, or compliance concerns.

  • Facilitates and implements directives from department leadership ensuring they are implemented by setting expectations, monitoring performance, and managing resources

  • Develops and implements performance measurement systems to track operational efficiency, service delivery, and staff productivity

  • Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing program operations

  • Manages and provides guidance on functions including budget preparations and grant funding, human resources, labor relations, finance and accounting, contracts administration and purchasing, accounts payable, inventory management, and administrative operations activities,

etc.

  • Prepares comprehensive reports, dashboards, and briefings for departmental leadership

  • Serves as a liaison with operating departments, governmental agencies, and private consultants participating in collaborative projects

Additional duties may be required for this position

Location: Public Safety Headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Avenue

Days: Monday - Friday

Hours: 9:00AM – 5:00PM

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

  • Nine (9) years of experience related to the responsibilities of the position, of which at least two

(2) years must be in a supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as defined below by any of the

following:

o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);

o working as a project or program manager;

o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others,

working as a senior or team lead), OR

  • Graduation from an accredited college with an Associate’s degree in a field related to the duties

performed, including seven (7) years of work experience related to the position, of which at least

two (2) years must be supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as defined below by any of the

following:

o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off

requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);

o working as a project or program manager;

o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others,

working as a senior or team lead), OR

  • Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a field related to

the duties performed, including five (5) years of work experience related to the position, of which

at least two (2) years must be supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as defined below by

any of the following:

o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off

requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);

o working as a project or program manager;

o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others,

working as a senior or team lead), OR

  • Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree or higher in a field

related to the duties performed, including four (4) years of work experience related to the

position, of which at least two (2) years must be supervisory or supervisory-equivalent role as

defined below by any of the following.

o direct supervision of staff (e.g., assigning and reviewing work, approving time off requests, preparing performance evaluations, hiring and discipline, etc.);

o working as a project or program manager;

o performing functional oversight (e.g., coordinating or directing the work of others,

working as a senior or team lead)

NOTE: Candidates must pass a background investigation, drug screen, and other pre-employment procedures as determined by the Office of Public Safety Administration.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to complete an interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp\_info/JobClassification/Classification\_and\_Pay\_Plan\_2026.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here. (https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dhr/provdrs/emp.html)

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

How this job compares

Set against the 5,536 open Human Resources jobs on Olive Jobs, counted October 29, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$125–142K/yr
  • Illinois median$97–139K/yr127 salary ranges
  • US median$99–143K/yr2,637 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $133K, is 15% above the Illinois median midpoint ($116K) — in the middle half of Human Resources salary ranges in Illinois.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 185 open Human Resources jobs in Illinois and 5,536 across the US. 4% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Illinois
Experience
This posting asks for at least 4 years of experience; Human Resources postings that state a minimum ask for 5 years at the median (3,877 postings).
Education
1,540 of the 5,536 open Human Resources jobs (28%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on October 29, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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