PEOPLE AND CULTURE OFFICER

Job Description:

PEOPLE AND CULTURE OFFICER

Description

DESCRIPTION

The City of Long Beach is seeking an experienced, creative, innovative and collaborative individual who is committed to develop and lead the Department of Public Works, People and Culture Projects Division .

Appointment to this position is expected to be at or below the midpoint $129,001.72 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 COMMUNITY

The City of Long Beach is located south of Los Angeles and adjacent to Orange County, making it an idyllic location with oceanside activities, diverse culture, and a unique economy. Long Beach is home to approximately 470,000 residents living across the area’s 51 square miles, including 169 parks with 26 community centers and many public spaces. This community is one of the most diverse in the United States, making it an excellent place to learn about and immerse yourself in various cultures. When you live in Long Beach, you get to enjoy the Southern California climate all year long, making surfing, hiking, golfing, and other outdoor activities popular in this area. Biking is a favorite pastime among residents, as this area is bike friendly. Walking around town is also easy, considering the City was rated the 10th “Most Walkable City” of over 100 cities globally. Long Beach features six miles of beaches and many parks and public spaces, as well as the Long Beach Convention Center, Aquarium of the Pacific, Queen Mary, and the annual IndyCar Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

CITY GOVERNMENT

Long Beach is a full-service Charter City formed in 1897, governed by nine City Council members who are elected by district and a mayor that is elected at-large. Elected officials also include the City Attorney, City Auditor, and City Prosecutor. The Council Members and the Mayor are subject to a three-term limit, which allows them to serve for a maximum of 12 years. The City Council appoints a City Manager and a City Clerk. The City Manager is responsible for the efficient administration of all City departments, excluding those under the direction of a separately elected official, Board or Commission.

The City Council appoints the City Manager, City Clerk, and Director of Police Oversight. The City Manager is responsible for the efficient administration of all City departments, excluding those under direction of a separately elected official, Board, or Commission. Long Beach is one of only three cities in California with its own Health Department and one of the very few municipalities with its own Utilities (Water and Gas) and Energy Resources Departments. The City is supported by a FY 2025 total budget of $3.6 billion with a General Fund budget of $752 million. More than 6,000 full- and part-time employees support municipal operations with the majority being represented by eleven recognized employee associations. To learn more about the City of Long Beach, go to: www.longbeach.gov .

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

The mission of the Department of Public Works is “to maintain and enhance the City’s infrastructure and environment for the benefit of the public.” The Department’s core services are focused on providing for and maintaining safe and efficient infrastructure for the community, providing for sustainable environmental protection including water quality and waste collection and diversion, and safely and efficiently designing, constructing, delivering, protecting, and maintaining services for public facilities and public rights-of-way. The Department has six bureaus: Business Operations, Engineering, Environmental Services, Project Management, Public Service, and Transportation Project Management. The Department has over 580 budgeted positions with an annual operating budget of $250 million and an annual capital improvement program budget of $150 million. Additional information on the Department can be found at www.longbeach.gov/pw .

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

THE POSITION
The People and Culture Officer is an at-will management position, reporting to the General Superintendent of Administration within the Business Operations Bureau. This position oversees, employee wellness, satisfaction and retention, labor relations, internal communication, development of departmental policies and procedures, and training initiatives within the Public Works department. Additionally, the People and Culture Officer will assess the effectiveness of current service delivery methods by reviewing the existing policies and procedures that impact these services.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES

Roles and responsibilities of the People and Culture Officer :

• Develop and implement a wide range of special projects, programs, and initiatives, and work closely with the Department’s management team to increase staff satisfaction, engagement, professional development and retention;
• Oversee a review of all 234 actively utilized classification specifications to ensure that accurate job duties, qualifications and skills are being recruited, and works in collaboration with the Human Resources Department to update classification specifications as necessary;
• Provide essential oversight of a department supervisory skills and core competencies analysis to close gaps in performance and reset leadership expectations while using that data to develop a new supervisory training plan;
• Facilitate department-level New Employee Orientation and New Supervisor Orientation.
• Act as liaison with the Department of Human Resources in coordination all Labor Relations matters including MOU implementation, Labor Management meetings and Grievances. Participate as a member of the Leadership team to provide a united, visible, and strong leadership presence across the organization;
• Collaborate with the Personnel Officer on strategic staffing plans, compensation, benefits, training and development, budget, and employee relations;
• Foster a positive and engaging work environment, promoting a culture of teamwork that supports the well-being, professional growth and job satisfaction of all employees;
• Identify opportunities to cultivate leadership among staff, including developing and enhancing mentoring and communications systems, and serving as an internal consultant to managers in various employee situations;
• Lead organizational change management and communications, including approaches, policies, and procedures to improve overall efficiency across the department.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate will embody the attributes of principled leadership: trusteeship, values, ethics, commitment, honesty, involvement, and vision. The?People and Culture Officer will possess a demonstrated ability to provide committed leadership in a changing government environment. The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Knowledge of Human Resources best management practices;
• Knowledge of public sector employment including labor relations and merit-based employment systems;
• Knowledge of employee training and development practices;
• Ability to handle confidential department and employee information with complete discretion;
• Ability to use a high level of tact, diplomacy, and discretion in dealing with sensitive confidential situations;
• Ability to provide advice and guidance to department managers, supervisors, and staff;
• Ability to assess and organize work and set priorities;
• Ability to communicate expectations and hold staff accountable;
• Ability to take initiative and exercise sound independent judgement;
• Ability to handle frequent interruptions while completing multiple assignments with competing deadlines;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders at all levels, including City and department management, public officials, employees, labor associations, and the public;
• Ability to manage and lead a high performing team;
• Creative problem-solving skills;
• Exceptional customer service skills and dedication to continuous improvement;
• Excellent oral and written communications skills including the ability to serve as a department spokesperson in small or large group settings;
• Experience in organizations of similar size and complexity is desirable.

REQUIREMENTS TO FILE

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The Department of Public Works invites candidates who meet the following minimum requirements to apply:

EDUCATION:

A Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Psychology, Organizational Development, Communications, Human Resources, or closely related field from an accredited college or university is required; however, candidates may substitute experience offering specific and substantial preparation for the duties of the position for the required education on a year-for-year basis.

EXPERIENCE:

Three years of progressively responsible experience, involving tasks in the management of human resource programs related to employee wellness, engagement, training, retention, or similar HR responsibilities, providing suitable readiness for the role; two years of the required experience must have been at a lead or supervisory level.

Additionally, the candidate should have:

• Successful track record of progressive responsibility in human resources/talent management;
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to anticipate and address HR-related challenges;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal;
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively at all levels of the organization.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A valid driver’s license, or the ability to arrange necessary and timely transportation for field travel, may be required for some assignments.

SELECTION PROCEDURE

This recruitment will close at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Thursday, August 28, 2025. To be considered, please submit an online application, including a cover letter, resume, and proof of education (if applicable) in PDF format. Applications that fail to include all necessary documents will be considered incomplete and will not be taken into consideration.

Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures. The selected candidate may be required to go through a background check and a physical examination prior to appointment. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements, including submission of all required attachments, will not be considered. For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact 562-570-4686.

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce. The City of Long Beach is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are. Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers. To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work by supporting staff and community partners. We are committed to promoting transparency by publishing updated demographic information for employees, including workforce diversity data and pay by race and gender.

The City of Long Beach will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act. You are not required to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until you receive a conditional job offer. If the City of Long Beach has concerns about a conviction that is directly related to the job after making a conditional job offer and conducting a background check, you will have the opportunity to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide evidence to mitigate concerns, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. Find out more about the Fair Chance Act by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act

The City of Long Beach is committed to maintaining fairness and transparency in our hiring practices. We believe in providing equal opportunities to all applicants and ensuring that every applicant is evaluated based on their qualifications and merit. If you believe that you have been unjustly disqualified based on minimum qualifications for an unclassified job opportunity, you have the right to appeal the decision. Find out more about the Unclassified Applicant Appeal Process by visiting Applicant Appeal Process (longbeach.gov) .

The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If a special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call 562-570-4686.

For technical support with your governmentjobs.com application, please contact (855) 524-5627.

The City of Long Beach offers its employees opportunities to grow personally and professionally.As a permanent employee, you are eligible to receive fringe benefits that include:

Retirement:California Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) defined benefit retirement plan, which is coordinated with Social Security. The benefit is 2.5% or 2.7% (depending on hire date) @55 for "Classic" members and 2% @62 for new members as defined by PEPRA, subject to the compensation limitations set by PERS. Both the City and the employee contributes toward CalPERS retirement contributions. The city also participates in Social Security.

Health and Dental Insurance:The City offers the choice of HMO and PPO plans. The city pays major portion of the premium for employee and dependents depending on the health/ dental plan selected.

Life Insurance:City-paid term life insurance policy equal to three (3) times annual salary to a maximum of $500,000.

Disability Insurance:City-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance.

Management Physical:Annual City-paid physical examination.

Vacation:Twelve (12) vacation days after the first year of service; 15 days after four years, six months of service; 20 days after 19 years, six months of service.

Executive Leave:Forty (40) hours Executive Leave per year. The City Manager has discretion to grant an additional 40 hours each year.

Sick Leave: One day earned per month; unlimited accumulation; conversion upon retirement to cash credit toward health and/or dental insurance premiums, or to pension credits.

Holidays:Eleven (11) designated holidays per year, plus four personal holidays to be used at the employee's discretion.

Transportation Allowance:Monthly allowance is allocated by classifications below;

• Department Head $650.00
• Deputy Director/Manager/Director (Harbor/Utilities) $550.00
• Division Officer/Superintendent/ Chief of Staff / Administrator / Principal DCA $450.00
• Assistant to Executive / Executive Assistant / Executive Secretary/ Executive Support Staff $300.00

Deferred Compensation Plan:Optional for employee contribution to a supplementary retirement savings program available through Mission Square Retirement formerly ICMA-RC Retirement Corporation).

• Classic CalPERS Members: The City will contribute a maximum of up to two percent (2%) of base salary* for all qualified Classic CalPERS members.
• Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) CalPERS Members: Effective the second full pay period following City Council adoption, the City contribution will increase from two percent (2%) to three percent (3%) of base salary* for all qualified PEPRA CalPERS members.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA):Optional election for employees to reduce taxable income for payment of allowable childcare or medical expenses.

Flexible/Hybrid Work Schedule:Available (subject to City Manager approval).

Paid Parental Leave: The City provides one hundred and sixty (160) hours of Paid Parental Leave at 100% of salary, for the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child, regardless of the gender, marital status or sexual orientation of the parent.

Closing Date/Time: 8/28/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$106,051.91 - $151,501.53 Annually