WHAT DOES AN ASSISTANT HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR DO?

Published: July 28, 2025 - The Assistant Human Resources Director ensures the consistent application of personnel policies, supports labor contract interpretation, and promotes effective supervision and performance management across the organization. This role leads initiatives in staff development, diversity and inclusion, wellness, and employee retention while managing grievance investigations and ensuring compliance with employment laws. The director also drives cross-functional collaboration, evaluates HR strategies and project milestones, and contributes to advancing organizational values and service integration.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Assistant Human Resources Director

1. Assistant Human Resources Director Duties

  • Employee Counseling: Coach and guide managers on employment matters, including employee counseling, performance improvement plans, and employee relations issues
  • Employee Relations: Manages and resolves complex employee relations issues and conducts effective, thorough and objective investigations
  • HR Operations: Manages the day-to-day operations of the Human Resources Department, including following up on associate inquiries, supporting the talent and development, recruitment and associate engagement functions
  • Data Management: Manages and administers the function of the data management system to include entry of associate member data, recording employment transitions (i.e., hire, separation, leaves of absence, etc.), generating reports (i.e., payroll analysis, labor turnover, etc.), and processing unemployment claims
  • Budget Planning: Assists in the preparation of the Human Resources budget annually
  • Expense Control: Manage procurement, process payments, track actual to forecast and keep expenses within budget
  • Benefits Administration: Manage and administer the associate benefits programs
  • Wellness Promotion: Manage and administer the wellness program and promote wellness and healthy lifestyle activities
  • CSR Initiatives: Manages and administers local Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives

2. Assistant Human Resources Director Details

  • HR Systems: Helps to ensure that all HR related information is entered and managed in the Agency-selected employee management software, including new employee information, deductions, salary adjustments, evaluations, terminations, training requirements, etc.
  • Program Assessment: Assists in assessing the effectiveness of HR programs/systems and develops, recommends, and implements initiatives to consistently meet fiscal, compliance, reporting, and business objectives
  • Legal Compliance: Work to gain knowledge of legal requirements and government reporting regulations affecting corporate human resources functions
  • Policy Review: Provide input on personnel policies and needed updates
  • Benefit Management: Oversee benefit plan selection (including retirement), communication, enrollment, and administration
  • Employee Relations: Assist with employee relations issues
  • Performance Monitoring: Assist with monitoring performance appraisals and manage professional development programs to ensure effectiveness, compliance, and equity within the organization
  • Talent Acquisition: Assist with developing and administering an effective recruitment program
  • Job Analysis: Consults with supervisors to understand the requirements, duties, and qualifications desired for the specified vacant position(s)
  • Market Research: Collects and analyzes data to maintain current understanding of fair and competitive market salaries, candidate availability, and demand for candidates in particular roles
  • Process Innovation: Innovate new means of recruiting and onboarding to improve processes
  • Candidate Sourcing: Consults data and records to identify and select potential candidates for a vacant position
  • Candidate Screening: Screens candidates, selects qualified and interested candidates for the interviewing phase, and then connects viable candidates with HR Specialists or hiring managers
  • Candidate Coaching: Counsels candidates on the interview and hiring process
  • Event Coordination: Organizes and attends job fairs, campus events, and other networking opportunities
  • Feedback Collection: Collects feedback when candidates are not selected to improve the process
  • EEO Compliance: Maintains and ensures compliance with applicable equal employment opportunity (EEO) and related employment laws and regulations

3. Assistant Human Resources Director Responsibilities

  • Recruitment Administration: Administer the complete recruitment process, including job advertisement, recruitment resume, applicant tracking, and qualify candidates
  • Interview Coordination: Schedule interviews and participate in interview panels
  • Candidate Evaluation: Administer skill assessments, conduct background and reference checks on final candidates
  • Onboarding Process: Extend job offers to candidates and conduct new employee onboarding
  • Policy Interpretation: Interpret Human Resources policies and procedures
  • Position Management: Prepare and process position classification additions and changes in the CORE-CT system
  • Data Maintenance: Prepare and process changes to data such as salary, position, employment status and personal information in the CORE-CT system
  • Employee Relations: Perform employee relations duties in the absence of the Director of Human Resources
  • Training Development: Assist in developing and implementing employee development plans and/or agency-wide training that increases employees’ skill set
  • Workforce Planning: Proactively analyzes data and plans for emerging human resources needs

4. Assistant Human Resources Director Job Summary

  • HR Leadership: Establish credibility and rapport with the line supervisors and managers, as well as their team, by providing accountable and comprehensive HR functional leadership and direction
  • Employee Relations: Plan, organize, and direct all employee relations activities to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all employees, compliance with city policies, and manage legal aspects of employee/employer relationships
  • Manager Consulting: Consult with managers on all aspects of employee-related issues, including performance management, attendance, productivity, policies and procedures interpretation, misconduct investigations, corrective actions, terminations, and communications
  • HR Strategy: Establish principles and practices for the HR function by determining key performance indicators and measurements for staff and developing HR goals, objectives, systems and processes
  • Compliance Oversight: Oversee Title VII, ADA Title I, ADEA compliance efforts
  • Employee Development: Develop and implement a comprehensive employee development program
  • EEOC Representation: Serve as the City’s representative in all unemployment and EEOC matters
  • Mediation Handling: Represent the City’s interests in employment claim-related mediation with full settlement authority and discretion, with the support of counsel
  • Performance Management: Assist in the administration of organization-wide performance management measures
  • Operations Management: Manage operational budget, staff members, and occupational health clinic
  • Investigation Conducting: Conduct internal investigations on sensitive matters, including discrimination, harassment and workplace violence investigations and manage the grievance and appeal process
  • Records Maintenance: Maintain statistical data and records on employee relations matters
  • Policy Drafting: Draft, revise and maintain personnel policies and forms
  • Issue Resolution: Partners with employees, managers, and supervisors to solve workplace issues
  • Process Review: Regularly review internal processes for automation and/or adaptation opportunities
  • Benefits Administration: Assist in the administration of a comprehensive benefits program
  • Renewal Coordination: Co-facilitate the annual renewal process with brokers and benefits providers
  • Litigation Support: Coordinate the discovery process for all employment-related litigation and Workers’ Compensation mediation matters
  • Culture Building: Lead organizational culture efforts, including Employee Recognition, Appreciation, branding and team building
  • Website Management: Maintain internal and external HR Department websites
  • HR Backup: Serve in the place of the HR Director in the event of absence or inability
  • OSHA Compliance: Ensure all work is completed by OSHA standards

5. Assistant Human Resources Director Accountabilities

  • Policy Guidance: Serve as a resource to managers and other staff regarding applications of personnel policies and procedures and interpretation of the union contract
  • Supervisor Training: Promote effective supervision throughout the organization by providing orientation and training, supporting performance appraisal
  • Staff Consultation: Consulting with supervisors and managers on staff concerns and ensuring proper documentation of staff actions
  • Inclusion Commitment: Embrace the values of diversity, equity and inclusion and ensure these values are reflected in all HR initiatives
  • Document Review: Annually review and recommend changes to a variety of HR documents
  • Program Planning: Plan and implement programs for staff development, staff recognition and community building, safe work practices and wellness activities, and employee retention
  • Grievance Handling: Participate in the agency’s internal grievance process including responding to and investigating allegations, grievances and complaints
  • Legal Compliance: Stay informed and in compliance with state, federal and local employment laws
  • Relationship Building: Create and maintain strong, collaborative relationships with Program Managers
  • Project Management: Simultaneously manage multiple, deadline-driven projects, tasks and initiatives
  • Issue Resolution: Accomplish project results by identifying and clarifying issues and priorities
  • Requirement Coordination: Communicating and coordinating requirements
  • Milestone Evaluation: Expediting fulfillment, evaluating milestone accomplishments
  • Strategic Recommendation: Evaluating optional courses of action and recommending changing assumptions and direction to the Senior HR Director
  • Best Practices: Identify, communicate and incorporate best practices, feedback and lessons learned into program plans
  • Leadership Participation: Participates in regular meetings of ECS’s directors and management staff to advance the organizational vision, values, innovation, collaboration, and service integration