HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER
Recruitment #2608-4383-001
| List Type | Original |
|---|---|
| Requesting Department | DPW-WATER-BUSINESS |
| Open Date | 8/3/2026 3:05:00 PM |
| Filing Deadline | 8/21/2026 11:59:00 PM |
| HR Analyst | Nola Nelson |
Introduction
The City of Milwaukee is proud to employ a workforce
dedicated to delivering exceptional service to its residents. If you are
passionate about being part of an inclusive team of public servants, please
consider the following opportunity.
Owned by the City of Milwaukee and under the policy direction of the mayor and the Common Council, the Milwaukee Water Works (MWW) is a national leader in providing high-quality, healthy drinking water. The MWW adheres to regulations of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for facilities, operations, and water quality. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) sets water rates and service charges and monitors the MWW’s accounting. The MWW purifies Lake Michigan water to provide fresh drinking water to 866,993 people in 16 communities in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Waukesha Counties.
Please visit this link for more information
about the MWW.
Purpose
The Human Resources Administration Manager leads the MWW's
human resources (HR) functions, including talent management, compensation and
benefits, training and development, payroll, compliance, and worker
safety.
Essential Functions
Recruitment, Hiring, and Onboarding
- Maintain a current list of vacancies, approve requests to fill vacant positions and attend City of Milwaukee Finance & Personnel committee meetings for the vacancy agenda.
- Coordinate MWW attendance at job fairs and attend various events.
- Ensure regular review, revision, and dissemination of all MWW job descriptions to respective staff; assist managers and supervisors with drafting new job descriptions.
- Review job announcement bulletins (JABs) drafted by the City’s Department of Employee Relations (DER) for original (external) and Citywide transfer/promotional (T/P) recruitments; draft JABs for internal T/P opportunities.
- Collaborate with DER to ensure equitable access to MWW job opportunities and assist with targeted recruitment promotion to broad and diverse audiences.
- Maintain a catalog of standard interview questions by position; perform regular review of the questions to ensure they remain relevant and appropriate for the position.
- Manage the background check processes for selected candidates; review background check results.
- Review and maintain MWW's new employee orientation materials and assist hiring managers with the onboarding process.
Workforce Development
- Oversee MWW’s training management processes to ensure appropriate training is assigned and completed in all sections of the Utility; identify additional training and learning opportunities for various positions.
- Participate in various Department of Public Works (DPW) workshop presentations to employees to provide training and skill-building.
Personnel Management
- Manage MWW’s Visual Organizational Inventory (VOI) of positions.
- Develop, review, and maintain MWW policies, work rules, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) related to HR and employee relations.
- Assist managers with various personnel actions such as promotions and temporary, provisional and emergency appointments and manage the administrative processes associated with these actions.
- Assist managers in addressing performance issues using coaching, performance improvement plan (PIP), formal notifications, and disciplinary actions.
- Respond to disciplinary grievances and appeals.
- Gather data and compile statistics related to various personnel activities such as employee retention, attrition, salaries, etc.; provide data to various professional organizations to satisfy departmental requirements.
- Attend City Service Commission (CSC) meetings for various personnel-related matters.
Classification, Compensation, and Benefits
- Gather information, collaborate with managers, and submit requests for classification, reclassification, reallocation, market studies, salary incentives, special salary rates, and other actions.
- Provide information to managers, supervisors, and employees regarding position classification, salary, and other City benefits.
- Manage MWW’s Sick Leave Control processes by reviewing sick leave use, placing employees with excessive sick leave use in the program, and monitoring compliance with additional requirements for further sick leave occurrences.
- Respond to requests for information related to Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims.
HR Compliance
- Manage the preparation and maintenance of employee records.
- Stay current with federal laws and state statutes regarding employment, including their current interpretation and application.
- Develop, review, and disseminate MWW personnel and employment-related policies and procedures.
- Serve as MWW’s Compliance Officer regarding Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other legal personnel matters and laws.
Payroll Management
- Manage the workflow of the MWW payroll team and oversee staff work assignments.
- Monitor the timely completion of timecard entries at the close of each pay period; provide managerial assistance and support to the MWW payroll team.
- Approve payroll adjustments entered by the MWW payroll team.
- Ensure personnel actions are entered into the Human Capital Management (HCM) system in a timely and accurate manner.
- Interview, onboard, and train staff in the duties of their position.
- Conduct and approve performance appraisals and evaluations.
- Model strong customer service skills; counsel staff on providing high-quality service, best practices, and professional development.
Workplace Safety
- Work with the DPW Safety Section to manage safety-related training, follow up on workplace injuries and injury claims, and transitional duty assignments for employees with temporary work restrictions.
- Manage and conduct all aspects of personnel investigations stemming from allegations of discrimination or harassment.
- Prepare or oversee the preparation of formal complaint responses, working with other City agencies, including the City Attorney’s Office.
- Administer MWW’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) compliance and workers' compensation program.
We welcome qualified individuals with disabilities who are
interested in employment and will make reasonable accommodations during the
hiring process in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of
1990, as amended by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)
of 2008.
Conditions of Employment
- Ability to work flexible hours, including some evenings and weekends.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources administration, business administration, social or behavioral science, or a closely related field.
- Five years of professional-level experience in human resources management, including applying laws related to selection, compensation, equal employment opportunity, and various types of leave.
- Valid driver’s license at the time of appointment and throughout employment.
Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be
considered.
NOTICE: Please do not attach your academic transcripts to your employment application. The hiring department will verify candidates’ education as part of the background screening process prior to extending any job offers.
Desirable Qualifications
- Knowledge of the City of Milwaukee’s civil service administration, employee regulations, and ordinances.
- Knowledge of human resources best practices in the government sector.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Other Characteristics
Technical
- Knowledge of HR practices, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, classification, payroll, succession planning, and performance improvement.
- Knowledge of federal and state employment labor laws and the ability to interpret and effectively apply them.
- Ability to learn and effectively perform accurate data entry in the HCM system.
- Proficient skill with standard computer applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, to include the import and export of information and performing queries.
- Customer service skills to assist staff and other stakeholders with inquiries and problems.
- Analytical skills to gather, research and review information to determine trends and offer solutions.
- Ability to read, interpret and write reports and make accurate calculations.
- Commitment to professional development and staying abreast of best practices in HR management.
Leadership and Management
- Ability to execute managerial duties, including interviewing, onboarding, training, evaluating, motivating, and developing staff.
- Ability to handle staffing and performance issues, including implementing PIPs and discipline.
- Ability to have difficult conversations while conducting personnel investigations.
- Ability to perform well under pressure and handle sensitive or complex inquiries and complaints.
- Ability to effectively and positively represent MWW before committees and the public.
- Ability to develop and maintain divisional standard operating procedures.
Communication and Interpersonal
- Ability to effectively interact with diverse staff and the public, labor unions, educational and community organizations, municipal agencies, and officials.
- Verbal communication skills to share and present information to others with different perspectives and levels of understanding.
- Written communication skills to prepare clear and concise business correspondence and reports.
- Knowledge of the English language, including grammatical and punctuation conventions.
- Ability to take a positive, professional approach to work and with others.
- Ability to foster an environment of inclusion wherein all employees are valued, treated respectfully, and feel safe to express themselves.
- Ability to build effective working relationships with managers, fellow staff, and city contacts.
- Ability to work cooperatively and fairly with people whose backgrounds may differ from one’s own.
Critical Thinking and Professionalism
- Ability to respond calmly and effectively to sensitive or complex inquiries and complaints.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and tact in handling confidential personnel matters.
- Honesty, integrity, and the ability to maintain complete confidentiality.
- Ability to meet competing, challenging, and ever-changing priorities.
- Ability to work within tight time constraints.
- Ability to identify areas of improvement and develop strategic plans to address them.
- Ability to establish systematic methods of accomplishing goals.
- Ability to seek and utilize resources and assess alternative courses of action to make decisions.
- Ability to make independent decisions, when needed, based on experience, knowledge, and training.
- Organizational skills to manage time effectively and prioritize multiple projects and tasks.
- Attention to detail and the ability to perform work with a high degree of accuracy.
- High degree of initiative and dedication to process improvement.
- Ability to work independently and function as part of a team.
- Ability to serve as an effective steward of City resources.
Current Salary
The current salary range (Pay Range 1LX) is $116,493-$139,868 annually,
and the current resident incentive salary range for City of Milwaukee residents
is $121,153-$145,463 annually. Appointment above the minimum is
possible based upon the level of experience and other qualifications and is
subject to approval.
BENEFITS
The City of Milwaukee provides a comprehensive benefit
program which includes:
- Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Defined Benefit Pension Plan
- 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
- Health and Dental Insurance
- Paid Parental Leave
- Comprehensive Wellness Program
- Onsite Clinic Services
- Onsite Employee Assistance Program
- Alternative Work Schedules
- Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Group Life Insurance
- Tuition Benefits
- Paid Vacation
- 12 Paid Holidays
- Paid Sick Leave and other paid leaves
- Flexible Spending Arrangement
- Commuter Value Pass
For full details of the benefits offered by the City
of Milwaukee, please visit https://city.milwaukee.gov/der/benefits.
Selection Process
THE SELECTION PROCESS will be job-related and will consist of one or more of the following: an evaluation of education, experience, and/or responses to supplemental questions; a written or performance test; a structured interview; or other assessment methods. The Department of Employee Relations reserves the right to call only the most qualified candidates to structured interviews and performance examinations. Structured interviews may include written exercises. Selection process component weights will be determined by further analysis of the job.
INITIAL FILING DATE - The selection process will
be held as soon as practical after the deadline listed above. Receipt of
applications may be discontinued at any time after this date without prior
notice. However, recruitment may continue until the City's needs have been met.
Qualified applicants will be notified of the date, time, and place of the
selection process components. Unless otherwise required by law, the City of
Milwaukee will not provide alternative dates or times for the selection process.
The applicant is responsible for attending all phases of the job selection
process at the time and place designated by the City of Milwaukee.
Additional Information
- Applications and further information may be accessed by visiting www.jobapscloud.com/MIL.
- If you need help completing an application, please contact the Department of Employee Relations at (414) 286-3751 or staffinginfo@milwaukee.gov.
- The Department of Employee Relations is in City Hall, 200 E Wells St, Room 706, Milwaukee, WI 53202.
Conclusion
EEO Code = 208
The City of Milwaukee values and encourages diversity and is
an equal opportunity employer.
Click on a link below to apply for this position:
| Fill out the Supplemental Questionnaire and Application NOW using the Internet. |






