The City of Wichita is seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as its next Director of Human Resources. This is a high-impact executive role with the opportunity to lead HR at scale, influence organizational strategy, and support a workforce of more than 3,300 employees across 16 departments. Working closely with a new and dynamic City Manager and executive leadership team, the Director aligns workforce strategies with organizational priorities and helps integrate HR into decision making across the organization. This role offers the ability to drive meaningful change, modernize HR practices, and prepare the workforce for future challenges.

Why This Role
• Lead HR for the largest city in Kansas and a national Top 50 city with over 400,000 residents
• Guide a workforce of 3,300+ employees across diverse service areas
• Influence executive decision making and organizational strategy
• Navigate a complex labor environment with upcoming contract expirations beginning in 2026
• Help modernize Human Resource systems, workforce planning, and service delivery
• Direct a department of 16 staff members with an annual budget of $2.4 million

The Role
The Director leads the City’s comprehensive Human Resource function, including talent acquisition, workforce planning, employee and labor relations, compensation and benefits, learning and development, organizational effectiveness, and Human Resource systems. This role requires a leader who can operate at both a strategic and operational level, setting direction while ensuring execution and consistent, effective personnel practices across the organization.

The Ideal Candidate
The City is seeking a practical, forward-thinking leader who brings both strategic perspective and strong operational experience. The successful candidate will:
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the City Manager and senior leadership
• Build strong relationships across a complex organization
• Demonstrate sound judgment and a solutions-oriented approach
• Lead teams, manage change, and improve organizational performance
• Be comfortable operating in a unionized environment

Qualifications
Required:
• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, public administration, business, or a related field
• Seven years of Human Resource leadership experience, including oversight of multiple HR functions
• Experience advising senior leadership and leading organizational initiatives

Preferred:
• Master’s degree
• Three years of public sector Human Resource leadership experience
• Experience with labor relations and collective bargaining
• Professional HR certification

A cover letter including major responsibilities and accomplishments plus a detailed resume is required at application (submit online, in the attachments section). A minimum of three (3) professional references is preferred.

Compensation & Application
The City of Wichita offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
Interested candidates should apply through the City of Wichita careers website.