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Job Description
MGT is pleased to partner with Gallatin County, MT (pop. 118,960) to recruit a Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). The new CHRO will be both a technical and strategic leader, adept at handling the needs of the department as well as being a dedicated advocate for change who will help evolve the department into a trusted resource for leaders seeking expert HR guidance, advice, and collaborative solutions — someone who is committed to realizing our goal of the county becoming an employer of choice!
The Position
This key leader will collaborate with county leaders and the HR team to assess departmental needs and implement key programs, including training, to equip staff for their roles and support their professional development.
To succeed, the CHRO must stay updated on national policies and trends affecting the organization, balancing departmental interests, and adjusting priorities to meet evolving demands while focusing on long-term strategic goals. Prioritizing continuous improvement and service efficiency is crucial, along with implementing safeguards to uphold organizational integrity and ensure accountability for rules and responsibilities while consistently enforcing policies and procedures.
The role requires extensive knowledge of compliance issues, including federal, state, and local employment laws, as well as proficiency in organizational development, employee relations, diversity, HR planning, compensation and benefits, payroll, labor relations, training, occupational health, and safety, HRIS, dispute resolution, and ADA compliance.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field. A master’s degree is preferred.
- A minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience in a complex environment.
- A related master’s degree may be considered with a minimum of 4 years of experience.
- Demonstrated commitment to staying current in human resources best practices, as evidenced by ongoing education, relevant certifications, and professional development activities.
The Department
The human resources department has an operating budget of approximately $631,000 and a team of five that supports 650 employees and four collective bargaining units. The department is essential in managing a self-funded health insurance program and risk management. They are also responsible for developing and administering best practice recruiting, retention and training programs and ensuring the County’s human resources system -- including compensation and benefit plans, collective bargaining agreements, and county policies – effectively support all team members in a dynamic and high performing environment.
Other Important Information
The hiring range for this position is up to $165,500 DOQ.
Employees enjoy comprehensive health and wellness benefits, and the county encourages a healthy work/life balance by offering paid holiday, vacation, and sick leave plans. Program details can be found on Gallatin County Benefits Summary. (The summary is not yet available for 2025, but there have been no changes from
2024 summary.
The Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration (MPERA) / PERS administers saving for retirement programs and employees have the choice between a defined benefit (DB) or defined contribution plan (DC) retirement plan.
The posting deadline date is Friday, January 24, 2025. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply online at www.GovHRjobs.com with resume, cover letter, and contact information for five supervisory and/or professional references. For more information or confidential questions, please feel free to contact Joan Walko, MGT Senior Consultant at (410) 499-9586.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Gallatin County does not discriminate against any applicant based on race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
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ABOUT THE COMPANY
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GovHRUSA
Show moreHeidi Voorhees and Joellen Earl have extensive experience in local government consulting and in local government administration. This experience along with an understanding of the changing needs of local government led them to form GovHR USA, a comprehensive consulting firm that provides executive recruitment, interim and contract staffing, management and human resources consulting and professional development to clients.
Ms. Voorhees has led more than 150 recruitments for local government and not for profit entities across the country and takes pride in facilitating a tailored, thorough process that gives elected and appointed officials the tools they need to make critical human resource decisions. In addition, her firm, Voorhees Associates (2009 – 2013) provided management consulting in compensation, performance evaluation, public safety and organizational audits to more than 53 clients in 6 states.
In addition to her 13 years of executive recruitment and management consulting experience, she has 19 years of local government leadership and management service, with the Villages of Wilmette and Schaumburg, Illinois, and the City of Kansas City, Missouri. From 1990 to 2001, Ms. Voorhees served as the Village Manager for Wilmette, Illinois, one of Chicagoland’s notable residential suburbs located on the shore of Lake Michigan. During her tenure, Ms. Voorhees focused on delivering high quality services, streamlining administrative and management functions and team building throughout the organization that employed 200 individuals. Under her leadership, the organization developed a collaborative budget process, formalized its long range capital improvement program, and developed budget and financial policies that led to the achievement of a AAA bond rating for the community.
Since leaving the Village of Wilmette in 2001, Ms. Voorhees has been an Adjunct Instructor for the Center for Public Safety located on the campus of Northwestern University. She has instructed law enforcement executives in the Executive Management Program on management, community relations, and organizational culture. Ms. Voorhees has also been an Instructor for the Northwestern University Master’s Degree Program in Public Policy and Administration.
Ms. Voorhees holds a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. She also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Illinois State University.
Ms. Earl has 24 years in local government administration and in 2011 co-founded GovTempsUSA with Ms. Voorhees. GovTempsUSA has served more than 70 local governments in six states by providing interim and contract staffing solutions to communities in need of immediate and long term assistance. In addition, Ms. Earl leads the human resources consulting practice for the firm which specialized in classification and compensation studies, staffing analysis and human resources audits and assessments and virtual human resources assistance for participating local governments and other public sector clients.
Ms. Earl has worked in local government executive positions in three states: Massachusetts, North Carolina and Illinois; and in six jurisdictions, with populations ranging from 15,000 to 150,000: Holden, Northborough, Yarmouth and Barnstable, Massachusetts; Catawba County, North Carolina; and Evanston, Illinois. She has held positions from Human Resources Director and Administrative Services Director to Assistant Town Manager and Assistant County Manager. Ms. Earl has worked in forms of government ranging from Open Town Meeting to Council-Manager and has supervised all municipal and county departments ranging from Public Safety and Public Works to Mental Health and Social Services.
Ms. Earl brings strategic focus to management and has the proven ability to start with a conceptual idea, identify stakeholders, develop a scope of work, supervise the agreed upon process, and deliver desired outcomes. Specific examples include:
Cape Club Property Acquisition and Creation of Pilot House II
Barnstable, MA
Unified Development Ordinance and Mental Health Agency Merger
Catawba County, NC
Community Budget Process
Evanston, IL
In addition, she is adept at assessing service delivery, identifying efficiencies and areas of opportunities and implementing recommendations. In Evanston, she developed a new department of Administrative Services and improved operations in all areas: Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology and Parking Operations, with a 30% reduction in staff.
Ms. Earl holds an undergraduate degree in Economics from Worcester State College in Worcester and a Master of Public Administration degree from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She is a proponent of continuing education and continuous learning. She attended the Senior Executive Institute, Leading, Educating and Developing (LEAD) Program, at the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service in 2008.
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