About the job Chief Human Resources Officer
POSITION PROFILE: CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER- RAMSEY COUNTY
Influence Executive Search is leading the search for the next Chief Human Resources Officer for Ramsey County. This is a pivotal leadership role where youll shape the countys workforce strategy, drive innovation in HR practices, and foster an inclusive, high-performing culture. As the strategic HR leader, youll collaborate with executive leadership to attract, retain, and develop top talent while championing diversity, equity, and belonging across the organization.
THE COMMUNITY: RAMSEY COUNTY
Ramsey County is home to over 550,000 residents, Ramsey County is the second-most populous county in Minnesota and is located in the heart of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. As one of the original counties of the Minnesota Territory, Ramsey County has a rich history and is known for its diverse, vibrant communities and commitment to innovation.
Despite being Minnesotas smallest county by land area (170 square miles), Ramsey County is its most densely populated, encompassing Saint Paul (the state capital and county seat) and 18 additional cities. The county is recognized for its high quality of life, extensive parks and recreational facilities, and dynamic economic opportunities.
Ramsey County delivers a wide range of essential services to residents, businesses, and visitors, including:
Public Safety & Justice Law enforcement, emergency response, and legal services.
Community & Social Services Connecting residents to assistance programs, job readiness services, and veteran benefits.
Infrastructure & Sustainability Maintaining county roads, bridges, parks, and public transportation.
Public Health & Environment Managing recycling and yard waste, food safety inspections, and responding to public health emergencies.
Civic Engagement Overseeing voter registration, elections, and public library services.
POSITION:
The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) reports to the County Manager or a Deputy County Manager and provides strategic Human Resources leadership to achieve the countys vision, mission, goals, core values, and priorities. This key leadership position assists the County Manager in managing and administering the affairs of the county and carrying out the policies of the County Board. The position serves as the principal Human Resource advisor to the County Manager, County Board, and senior management team.
The CHRO is the strategic leader for all human resource functions across Ramsey County and is responsible for leading, directing, and supervising the Countys Human Resources Department. The department is responsible for supporting all service teams in the performance of their business objectives and supporting all activities related to Human Resources.
These activities include advancing racial equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives; talent management, attraction, recruitment, outreach, interviewing, hiring and onboarding; job classifications and compensation; employee benefits design and administration; training and organizational development; Human Resources systems technology (HRIS); and labor relations.
These services are delivered across all County teams and are central to transforming Ramsey Countys vision, mission and goals into tangible outcomes for current and future employees. This position leads in advancing major change initiatives and new human resource strategic initiatives to ensure the Countys talent strategy is at all times modern, inclusive and establishing Ramsey County as an employer of choice for current and prospective employees.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR A:
Transformational Leadership Driving culture change and innovation.
Inspires employees with a strong vision for the future.
Encourages continuous improvement and new ways of working.
Helps shift workplace culture toward inclusivity, engagement, and high performance.
Servant Leadership Building trust and strengthening employee engagement.
Focuses on employees' needs, growth, and well-being.
Encourages collaboration and inclusivity.
Listens to feedback and ensures HR policies align with employee experiences.
Strategic Leadership - Aligning HR with the countys mission and long-term goals.
Balances daily HR operations with big-picture strategy.
Ensures HR policies support the countys vision for equity, service excellence, and efficiency.
Uses data and analytics to guide workforce decisions.
JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) will lead all aspects of Ramsey Countys human resources strategy, including talent acquisition, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, labor relations, compensation, benefits, and organizational development. The CHRO will be a key member of the countys leadership team, driving initiatives that foster a high-performing, inclusive workplace culture.
Other accountabilities include:
A high level of professional integrity, strong ethics and values, leads by example and displays honest and ethical behavior in all interactions, ensures that actions and words are consistent, and follows through on commitments.
A strong commitment to the vision, mission, values, and goals of the County.
A strong commitment to eliminating race-based disparities; ensures the Countys HR policies, practices and department culture advances racial equity in the workplace and in how staff serve the community.
A strong commitment to and experience in creating a diverse, successful workforce in a large organization; respect for the diversity of customers and county employees, including individuals with a disability or whose first language may not be English.
Qualities of adaptability, dependability, and accountability; leads by example in displaying honest and ethical behavior in all interactions, ensuring that actions and words are consistent, and following through on commitments.
Inspires and empowers staff; builds a culture that drives forward purpose and goals with creativity and innovation at all levels; fosters high staff morale by building a trusting and collaborative environment, providing opportunities for individuals to learn, grow professionally and feel safe and supported in their work.
Knowledge of HR value-added principles associated with each human resources function: equity and inclusion, recruitment and hiring, classification and compensation; HRIS, labor relations; benefits; training and organization development; and risk management.
A strong ability to set expectations, delegate responsibilities, trust the leadership and abilities of individuals on their team to achieve results, while being accessible to problem solve and provide counsel.
An ability to create, communicate and advance a compelling and inspired vision and sense of purpose that will motivate individuals and positively influence the current and future state of Ramsey County.
An ability to hire, identify and develop exceptional organizational leaders and productive workforce while appreciating the benefits of work-life balance for the organization and individuals.
An advanced ability to effectively listen, speak, write, present, facilitate, and interact in a persuasive manner, diffuse difficult situations and manage conflict appropriately with public and private individuals and groups.
An ability to meet the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in HR products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with internal customers and gains their trust and respect.
A commitment to work collaboratively with organized labor and its representatives to achieve the County's vision, mission, and goals.
An ability to develop budget principles, techniques, and strategies
An ability to lead and drive organizational change; encourages creativity and innovation in service delivery.
An ability to objectively coach leaders and staff at all levels through complex, nuanced, and at times difficult issues.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Below are some typical requirements for the Chief Human Resources Officer.. We recognize that skill sets can be a complex combination of experiences. If your background does not precisely match these requirements, but you have a passion for our work, we would love to hear from you, and we recognize the value of transferable skills.
A Bachelors Degree in human resources, industrial relations, law, public administration, or a closely related area.
Or any equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.
Eight(8) years of broad-based experience in HR with increasing levels of responsibilities.
At least four (4) years of leadership and supervisory experience.
HOW TO APPLY
Ramsey County has partnered with Influence Executive Search in this search. Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and salary expectations no later than 9:00 pm on May 1, 2025. All submissions are received in the strictest confidence.
You can apply by submitting your application online here: (Add jobs lite link)
Salary & Benefits Disclosure
COMPENSATION
Ramsey County offers a competitive salary range of: $148,531.61-$220,732.52 for this role, as well as excellent benefits and perks.
BENEFITS
Ramsey County provides a wide range of employee benefits to support health, well-being, and work/life balance including participating in the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA).
Benefits eligibility can vary depending on union status/contract language. A summary of benefits is provided below. Detailed information is available for review at:
Ramsey County's comprehensive benefits package