Director of Talent
Salary
Depends on Qualifications
Location
Houston, TX
Job Type
Regular Full-time
Job Number
16898
Department
Commissioner Precinct 4
Opening Date
07/01/2026
Closing Date
7/31/2026 11:59 PM Central
Max Number of Applicants
100
Position Description
The Director of Talent leads Harris County Precinct 4's comprehensive people strategy and oversees all six divisions of Talent: Employee Support, Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning, Development & Training, Compensation & Benefits, and Compliance.
Reporting to the Chief Compliance Officer, the Director serves as the senior HR executive for Precinct 4 and is responsible for building a high-performing, mission-driven workforce aligned with the Precinct's values of heart, hustle, and higher standards. This role ensures that Talent systems, programs, and policies are strategic, equitable, data-driven, and responsive to the operational needs of more than 500 employees across Centers, Parks, Road & Bridge, General Services, and Administrative functions.
The Director of Talent is accountable for the design and execution of the precinct-wide Talent strategy, including organizational development, leadership pipeline creation, culture and engagement initiatives, risk mitigation, recruiting effectiveness, compliance infrastructure, and overall employee experience. The role requires strong leadership, exceptional judgment, and the ability to partner closely with executive leaders and front-line managers while maintaining a highly visible presence across the precinct.
Job Duties and Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Talent Division Oversight
Lead, develop, and manage all six Talent functions, ensuring integration, consistency, and high-quality service delivery across the precinct.
Oversee annual strategic planning for Talent, including the development and execution of all division Key Performance Objectives (KPOs) such as competency frameworks, leadership academies, succession plans, career pathways, and incident reduction goals .
Advise executive leadership on organizational health, workforce readiness, staffing models, and long-term people strategy.
Manage Talent division staff (HRT Manager, Talent Acquisition, Training & Development, and HR Generalists) and ensure professional growth and accountability.
Leadership Pipeline, Succession Planning & Workforce Development
Implement and maintain precinct-wide succession planning for director-level and other critical roles.
Oversee the development of career pathways for Operators, Groundskeepers, Supervisors, and administrative roles.
Launch and scale the Emerging Leaders Training Program, Leadership Academy, and other workforce development initiatives aligned with required employee competencies .
Identify organizational capability gaps and build targeted learning solutions to prepare current and future leaders.
Performance Management & Organizational Effectiveness
Lead the full performance management cycle, including implementation of Performance Review 3.0, 360 feedback processes, competency alignment, coaching frameworks, and manager capability building.
Ensure on-time, consistent, and legally compliant delivery of performance evaluations across the precinct.
Use data and dashboards to assess performance trends, training needs, and workforce risks.
Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
Develop and oversee strategies to improve time-to-fill, quality of hire, internal mobility, and recruiting pipelines.
Partner with managers to ensure effective job development, interviewing practices, selection criteria, and onboarding execution.
Lead workforce planning efforts, including staffing models, turnover analysis, talent forecasts, and internal promotion strategies.
Employee Support, Culture & Engagement
Strengthen precinct-wide engagement through surveys, listening sessions, town halls, roundtables, and culture-based programs.
Lead the action planning necessary to improve engagement metrics, reduce voluntary turnover, and achieve designation as a Top Workplace.
Maintain a visible presence across workplaces to support Operators, Administrators, Parks teams, and Community Center employees.
Oversee employee relations, conflict resolution, and support systems to maintain a fair, safe, and inclusive environment.
Compensation, Benefits & HR Operations
Oversee compensation strategy, market analyses, job classifications, pay structures, and internal equity reviews.
Partner with county benefits teams to optimize benefit programs and lead precinct-wide open enrollment.
Ensure accurate and timely payroll operations in partnership with HRIS and Finance.
Oversee HR systems, reporting, dashboards, and workflow optimization.
Compliance, Policy, Safety & Risk Management
Ensure Talent compliance with all federal, state, and local labor laws, and county requirements.
Lead precinct-wide HR compliance efforts, including policy development, handbook maintenance, audits, and NeoGov transition.
Oversee risk assessments, safety initiatives, and programs designed to reduce preventable workplace and vehicle incidents per KPO targets .
Conduct or oversee workplace investigations and ensure consistent, ethical application of policy.
Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer
https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx
If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net.
This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.
Requirements
Experience:
Minimum of seven (7) years of progressively responsible HR leadership experience, including oversight of multiple HR functions and direct people management.
Proven experience in performance management, employee relations, organizational development, compliance, compensation, benefits, and recruitment.
Strong knowledge of HR best practices, employment law, safety requirements, and public-sector or comparable complex organizational environments.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage strategic initiatives, and collaborate with senior leadership.
Cover Letter and Resume required.
NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge and skills must be documented in your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.
Preferences
Bachelor's or Master's degree in HR, Organizational Psychology, Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field.
SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
Experience implementing large-scale HR transformation initiatives, competency frameworks, talent pipelines, or leadership academies.
Familiarity with HR analytics tools (Power BI, Tableau) and enterprise systems (PeopleSoft/STARS, NeoGov).
Strong project management background and ability to execute in high-volume, fast-paced environments.
Bilingual (Spanish/English) proficiency.
General Information
Salary:
Location:
WHAT YOU WILL GET IN RETURN:
You will be surrounded by team members who bring "heart, hustle, and higher standards" to work each day. These leaders advance opportunity and justice as they deliver services to and advocate for the residents of Harris County. The team you will be joining is innovative, dynamic, and forward-looking.
Harris County employees receive a competitive salary plus medical, dental, and vision insurance at no cost to the employee after the first two months of full-time continued employment. Vacation, sick-time, and floating holidays allow our employees to recharge and balance work and personal time. Mandatory participation in our retirement program allows employees to save for retirement. Various other benefits and discounts lead to the satisfaction and engagement of our employees.
Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.
Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.
HARRIS COUNTY EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
Harris County offers a highly competitive benefits program, featuring a comprehensive group health plan and defined benefit retirement plan.
The following benefits are offered only to Harris County employees in regular (full-time) positions:
Health & Wellness Benefits
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Retirement Savings Benefit
The following benefits are available to Harris County employees in full-time and select part-time positions:
In accordance with the Harris County Personnel Regulations, group health and related benefits are subject to amendment or discontinuance at any time. Harris County Commissioners Court reserves the right to make benefit modifications on the Countys behalf as needed.
For plan details, visit the Harris County Benefits & Wellness website:
www.benefitsathctx.com
01
Which of the following best describes your highest level of education completed as it relates to this position? Qualifying information must be documented in the Education section of your application.
02
If you selected a college degree in response to the previous question, which of the following best describes your major?
03
Please describe your educational background including level of education completed, area of study and completed major and minor programs.
04
Which of the following best describes your verifiable progressively responsible HR leadership experience, including oversight of multiple HR functions and direct people management? (To be considered, qualifying experience must be documented in your applications employment history)
05
Please provide the dates of employment during which you obtained experience working in HR leadership, including oversight of multiple HR functions and direct people management. Provide the month and year that began and ended the experience [ Example: "January 2020 - December 2025" ] If this experience is not clearly documented in the Work Experience section, your application will be disqualified. If you do not have this experience, type "N/A" in the space provided.
06
Which of the following professional certifications do you currently possess? Select all that apply:
07
Do you have experience implementing large-scale HR transformation initiatives, competency frameworks, talent pipelines, or leadership academies?
08
Are you bilingual in English and Spanish? If yes, do you consider yourself fluent?
Required Question
Employer Harris County
Address 1111 Fannin St
Ste. 600
Houston, Texas, 77002
Phone 713-274-5445
Website https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/harriscountytx