Human Resource Assistant

Support the City of Portsmouth’s HR team while building a career in people operations. This onsite Human Resource Assistant role provides administrative support across multiple HR functional areas, helping ensure accurate records, smooth day-to-day coordination, and responsive service to employees, applicants, and the public. The position reports to the Director or Assistant Director of Human Resource Management and supports professional HR staff under general supervision.

Salary range: USD 51,698 - 66,555 per year.

Location: Portsmouth, VA (onsite).

What You’ll Do

• Assist professional human resources staff with administrative support across benefits, recruitment, employee relations, classification & compensation, performance management, and training.
• Act as a first point of contact for employees, applicants, and external customers by screening and responding to general inquiries, and escalating or referring as appropriate.
• Provide information on policies and procedures, perform related administrative support tasks, and help establish, coordinate, and/or maintain filing and record systems.
• Support personnel program administration, including accurate form review and routine administrative processing.
• Complete administrative tasks such as typing correspondence, scanning documents, data entry and retrieval, creating spreadsheets, and maintaining files.
• Coordinate incoming and outgoing mail and assist with completing forms, reports, and questionnaires.
• Assist with small purchases by contacting vendors as needed, processing receipts, requisitions, and purchase orders, and monitoring and tracking small purchases.
• Perform related duties as required.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma (associate’s degree preferred).
• Experience: 1-3 years of related administrative and human resources experience.
• Considerable knowledge of computer systems and standard software applications, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to pass an acceptable background check, including local and state criminal history checks.
• Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record.
• Physical ability to operate office machinery and equipment (including a computer, copier, calculator, and similar tools), and to exert specified forces as required by the role.
• Ability to compare and judge functional and compositional characteristics of data, people, or things; speak and/or signal to convey and exchange information; read reports, surveys, memos, and forms.
• Ability to prepare correspondence, forms, and statistical analyses.
• Ability to prepare EEO reports using prescribed formats and adhering to punctuation, grammar, diction, and style rules.
• Ability to speak before groups with poise, voice control, and confidence.
• Ability to apply logical or scientific thinking to intellectual and practical problems; record and deliver information; follow oral and written instructions.
• Must communicate effectively and efficiently in standard college-level English, and be able to use mathematical formulas (including decimals and percentages), interpret graphs, compute percentages and ratios, and apply descriptive statistics theories.
• Ability to inspect items for proper length, width, and shape; coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately; handle office equipment and hand tools.
• Must be able to communicate via telephone.
• Adaptability to perform under stress and during emergency situations.

Tools and Technologies

• Computer and standard software applications
• Spreadsheets
• Data entry and retrieval
• Scanning documents
• Copier and calculator

Equal Opportunity and Accommodations

The City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.