Human Resource Manager

Southington’s Human Resources team is focused on dependable people operations that support employees across the Town. In this role, you’ll provide professional and administrative leadership for the Town’s comprehensive HR functions under the direction of the Human Resources Director, with the opportunity to act as primary backup during the Director’s absence. The position offers $80,000 to $90,000 (exempt), 35 hours per week onsite in Southington, CT.

What the Town offers

• CT Municipal Employees Retirement System (CTMERS) Pension Plan
• Generous time off: Vacation leave, Personal days, accrued sick leave, 12 full-day holidays and 2 half-day holidays
• Comprehensive insurance package: Medical, Dental, Vision care, Prescription coverage, and Life insurance

Responsibilities

You will assist with the overall administration, management, and daily operations of the Human Resources Department, serving as a resource for department heads, supervisors, and employees on HR policies, benefits, leave programs, workplace expectations, and employee relations.

• Support employee relations by advising supervisors on performance concerns, attendance, corrective action, and consistent application of Town policies and collective bargaining agreements.
• Assist with employee complaints and workplace concerns, including fact-finding meetings and internal investigations (documentation review, interviews, recordkeeping, and support for findings and recommendations).
• Support disciplinary matters, grievances, and labor relations by researching collective bargaining agreement provisions and preparing related correspondence and materials.
• Assist with collective bargaining preparation, including researching comparable information, compiling data, reviewing proposals, and preparing supporting documentation.
• Interpret and apply Town personnel policies, collective bargaining agreements, administrative procedures, and applicable employment laws in consultation with the Human Resources Director.
• Coordinate recruitment activities, including job postings, applicant screening, interview scheduling, interview panels, reference checks, employment offers, and onboarding.
• Help maintain accurate staffing and job materials by reviewing and updating job descriptions and assisting with evaluating organizational and staffing needs.
• Conduct new-hire orientation and support onboarding to ensure required documentation, pre-employment requirements, and benefit enrollment information are completed accurately and timely.
• Serve as the primary HR point of contact for ADP, including recruitment, onboarding, employee records, benefits, timekeeping, employee self-service, system access, troubleshooting, and coordination of system updates.
• Partner with the Payroll Coordinator to ensure employee changes are communicated accurately and timely for payroll and benefits impacts, including deductions, leave, compensation, status changes, new hires, and separations.
• Share responsibility for administering employee benefits in coordination with the Payroll and Benefits Coordinator, including health, dental, vision, prescription, life insurance, enrollment changes, qualifying life events, employee deductions, benefit eligibility, and annual open enrollment.
• Administer and monitor leave programs, including FMLA, and assist with ADA accommodation requests and other applicable leave requirements.
• Coordinate workers’ compensation administration, including first reports of injury, claim processing, documentation, communication, and return-to-work or light-duty matters.
• Track new-hire performance and development, including New Employee Expectations Meetings and required new-hire evaluations at 30, 60, and 90 days, and support follow-up for overdue reviews.
• Assist with the annual employee performance evaluation process by tracking completion, communicating deadlines, maintaining documentation, and supporting supervisors.
• Maintain confidential HR, medical, leave, benefits, workers’ compensation, payroll-related, and employee relations records in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Support HRIS/electronic personnel files and employee self-service resources, and maintain HR reports, correspondence, employee notices, spreadsheets, and presentations.
• Assist with federal and state reporting and HR compliance requirements, including FMLA, ADA, EEOC, OSHA, and other applicable employment regulations.
• Support HR policy and Employee Handbook updates, coordinate training and compliance initiatives, assist with performance management, and contribute to employee engagement, recognition, wellness, retention, and culture initiatives.
• Oversee offboarding activities including exit interviews, benefit information, retirement coordination, and separation documentation, and communicate relevant items to Payroll and other departments.
• Collaborate with Finance, Payroll, insurance carriers, benefit providers, medical providers, legal counsel, ADP representatives, and other partners.
• Monitor changes in federal and state employment laws and HR best practices and help implement needed policy and procedural updates.
• Assist HR staff with workflow coordination, priorities, deadlines, and special projects; represent the HR Department at meetings and assigned functions.
• Serve as Acting Human Resources Director when designated to ensure continuity of day-to-day HR operations during the Director’s absence.
• Exercise discretion and maintain the highest level of confidentiality when handling sensitive personnel, payroll, and benefits information.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by the Human Resources Director and Director of Finance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Labor Relations, or a closely related field
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible professional HR experience, including employee relations, benefits, leave administration, recruitment, and HR compliance, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience
• Municipal or other public-sector HR experience is highly desirable
• Experience working in a unionized environment and interpreting collective bargaining agreements is highly desirable
• Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR is desirable
• Considerable knowledge of HR principles, practices, procedures, and applicable federal and state employment laws
• Knowledge of employee benefits, leave administration, recruitment, employee relations, performance management, workers’ compensation, and HR compliance
• Knowledge of labor relations principles and administration and interpretation of collective bargaining agreements
• Ability to conduct fact-finding meetings and workplace investigations objectively, professionally, and confidentially
• Ability to provide guidance to department heads and supervisors, analyze complex employee relations issues, and make sound recommendations
• Strong interpersonal, conflict-resolution, problem-solving, written, and verbal communication skills
• Strong ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion with highly sensitive personnel information
• Excellent organization and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office Suite, HRIS, electronic personnel records, and employee self-service platforms
• Ability to provide leadership and direction in the absence of the Human Resources Director

Additional details

• Location: Southington, CT (onsite)
• Hours: Full-Time, 35 hours per week
• FLSA status: Exempt
• Working conditions: Standard professional office environment with occasional travel to other Town facilities; handles confidential and sensitive employee information and may participate in meetings outside normal business hours as operational needs require
• Posted: 9/23/26
• Technologies: ADP, HRIS, Microsoft Office Suite, FMLA, ADA, EEOC, OSHA