Assistant Superintendent for Employee Services

Deadline: January 31, 2026

District/Organization: Utica Community Schools

Position/Type: Central Office – 1st Line Admin, full time

Salary: $166,512 to $192,270

Position Details

Job Description: Under the direction of the Superintendent of Schools, the Assistant Superintendent for Employee Services provides executive level leadership to oversee the implementation of a service based and comprehensive Employee Services Department. The Assistant Superintendent plans, organizes, leads, and manages all aspects of the operation of the Department.

Reports To: Superintendent of Schools

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources required. Advanced degree and/or HR certification such as AASPA, MSBO, and/or SHRM preferred.

• Successful, relevant leadership experience required. Minimally seven years of progressively responsible experience in human resource management.
• Comprehensive knowledge and extensive experience in elements of human resources such as Fair Labor Standards Act, labor regulations, safe work compliances, collective bargaining engagement, fringe benefit administration and personnel policies.
• Capacity to maintain and uphold District organizational legal compliance through regular review of applicable labor regulations including areas unique to school personnel.

• High aptitude for strategic planning, decision-making, problem-solving and communicating.
• Embraces accountability and responsibility for human resource oversight for one of the area’s largest public employers.
• Maintain integrity of confidential information relating to students, staff, or district patrons.
• Ability to prepare and deliver written material (letters, memorandums, policies, etc.) and oral presentations in a concise, clear, and effective manner to employees, parents, and key stakeholders, including the Board of Education.
• Demonstrated commitment to work collaboratively, build upon and maintain positive relationships with all District personnel including leadership, organized bargaining units, third party contractors, and community members.
• Ability to implement appropriate efforts to recruit and retain the highest level of personnel for the organization, reflective of the culturally diverse educational community.

Responsibilities:

Strategic partnership

• Ensure excellence, equity, and access for all students.
• Ensure the Employee Services department reflects and supports the UCS Empowered Strategic Plan (vision, mission, core values, strategic initiatives, desired outcomes, strategic actions, and key progress indicators).
• Develop and provide for the short and long-term strategic planning for Utica Community Schools as it relates to position control, staffing, succession, budget, compliances, and other areas of human resources.

Leadership and management

• Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and a direct report to the Superintendent of Schools.
• Partner with the members of the Executive Leadership Team and other district and school-based leaders to collaboratively carry out district initiatives and address challenges.
• Provide oversight for the Employee Services departmental budget as well as expenditures relating to human resources service contracts, and related professional and legal support.
• Prepare agenda items for Board of Education meetings, attend all regularly scheduled Board meetings, present reports on behalf of the Superintendent of Schools during Board meetings, and facilitate Board subcommittee meetings as requested.
• Present reports on behalf of the Superintendent of Schools during Board of Education meetings.
• Participate in district wide projects that may expand beyond Employee Services such as school funding, enrollment distribution, or capital projects committees.
• Provide induction, professional learning, task assignment, mentoring, supervision, and evaluation for the members of the Employee Services team.
• Provide leadership to plan and facilitate professional learning for district and school-based administrators regarding applicable federal and state laws, Board of Education policies, and Employee Services practices.
• Assume responsibility for own professional growth and development; for keeping current with applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations; human resource practices; and attending professional meetings and conferences.
• Provide leadership to leverage technology to support applicant tracking, security and retention of employee records, accurate reporting, and other appropriate functions within the Employee Services Department.

Recruitment and retention

• Provide expert leadership in all areas of personnel including but not limited to pre-employment, recruitment, selection, contracts, onboarding, collective bargaining, placement, professional development, performance evaluation, and retainment of personnel.
• Establish regularly evolving processes for dynamic elements such as addressing critical shortage positions, recruiting, and retaining personnel reflective of a culturally diverse educational community.

Legal and compliance

• Provide oversight for applicable FOIA, PERA, subpoenas, and other information requests.
• Serve as District investigative/compliance officer for personnel concerns raised through the internal or policy process.
• Serve as District compliance officer for personnel matters relative to claims of discrimination or harassment including but not limited to filings through EEOC, OCR and MDCR, Title VI, Title IX, the Age Discrimination Act, ADA, and Section 504.
• Consult with district legal counsel to proactively carry out the functions of the Employee Services Department and respond to formal complaints.
• Ensure district personnel protocols, practices, policies and related rules and regulations are maintained for compliance and organizational compatibility, including the recommendation and development of new or modification to existing policies and/or procedures as applicable.
• Uphold District organizational compliances by regularly providing applicable personnel guidance to District and school-based leaders that includes related guidance documents, memorandums, workshops, tutorials, etc. for all personnel.

Employee and community relations

• Serve as District chief negotiator for the Board of Education, collectively bargain in good faith with affiliated units, negotiate contracts with all non-affiliated personnel.
• Ensure all contracts and collective bargaining agreements and related elements are appropriately applied, including the review and determination of disputes regarding contract application and interpretation, and serve as the officer for applicable level grievance hearings.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions providing interns and furnishing candidates for positions requiring certifications.
• Maintain positive public relations with District stakeholders and within the greater community including ensuring responsive and effective resolutions to expressed concerns.
• Establish and maintain effective communications and positive working relationships with federal, state, county, city, township, and local school district officials relative to assigned areas of responsibility.

Compensation and benefits

• Provide expert leadership in all areas of personnel support functions including but not limited to certifications, licensing, employee benefits, unemployment, workers compensation, COBRA, reporting, and retirement.

Record keeping and reporting

• Provide reliable executive-level input for District determinations including reports and data to the Superintendent of Schools related to human resources and related functions, including but not limited to staffing as well as salary and benefit comparative studies.
• Ensure the implementation of staff record-keeping programs and procedures to meet federal, state, and local requirements concerning certification, tenure, seniority, longevity, benefits, attendance, and other aspects of labor, including Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) filings, U.S. Department of Labor reporting, and Registry of Educational Personnel (REP).

Assumes other duties as assigned by the Superintendent of Schools.

E-mail: [email protected]