HR Business Partner

Join the City of Chattanooga Team

Chattanooga, a vibrant and growing community of over 190,000 residents within a metropolitan area of nearly 600,000 is known as the "Scenic City" for a reason. Nestled along the Tennessee River and surrounded by the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, we are a hub of outdoor adventure and innovation. Home to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) and Chattanooga State Community College, our city blends a rich industrial history with a tech-forward future—famously powered by the nation’s first community-wide "Gig" fiber-optic network.​  The City of Chattanooga was also recently designated as a "National Park City,” the first of its kind in the United States.  

Our Organization

As a City, we are powered by a dedicated workforce of approximately ​2,600 employees committed to excellence in public service and making Chattanooga the best community in the country. Our team ensures our city thrives through a wide range of municipal services, including:

• Public Safety: Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments.
• Infrastructure & Utilities: Public Works, Waste Resources, and specialized Stormwater management.
• Quality of Life: Award-winning Parks and Outdoors and Community Development systems and the Chattanooga Public Library.
• Transportation: The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) and citywide transit and pedestrian friendly initiatives.
• Innovation: Leading-edge  smart-city programs with a commitment to cutting edge workforce development policies to ensure all our residents can get ahead.

Why Choose Chattanooga?

The City of Chattanooga’s workforce is the heartbeat of our community. We don't just offer jobs; we offer careers with purpose: making Chattanooga the best city in America. We are committed to being the premier employer of choice in Southeast Tennessee by providing:

• Competitive Compensation: Robust pay scales that reflect our commitment to our staff.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off and flexible scheduling where possible.
• Exceptional Wellness: Comprehensive health benefits and wellness programs designed for you and your family that deliver savings to you beyond your paycheck, featuring a centralized health clinic and pharmacy for all City employees. .
• Growth: A focus on professional development and upward mobility within the organization.
• ​The Great Outdoors: Your Backyard Playground:  Chattanooga isn't just near nature, it's immersed in it.  As one of the most biodiverse cities in North America, the "Scenic City" offers an ecological richness that few places on earth can claim.  Whether you are an 
• adrenaline junkie or a weekend wanderer, world-class adventure is always less than an hour away.
• ​Vertical Adventures: Scale legendary sandstone cliffs in what is widely considered the premier rock climbing hub of the Southeast.
• Water & Rapids: From the high-octane whitewater kayaking of the Ocoee River to world-class bass fishing and peaceful paddling on the Tennessee River.
• Trails for Miles: Explore a massive network of mountain biking and hiking trails that wind through lush ridges, hidden waterfalls, and deep river gorges.

In Chattanooga, "work-life balance" means you can finish your shift and be at a trailhead or on the water before the sun sets.

Our mission is to work together to build a safe, vibrant, and sustainable city for all Chattanoogans. To do that, it takes a team of skilled and passionate individuals. So, if you’d like to call Chattanooga home – or maybe you already do! – and want to further your career through meaningful work that makes a true impact where you live, we’d love to talk to you.

Salary: GS.11 $58,910 - $71,170 per year

Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. (EST)
*Hours may vary due to work assignments or projects.*

Work Location: 101 E. 11th Street (City Hall) 

FLSA Status: This is an Exempt position.

Department: Human Resources

SERIES LEVEL: 
The HR Business Partner is the second level in a three-level HR Business Partner series.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 
(The following duties ARE NOT intended to serve as a comprehensive list of all duties performed by all employees in this classification, only a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.)

Manages and resolves complex employee relations issues. Works closely with and advises managers, supervisors, and employees on employee relations matters and execution of HR programs, policies, and procedures to enhance the work environment, minimize risk, and achieve business results. 

Serves as a subject matter expert and HR contact, providing HR policy guidance and interpretation, consulting regarding employee concerns, complaints, and grievances, and assisting in responding to in-depth or complicated employee relations matters. 

Facilitates efforts at alternative dispute resolution; manages the Collaborative Mediation process; mediates discussions between supervisors and co-workers. 

Serves on the Grievance Review Committee; coordinates Grievance hearings and maintains pertinent documents.

Conducts thorough, objective workplace investigations and prepares formal reports according to established protocols, representing the City in mediations, arbitrations, and legal proceedings.

Conducts weekly meetings with respective departments—consults with multiple contacts within assigned departments, including line management, providing HR guidance when appropriate. 

Analyzes trends and metrics in partnership with the HR group to develop solutions, programs, and policies. 

Works closely with management and employees to improve work relationships and increase productivity and retention.  

Provides day-to-day performance management guidance to line management (e.g., coaching, counseling, career development, disciplinary actions, systems monitoring/training). 

Guides remediate issues; responds to complaints and questions related to departmental operations; conducts related research, initiates problem resolutions, while identifying and communicating training needs to provide a strong employer-employee relations framework and environment.

Enters and retrieves a variety of information into and from databases, correspondence, and collateral materials related to the employment of new hires and the maintenance of employees and their records in assigned departments.

Performs a full range of employment activities, including posting positions, screening, and analyzing candidates, determining salary offers, presenting salary offers, negotiating counter offers, scheduling physicals, requesting background checks, preparing and maintaining new hire documents, onboarding, and maintaining test records.

Interfaces with assigned departments and oversees the administration of various HR initiatives, ensuring integrity and maintaining related documentation and records. 

Provides guidance and input on organization restructures, workforce planning, and succession planning, interfacing with HRComp as required.  

Serves as a consultant to management in all areas of classification and compensation by guiding City policies, as well as Federal, State, and local wage and hour regulations. 

Audits and processes personnel transaction requests—including TSAs, new hires, promotions, and demotions—to ensure accurate and timely compensation administration.

May serve as a coach and mentor for other positions in the department.

Must meet regular attendance requirements.

Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.

Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.

Performs other duties as assigned. 

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC DUTIES (if any): 
None

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, or Public Administration with more than five (5) years of HR experience, including the resolution of complex employee relations issues; or any combination of equivalent experience and education. Direct experience with employee relations issues and conducting investigations strongly preferred.

LICENSING AND CERTIFICATIONS:
Valid Driver’s License

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Deep technical mastery of human resources principles, specifically regarding compensation, recruitment, and the City’s Employment Information Guide (EIG). Understanding of federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, and regulatory codes to effectively manage day-to-day employee relations while mitigating legal risk. Proficiency in HRIS platforms and applicant tracking systems (ATS) is essential, as is the ability to apply mathematical concepts and research methodologies to data-driven HR tasks. High-level competencies in business acumen, ethical practice, and cultural awareness, paired with the consultative and communication skills necessary to manage complex professional relationships across the organization.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Positions in this class typically require fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: 

Safety Sensitive:  N
Department of Transportation - CDL: N
Child Sensitive: N  

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

This position requires pre-employment screening(s) that include: background check 

The City of Chattanooga, Tennessee is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

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