HR Recruiter

Statement of Duties

The HR Recruiter is responsible for partnering with hiring managers on a regular basis, attracting and sourcing diverse qualified applicants, and providing an exceptional candidate experience throughout the hiring process. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Builds and maintains a robust talent pipeline to identify and attract qualified candidates, manage employee attrition, and meet diversity, equity, and inclusion workforce goals.
• Advertises vacancies on various job search platforms and social media channels.
• Sources and develops passive candidates through networking, cold calling, complex internet searches, social media, research, and other active outreach methodologies.
• Creates and fosters relationships with external partners regarding diversity and community outreach strategies.
• Attends community events and job fairs to promote job opportunities and support recruitment and engagement initiatives
• Reviews job applications and identifies candidates meeting minimum qualifications for positions.
• Acts as the primary point of contact for candidates throughout the recruitment process; provides timely communication and supports an exceptional candidate experience via phone and email.
• Collaborates with Hiring Managers to update job descriptions, finalize interview questions and written assessment materials.
• Conducts intake conversations with Hiring Managers to understand job requirements, core competencies of the ideal candidate, and walks them through the full cycle recruitment process.
• Serves as the Human Resources representative in panel interviews as needed.
• Extends job offers to candidates and supports pre-employment and onboarding coordination in collaboration with HR partners.
• Ensures candidate selection and offers comply with Federal, State, and Local regulations and hiring policies.
• Reviews bids related to union postings.
• Maintains accurate record-keeping and data related to the hiring process.
• Reviews bids related to union postings.
• Assists in the administrative process for civil service public safety hiring as assigned.
• Partners with the Employee Engagement & Retention Specialist and Onboarding Coordinator to support recruitment, onboarding, and engagement programming that enhances the candidate and new hire experience.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree and three to five (3-5) years’ work experience in recruiting, sales, sourcing, customer service, operations and/or human resources; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Preferred Qualifications:

• SHRM-CP or HRCI-PHR certification preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management or an applicable field.
• Multilingual skills in Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Mandarin, Nepali or any other language spoken by the Somerville community.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Understanding of Federal and State regulations including but not limited to FLSA, ADA, MCAD, and EEO. Comprehensive understanding of best hiring practices. Knowledge of community-based programs and workforce development initiatives; knowledge of applicant tracking systems and other recruiting software programs. Knowledge of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) best practices.

Ability: Ability to handle problems effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both verbally and in writing; ability to operate a personal computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to quickly learn and become proficient in new software programs; ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with City employees, City officials and members of the general public; ability to connect and collaborate with local community based organizations and internal stakeholders to create talent pipelines. Ability to handle conflict, mediate as necessary and work with an array of personalities; ability to work effectively and collaboratively in a diverse environment.

Skill: Strong interpersonal skills; excellent communication skills both verbal and written; proficient computer skills for all office software programs including word processing and spread sheet applications, such as Microsoft Office suite. Multilingual skills highly preferred. Demonstrated skills in utilizing Boolean Search strings and passive outreach strategies.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Hours: Full-Time City Hall Hours, In-Person. 
Salary: $75,000 annualized, plus benefits 
Union: Non-Union 
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Date Posted: January 5th, 2026 
 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request. Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.

Pre-Employment Requirements for All Employees:

• MA Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) clearance
• Completion of Conflict-of-Interest Law Education training for municipal employees

Overview of Total Rewards:

• 4 weeks annual vacation for non-union positions. Union positions vary by contract. Please note, police officers are members of the SPEA union. Public Health Nurses are part of Union A (SMEA).
• Medical insurance through the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) - 80% of premium costs paid by City
• Dental coverage low and high plans through Cigna
• Vision care through Vision Service Plan (VSP)
• Long term disability through Sun Life
• Group and voluntary life insurance through Boston Mutual
• Health Care and Dependent Care flexible spending through Benefit Strategies
• Deferred compensation plans through a choice of three vendors
• Free, confidential services through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provided by E4Health
• Annual cancer screening & wellness release
• Somerville Retirement Pension System
• Tuition reimbursement
• MBTA pass program
• FREE Blue Bikes membership
• Eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Benefits listed are for benefits-eligible positions and the above information is meant to be a general overview of the benefit programs offered by the City of Somerville and not a binding contract.