About MassDOT and HR:

In the past two decades, MassDOT has undergone a metamorphosis, moving from data-poor to data-rich, upgrading systems, and becoming a more innovative and cutting-edge organization. The Human Resource department has been a key leader in innovation at MassDOT, challenging the status quo and reimagining the workplace for the several thousand employees that it supports on a daily basis. HR is a critical hub of communication, training, knowledge and resource sharing, and career development across MassDOT’s five Divisions-Rail & Transit, The Registry of Motor Vehicles, Highway, Aeronautics, and its shared service departments.

As a team member at HR, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the agency at its most fundamental level: its workforce. Furthermore, you’ll get firsthand experience navigating policy, strategy, and planning for new working practices as a result of a global pandemic.

Position Summary:

The HR Program Development Co op will report to the HR Program Director and be responsible for the support of HR programs and development of new HR programs and processes to improve the organization. A successful co op in this role will take a continuous improvement approach, taking time to evaluate current processes, opportunities, risks, and weigh multiple options during program development.

The responsibilities in this position are varied, with many different topics and types of activities/tasks. Therefore, this person needs to be able to manage multiple projects with concurrent timelines and be very detail oriented, independent, pro-active, and organized. It is also critical for this person to be able to communicate effectively both verbally and through written and graphic media (for example, presentations or reports).

The HR Program Development Co-op must have the ability to gather, organize, and present information from a variety of sources including interviews, workshops, and observations. This co op will occasionally be asked to facilitate brainstorming sessions, working sessions, and decision-making conversations within and across HR teams; therefore, a successful co op in this role will be comfortable and show skill in leading dialogues, making recommendations to people in various roles and levels, and in facilitation/consultation.

Past co ops in this role have significantly contributed to projects such as: developing a new Onboarding Program for MassDOT, process improvement for MassDOT’s hiring process, developing an idea accelerator program for MassDOT, mapping process changes to aid HR technology implementation, and developing an internal communications strategy for HR, among others.

Application instructions:

Please attach a copy of your resume and a cover letter stating your interest in the position, your goals for the internship within the context of working at MassDOT.

Job Responsibilities:

• Gain familiarity with a broad range of processes and programs at HR in various stages of progress; get a thorough understanding of the goals, the activities to be undertaken, project timelines, and the steps needed to move through the project stages.

• Gain familiarity with processes and programs across departments, related to or impacting HR initiatives

• Document and analyze procedures and organizational standards and identify areas for improvement

• Research and investigate a variety of management and procedural methods and communicate relevant options and their trade-offs to stakeholders

• Develop, communicate, and manage work-flow processes for projects to provide cohesion among HR staff and internal and external partners. Develop guidelines/procedures for tracking progress on each project. Manage the programmatic processes as defined for each project, including program timelines, deliverables and accountability for all participants and staff involved.

• Create, organize, and maintain datasets as needed. Keep ongoing and accurate records of project data. Collaborate across teams to ensure systems for communication and documentation are up to date and accurate at all times.

• Work with HR staff to design performance metrics to evaluate projects, standard operating procedures, and service level agreements

• Assist in the development of workshops, focus groups, and other engagement/ideation sessions related to process reengineering and program development

• Participate in team meetings, staff meetings, organization events and other duties as necessary.

A successful candidate will have:

• Skill in applying creative problem solving or design-thinking to collaborative project work

• Ability to work in a fast paced, deadline-oriented environment, with multiple competing priorities/projects.

• Strong communication (both verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to develop ideas from scratch and develop ideas into concepts, systems, products, or draft policies

• Experience with creating diagrams or flow charts.

• Ability to work effectively in a small and collaborative team environment.

• Ability to identify, articulate, and investigate research questions relevant to a project or big-picture topic

• Solution-oriented attitude, with excellent time management and organizational skills.

• Systemic perspective and approach to problem-solving and strong attention to detail.

• Experience and strength in analytical thinking including identification of trends and patterns in qualitative or quantitative data and deduction and reasoning skills.

• Experience or interest in HR and transportation a plus.

Takeaways:

At the end of the co-op, the HR Process Improvement and Program Development Co op will have been exposed to a variety of projects and programs run by HR throughout MassDOT. They will have gained experience managing tasks in multiple concurrent projects, institutionalizing project management processes, communicating with diverse groups of stakeholders, and interacting with personnel at many levels of a government organization. They will have had the opportunity to explore the department and the organization, to contribute to a wide variety of efforts, and to transform internal processes.

In addition, depending on the person’s interests and skills, HR and other staff in the organization will assist in matching the student with appropriate projects and mentors.

• For questions regarding the job posting, email alaina.seitz@dot.state.ma.us.

• For general questions regarding MassDOT, call the Human Resources Service Center at 857-368-4722.

• For a disability‐related reasonable accommodation or alternative application method, call ADA Coordinator, Heather Ulesoo – (617) 851-9447.

An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Executive Order #595: As a condition of employment, successful applicants will be required to have received COVID-19 vaccination or an approved exemption as of their start date. Details relating to demonstrating compliance with this requirement will be provided to applicants selected for employment. Applicants who receive an offer of employment who can provide documentation that the vaccine is medically contraindicated or who object to vaccination due to a sincerely held religious belief may make a request for exemption.