Human Resources Department

Employment Guide

The Mission of the Human Resources Department is to recruit, retain, and develop the best possible workforce for the City of Durham. The purpose of this Employment Guide is to provide information regarding the City's employment practices.

Job Announcements

All vacant positions are announced on a Job Opportunity Bulletin published weekly by the Human Resources Department and the listing is on the City's Website. In addition, applications can be submitted directly on the City's Website Address and can be faxed to (919) 560-4969. Job advertisements are posted in the Human Resources Department and are mailed to other local government agencies, the Employment Security Commission, regional colleges and universities and various career placement offices.

General Applicant Information

Remember: Applications can be submitted directly on-line at the City's Job Listings. Please read carefully before completing your application(s)
  • Applications must be complete (see resume is unacceptable). Some specific areas to review for completion are: specific job title (as listed on the job bulletin), signature, work history (applications are considered incomplete unless work history is complete), complete address and correct phone number.
  • Only one position may be specified on the application. If there is interest in more than one position you may photocopy your application and then list job titles separately or complete an original application for each position in which you have an interest.
  • Special attention should be given to the deadline date. Any application received after the deadline, or that is not postmarked by the deadline date, will not be reviewed for the current vacancy.
  • For positions with an Open Until Filled indication, a notice of the date of the initial referral will be listed.
  • Applications received after the first referral will be held pending results of the first referral.
  • The Human Resources Representative screens all applications received within eight calendar days after the closing date. and will refer the top candidates (usually 5-7) to the hiring official for an interview
  • The Human Resources Representative will correspond with all unsuccessful applicants who were interviewed in writing after the Hiring Official concludes interviews. Applicants who are not contacted for interview within 3 weeks following the referral date will receive no further contact.
  • Applications are accepted for current advertised vacancies ONLY. Foreign Degree Equivalency
To be considered for employment with the City of Durham, applicants who have obtained their education outside of the United States and its territories must have their academic degree(s) validated as equivalent to the Baccalaureate or Master's degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. A transcript is not sufficient proof of equivalency.

There are several agencies that perform this specialized service. Contact the organization(s) directly for current information, procedures, and costs. World Education Services, Inc.

P. O. Box 745
Old Chelsea Station
New York, NY 10113
1-800-977-8263
www.wes.org

International Consultants of Delaware, Inc.
109 Barksdale Professional Center
Newark, DE 1971-3258
(302) 737-8715
ww.cgfns.org/cgfns/icd

Educational Credentials Evaluators, Inc.
P. O. Box 514070
Milwaukee, WI 53202-3470
(414 289-3400
www.ece.org

Josef Silny & Associates
P. O. Box 248233
Carol Gables, FL 33214
(305) 273-1616
ww.jsilny.com

Continuous Recruitment: The City of Durham accepts the following applications on a continuous basis:
  • Revenue Cashier (Finance)
  • Plant Operator (entry level) (Water Management)
  • Plant Operator (Water Management)
  • Telecommunicator (Communications)
  • Solid Waste Collector (Solid Waste)
  • Police Officer (Police)
  • Firefighter (Fire)
Firefighter:
  • Firefighting in today's society is both challenging and exciting. The mission of the City of Durham's Fire Department is to reduce deaths, injuries and property loss from fire, hazardous situations, emergency medical situations and other disasters, by providing excellent, state of the art, pacesetting life and property preservations and emergency services, unhampered by tradition. The success of Staffing Services has been the ability to select top notch applicants from our recruitment process to become a firefighting force for the City of Durham Fire Department.
Qualifications:
  • Be at least 18 years of age
  • Completion of high school or GED
  • Must not have been convicted of a felony
  • Must not have been convicted of a DWI in the past four years
  • Be a U.S. Citizen
  • Possess a Valid NC Class C Driver's License
  • Meet specified visual/audio requirements
  • Must meet all standards for entry level firefighters
  • All applicants interested in becoming a Firefighter must attend a scheduled open house session at a designated date and time (to be announced). During the open house session, the applicant will receive an overview of the hiring procedure, view a video demonstrating the agility test, receive the necessary forms to complete the application process and schedule an appointment to take the agility test. Bilingual candidates who meet the qualifications are encouraged to apply.
Police Officer:
  • The City of Durham's Police Department is committed to providing citizens of Durham the protection of life and property, prevention of crime, apprehension of criminals and enforcement of laws and ordinances. (Police Officers assigned areas enforce traffic regulations, investigating accidents and crime scenes, and performing special projects and assignments as designated.)
  • The Durham Police Department encourages women and minorities to apply. The Department also has special needs for bilingual Officers.
Qualifications:
  • Completion of high school or GED (some college preferred)
  • Age 21 upon completion of classroom training
  • Must meet vision, hearing and other physical requirements
  • No felony convictions and no serious misdemeanor convictions in the past five years
  • No domestic violence convictions
  • No DUI, DWI
  • Valid driver's license required, no suspensions of driving privileges in the past three years
  • US citizenship required
  • To complete a City of Durham application, the applicant must attend one of the scheduled open house informational sessions at a designated date and time (to be announced). The applicant will receive an overview of the hiring procedure, receive the necessary forms to complete the application process and schedule an appointment to take the physical test/written test and basic information about the Department
Part-Time (Seasonal Employment) - Parks and Recreation:
  • The Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of employment opportunities for the Fall and Summer. Qualified applicants ages 14 and above are needed. For example, the Aquatics Division employs basket attendants, cashiers, lifeguards and water safety instructors and supervisors; Program Division hires group leaders, site coordinators and various instructors.
Clerical and Secretarial Positions:
  • Microsoft office suite use requirement for most jobs (the use of Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, Excel and/or Access is required) The requirement varies with each position and testing may be required.
  • If testing is required, candidates selected will be contacted.
  • Applicants who fail the test or do not show for testing will not be given further consideration. Test scores will be considered valid for a period of one year.

The City of Durham Seeks Diversity in the Workplace