Head of Personnel

Access: Full access to all civil and supply departments, Most of Security, Most of Research Division, Most of Medbay, Engineering, Robotics, Maintenance, Tech Storage, EVA, AI Upload, Bridge, Vault, HoP locker, Personal Lockers, ID computer (which means that you can grant yourself access to everywhere else at any time).

Difficulty: Hard

Supervisors: Captain

Duties: Administration, IDs, managing personnel numbers, running the station when the captain goes AWOL.

Guides: Guide to Command, Standard Operating Procedure, Space Law

As the Head of Personnel you're in charge of assigning and reassigning crew members correctly and making sure station departments are well-staffed and running optimally (and stay that way). You are on the same level as all of the other heads of staff and do not outrank any of them; however, you are the only one besides the Captain who has access to the Identification Card Modifier. In the event there is no Captain, typically you will step up.

You are the Head of Personnel. You get access to just about everything, including basic access to every department on the station, and what you don't have access to, you could essentially just grant yourself access to. Your main responsibility is to manage the crew and make sure each department is fully staffed and working efficiently. Depending on how many crew members there are, that may mean some people pulling double shifts or having to do jobs they're not so good at doing.

When a department is lacking in crew members, you are expected to take the incentive to hire more crew members for that department. Recommending people into certain departments is a good way of convincing people to transfer to a department that needs more staff members. Denying crew members a transfer into a fully-staffed department is a good way of getting staff in the places you need them as well.

Now that a certain department is staffed, it also falls under your and Internal Affairs' jurisdiction to make sure that each of the departments are running smoothly. Check up with all of the other department heads frequently to make sure that there aren't any inter-department problems or any major problems between crew members.

Your other job is reassigning people when they come to your desk with one or more access requests. If the access they are asking for is harmless you should grant it to them. For example, there is nothing wrong with a paramedic requesting more access to medbay. If the request however is to grant them access to a general area (security, medbay, science, engineering) that typically does not fall under that job's jurisdiction, (like a bartender asking for security access) you should ask the head of staff in charge of the department if it is okay. If they wish to change jobs completely, typically you should grant these requests. Most of the time Heads of Staff welcome new subordinates. On rare occasions they may get uppity if you transfer new people in their department; if you're worried about it you can ask always, but it's often times unnecessary. You should ALWAYS ask before transferring someone into security because it involves the safety of the station. Don't be the HoP that gives security access to the rev head or confirmed changeling. It is very important you communicate to the Head of Security and Warden that someone wishes to become an officer; ensure that they get implanted if necessary.

As well as handing out job transfers, it's also well within your authority to demote people and take those jobs away.

If someone falls asleep on the job or messes something up, you are well within your rights to demote them to a lower position after consulting the appropriate head of staff. Demoting a head of staff, however, is something that should not be done without the Captain's consent.

Occasionally, a head of staff will request that a crew member be demoted for varying reasons. All heads of staff are within the right to demote members of their own department for that crew member. A head of staff cannot remove a crew member from the station entirely and only has power to demote the crew members in his or her own department.

Rarely will a crew member be removed from his or her position as a NanoTrasen employee entirely. Only the Captain has the power to authorize such a procedure and it is seldom practiced. However, it has happened on numerous occasions. When a crew member is removed from the station, he or she is essentially “fired”: that person is given no job, pay, or privileges and is removed from the station on the next Crew Transfer Shuttle pending further review by NanoTrasen at Central Command.

Sometimes people need access to certain departments in an emergency, and the AI isn't up to the task of opening doors for people. Feel free to hand out emergency access to people such as Security Officers if the situation calls for it. A number of people really do not like it when crew members go walking into their department for no real reason just because they have access to it. Handing out unapproved and unjustifiable access is one of the fastest ways to get you demoted.

The Head of Personnel can be a rather varied job. He can savor the prestige or feel shackled to the ID computer. If you find yourself wearing teal, make the most of it by doing your job correctly.

• Support the Captain. Be sure to work as a team to lead the crew. Earn this trust by making frequent use of command chat (:c) and deferring to him on matters of great importance, like assigning new heads or calling the shuttle. You do not outrank the other heads, but you have the unique position of being able to assign people. You are the one who will take over should the Captain need to step down, so it'd be a good idea to look like a good leader in front of him.
• Uphold the Rights of Crewmen. Security often commits excesses and the Captain is either dead or personally involved in a case. Rarely, you will be forced to do the impromptu job of the Internal Affairs Agent and make difficult decisions about the fate of a crewman should the Captain be missing, dead, or personally involved. In these situations, remember to consider every side of the story before making a decision and try to follow Space Law while still giving out a fair sentence. Almost always, a weak Captain and Head of Personnel will result in bad Security.
• Follow the Principle of Least Privilege. When assigning new access levels or creating new jobs, ask yourself just how much access is really needed to perform the task. If a hardworking engineer wants EVA access, consider if he really needs access, or just for you to open the door for him while he gets a suit. If the Counselor is being proactive about finding bodies but often needs people to open doors, maybe the risk of giving him more access is less than gain from increasing his effectiveness. Decisions like these keep the station more secure and cuts down on the number of accidental arrests made by Security for assumed trespassing. Remember to write their increased access or privileged items on a sheet of paper and give it a good stamping so the Janitor will be able to show why he's mopping the Medbay floors.
• Talk to the Crew. The Captain is often too busy dealing with who knows what. The Head of Security is usually trying to keep his department in check. The Research Director is on fire, the Chief Medical Officer is up to his elbows in injured people, and the Chief Engineer is trying to keep everyone warm and breathing in a vacuum. You're really the only Head able to take time and listen to the crew. Invite crewmen to talk to you when there are conflicts. Defuse the interpersonal and interdepartmental problems you discover during these conversations, and prevent grievances from becoming grief. Advocate on behalf of the beaten to security, and generally reduce the frequency and intensity of mutinies.
• Manage your Department First. While technically you can demote everyone who's ID you sieze to Assistant, managing civilian workers not under another head is your immediate responsibility. Keeping janitors on task, directing the Chef to throw a pizza party, and getting the records up to date are the first thing to do after assigning job and access changes. Demoting bad Security Officers or stepping in for an absent department head also falls on your desk, but going into other departments to micromanage in front of their head is both bad form and likely to make you reviled. Always clear a demotion with their department head, or ideally, have all the heads aware they can send troublesome employees your way to be sent to the mining base. This lets you focus on your immediate underlings and avoid stepping on toes.

Ian is the pet of the Head of Personnel, a loyal and faithful Corgi clone, and the station's mascot. It is your unofficial duty to care for him and make sure he doesn't get eaten or killed or harmed.

Potentially the easiest antagonist job other than Captain on the station, as you can have all access, armor and a gun a minute after the round starts. People don't expect much from you after the first 5 minutes of a round. Stick around just long enough to give out access to the inevitable rush of assistants then get to work. For traitor, begin by ordering a voice changer and making a few backup IDs. With enough fake identities you can afford to be spotted completing your objectives and still not get caught. When shit hits the fan don't forget about the ID computer by arrivals if you need to make an emergency fake ID or leave a few around for assistants. Also consider getting an AI module. A quick traitor can have a law uploaded two minutes after round start and hopefully before the AI can say anything. Changeling HoPs are very fun because you don't have to worry about having limited access with the IDs of your victims. Getting Cult HoP is probably the best antagonist role you can get as HoP because you can easily give out all access to your cult comrades, and you can easily get to anybody who you are forced to sacrifice. Vampire HoP is just like playing Vampire with most other jobs, just knock em out and drag them into maintenance and start sucking them dry.

You should have good knowledge of the Chain of Command.

As an example, you could play as a subservient right hand man to the Captain, or a devious power hungry maniac, only serving to further your own career goals. Remember, whatever you choose, try to enjoy it, and try not to ruin the round for other people.

You may have access to it, but you are not (read NOT) Security. Chasing and arresting criminals should be left to the likes of Security Officers and possibly the Head of Security. Your armour and weapon is for your protection only and does not give you the right to chase after criminals. If you should happen across a crime, pulling your weapon may hinder more than help.