Reports to: Deputy Chief of Employee Experience and Retention
Academic/Non-Academic: Non-Academic
Position Overview:Boston Public Schools (BPS) seeks an experienced, strategic, and highly service-oriented leader to serve as the Director of Employee Services within the Office of Human Resources (OHR). The Director is responsible for leading critical employee service functions that impact employees throughout their employment lifecycle and ensuring that HR services are delivered accurately, efficiently, consistently, and with a strong focus on the employee experience.
The Director oversees a broad portfolio of HR operations, including leave administration, employee data and personnel transactions, salary lane changes, career awards, tuition reimbursement, workers' compensation processes, sick bank and other employee service functions.
This role requires a leader who can successfully balance high-volume transactional operations with strategic process improvement. The Director will use data, technology, and employee feedback to identify service gaps, improve workflows, strengthen internal controls, and develop resources that make HR policies and processes easier for employees and managers to navigate.
The Director will work closely with other OHR leaders, district departments, school-based staff, union partners, and City of Boston departments to ensure the timely and accurate administration of employee services.
Responsibilities:Employee Services Leadership & Operations - Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Employee Services and Employee Information team, ensuring the accurate and timely delivery of high-volume HR services and transactions.
- Lead the administration and processing of employee leaves of absence, salary lane changes, career awards, tuition reimbursement, workers' compensation processes, retirements, terminations, seniority updates, and other employee lifecycle transactions.
- Ensure the accuracy and integrity of employee information and personnel records through regular audits, quality-control processes, and appropriate internal controls.
- Establish clear service standards, workflows, escalation protocols, and accountability measures for the Employee Services team.
- Develop, document, maintain, and continuously improve standard operating procedures for Employee Services and Employee Information functions.
- Ensure appropriate cross-training and knowledge management practices are in place to maintain continuity of critical HR operations.
Employee Experience & Customer Service - Establish expectations and service standards for employee inquiries, including appropriate response times, escalation procedures, and resolution protocols.
- Analyze employee inquiries, phone calls, in-person visits, transaction volumes, and other service data to identify recurring issues and opportunities to improve the employee experience.
- Partner with OHR leadership to develop proactive communications, tools, FAQs, guides, and other resources that help employees and managers navigate HR policies and processes.
- Identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary administrative barriers and create more efficient, accessible, and user-friendly HR processes.
Policy, Compliance & Attendance Management - Lead the implementation and administration of district policies related to Employee Services and Employee Information functions, ensuring consistent application across the district.
- Coordinate the review and updating of applicable Superintendent's Circulars and HR policies in partnership with OHR leadership, the Superintendent's Office, and other key stakeholders.
- Develop and lead district initiatives related to employee attendance monitoring.
- Analyze attendance and absence data to identify trends, areas of concern, and schools or departments that may require additional support or intervention.
- Partner with appropriate district leaders to develop strategies for addressing attendance trends and strengthening attendance management practices.
- Ensure Employee Services and Employee Information practices comply with applicable collective bargaining agreements, district policies, City of Boston requirements, and state and federal regulations.
HR Systems, Data & Reporting - Serve as a key operational partner in the administration and continuous improvement of the district's Human Resource Management systems and HR technology.
- Partner with HRIS and City of Boston technology teams on system upgrades, testing, implementation, troubleshooting, and process improvements.
- Coordinate and support user acceptance testing for system changes impacting HR processes and assist with the rollout and training of new functionality.
- Oversee required employee data reporting and verification activities for external agencies and stakeholders, including employment and licensure verification, loan forgiveness verification, and required workforce reporting.
- Use HR data and service metrics to identify trends, evaluate team performance, improve processes, and inform strategic decision-making.
- Partner with appropriate City of Boston departments to establish and maintain employee system security and access.
Cross-Functional & City Partnership - Serve as a primary liaison between BPS Human Resources and key City of Boston partners, including City Human Resources, Central Payroll, Auditing, BAIS, and the Retirement Board.
- Coordinate personnel record audits and respond to requests from City departments and other authorized agencies.
- Build strong working relationships across OHR to ensure employee transactions are handled accurately and seamlessly across functional areas.
- Collaborate with Payroll, HRIS, Staffing, Benefits, Labor Relations, Accommodations, and other HR teams to resolve complex employee issues.
- Identify cross-functional process gaps and lead efforts to improve coordination, accountability, and service delivery.
Team Leadership & Continuous Improvement - Lead, develop, coach, and evaluate Employee Services and Employee Information staff, establishing clear expectations for performance, accuracy, responsiveness, and customer service.
- Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and exceptional service.
- Assess team workflows and workload distribution to ensure resources are appropriately aligned with operational needs and service demands.
- Develop and deliver training for Employee Services and Employee Information staff and other BPS employees on HR systems, processes, policies, and procedural changes.
- Lead process-improvement initiatives designed to increase efficiency, reduce errors, shorten processing times, and improve the overall employee experience.
- Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Skills and Mindsets The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage both high-volume operational responsibilities and longer-term strategic initiatives.
- A demonstrated commitment to delivering exceptional customer service and creating a positive employee experience.
- Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a complex, fast-paced environment.
- Strong attention to detail and a demonstrated commitment to accuracy, compliance, and data integrity.
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to use data to identify trends, diagnose problems, and develop actionable solutions.
- Sound judgment, discretion, and the ability to appropriately manage sensitive and confidential employee information.
- A proactive and solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to anticipate operational challenges and develop sustainable solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to develop, document, and improve business processes and standard operating procedures.
- Strong change management skills and the ability to successfully implement new systems, processes, and expectations.
- Ability to build effective relationships and work collaboratively with employees and leaders at all levels of the organization.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and hold teams accountable for high-quality results.
- High standards of ethics, integrity, professionalism, respect, and humility.
- Flexibility and adaptability in responding to changing organizational priorities and operational needs.
- Strong technology skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace applications and experience working with Human Capital Management or Human Resources Information Systems.
Qualifications - Required - Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
- Minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional experience in human resources, employee services, HR operations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex, high-volume administrative or HR operations.
- Demonstrated experience supervising, developing, and managing staff.
- Experience using HR data and systems to support operational decision-making and process improvement.
- Strong understanding of HR operations, employee records, and the importance of confidentiality, compliance, and data integrity.
- Current authorization to work in the United States.
- Demonstrated understanding of, or commitment to developing an understanding of, the opportunities and challenges facing large urban public school systems.
- A deeply held and unyielding belief in the mission of public education and the ability of effective human resources practices to support employees, schools, and student success.
Qualifications - Preferred - Master's degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, organizational leadership, education, or a related field.
- Seven or more years of progressively responsible HR or employee services experience.
- Experience leading HR operations in a large, complex, unionized organization.
- Experience working in an urban public education environment.
- Experience with PeopleSoft, BAIS HCM, or a comparable enterprise Human Capital Management system.
- Experience with HR system implementations, upgrades, user acceptance testing, and business process redesign.
- Experience administering employee leave, personnel transactions, attendance management, or related employee service functions.
- Knowledge of collective bargaining agreements and their application to HR operations.
- Familiarity with the City of Boston and Boston Public Schools.
Terms: D61
Note: This position is subject to the City of Boston residency requirement. This position may require occasional evening and weekend work.
