Director of Human Resources

This key leadership role sits at the intersection of people, mission, and resources--designing and implementing thoughtful and fiscally sound approaches to recruitment, employee development, compensation and benefits, and employee engagement. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Director will lead our work around people strategy, systems and culture while remaining deeply connected to the day-to-day experiences of staff and managers. The Director supervises two additional staff and supports an organization of 250+ full-time and part-time employees. Beyond the HR leadership role, the Director will participate in broad-based organization-wide planning on a wide range of strategic and operational issues.

This is a full-time position with a hybrid schedule, requiring at least 3-4 days per week of in-person work.

The Role and Its Impact

At JF&CS, our staff are our most important asset. The Director of Human Resources is responsible for ensuring that we attract talented people who share our mission, support and develop them throughout their careers, and create a work environment where people feel valued, supported, and accountable.

The Director brings a strategic lens to how we invest in our people-across training, benefits, compensation, and management development-while also providing hands-on leadership in employee relations, coaching, and compliance. This role requires sound judgment, emotional intelligence, a collaborative growth mindset, and the ability to balance care for individuals with the needs of the organization.

Key areas of focus include:

• Building and nurturing a strong workforce by designing inclusive recruitment and onboarding practices, supporting employee growth and career development, and strengthening retention through thoughtful people practices.
• Developing strong managers by coaching supervisors, improving performance management practices, and helping leaders build the skills needed to lead effectively, compassionately, and consistently.
• Shaping an engaging and respectful culture that reflects JF&CS's values, strengthens communication and trust, and supports collaboration across roles and departments.
• Designing and administering competitive, equitable compensation and benefits in a manner that is fiscally responsible, compliant, and clearly communicated to staff.
• Leading employee relations and compliance efforts with care and credibility, ensuring fairness, clarity, and adherence to federal and Massachusetts employment laws and best practices.
• Investing in learning and development, including leadership development, staff training, and required education, with a focus on continuous improvement and organizational effectiveness.
• Strengthening systems and infrastructure, including ongoing development and optimization of the HRIS (Paycom), and close coordination with Payroll to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
• Overseeing the agency's Tent Committee, which fosters a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful workplace for our diverse employee base
• Supervising and mentoring HR staff members, developing their skills and structuring the department to meet the evolving needs of the organization.

Experience, Skills, and Approach

We are seeking a seasoned HR leader who combines strategic thinking with practical execution, and who is comfortable navigating both high-level planning and sensitive, real-time people issues.

Qualifications include:

• At least 8-10 years of progressively responsible experience in human resources, including prior leadership experience.
• Broad and deep experience across employee relations, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, training and development, and HR operations.
• Strong working knowledge of Massachusetts and federal employment law and benefits administration
• Experience working with HRIS platforms (Paycom experience is a plus).
• SHRM certification preferred.

The ideal candidate brings:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility across all levels of the organization.
• Experience coaching managers and leaders through both routine and complex challenges.
• Sound judgment, flexibility, collaboration skills, and empathy, paired with comfort making and implementing difficult decisions.
• Experience managing budgets and making financial decisions
• A genuine commitment to JF&CS's social service mission and to working in a diverse, inclusive environment.

Please note that a cover letter is required. Applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.