Title: Director of Human Resources
State Role Title: Human Resource Manager III
Hiring Range: Commensurate to $160,000
Pay Band: 7
Agency: Virginia Employment Commission
Location: VEC CENTRAL OFFICE
Agency Website: www.VEC.virginia.gov
Recruitment Type:
Job Duties
The Director of Human Resources leads human resources strategy and service delivery for the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), supporting a workforce spanning numerous offices, customer contact centers, central office functions, and the new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. This role strengthens agency-wide workforce planning, talent acquisition, employee relations, compliance, succession planning, organizational design, and HR service delivery.
A defining priority of this position is enabling the PFML stand-up. The Director of Human Resources will partner with PFML program leadership to sequence and deliver hiring waves beginning with founding leadership roles and scaling through the operational hiring needed ahead of contributions beginning April 1, 2028 and benefit payments beginning December 1, 2028. This includes classification and pay band review for newly created PFML positions, high-volume recruitment and onboarding capacity, candidate experience standards, and workforce planning that keeps PFML and Unemployment Insurance (UI) operating as one agency with one consistent employee experience.
The Director of Human Resources will serve as a trusted advisor to the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, agency executive leaders, managers, and supervisors on complex workforce matters, including organizational changes, hiring priorities, staffing models, employee relations, leadership capability, policy interpretation, and labor and compliance risk. The position requires strong executive communication, sound judgment, change leadership, and the ability to translate agency priorities into actionable people strategies, operating at both strategic and operational levels.
The Director of Human Resources will oversee HR staff and functional delivery across recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, employee relations, equal opportunity, benefits, learning and development, performance management, HR operations, and workforce analytics, ensuring HR programs are compliant, consistent, customer-focused, and aligned with agency business needs. The role monitors and assesses the impact of changing legislation, policies, and funding, and recommends and oversees necessary adjustments.
The Director of Human Resources will also make presentations, conduct training, respond to inquiries (including legal, audit, and FOIA requests), and participate in grievance, court, audit, and investigation proceedings as a technical expert representing the agency.
Minimum Qualifications
• Executive HR Leadership: Ability to operate as an enterprise-level strategic leader and trusted advisor, translating VEC, UI, and PFML priorities into workforce strategies, organizational decisions, and measurable actions rather than relying solely on established HR processes.
• Strategic Thinking and Practical Improvement: Ability to assess organizational needs, constructively challenge existing approaches, and develop practical, evidence-based solutions within applicable government policies, regulations, funding constraints, and operational requirements.
• Operational Efficiency and Organizational Effectiveness: Ability to improve HR service delivery, streamline processes, reduce unnecessary handoffs and silos, clarify roles, and partner with business units on organizational and process-improvement work.
• PFML Stand-Up and Scaled Workforce Delivery: Ability to plan and execute time-bound workforce strategies for a new statewide program, including founding-team recruitment, classification of new roles, phased high-volume hiring, structured selection, onboarding, and workforce readiness while sustaining ongoing agency operations.
• UI and VEC Operational Workforce Leadership: Knowledge of the workforce needs of established, customer-facing, and highly regulated operations, with the ability to balance PFML implementation demands with consistent HR support for UI and other VEC business units.
• Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning, and Retention: Experience leading recruitment strategy, workforce forecasting, succession planning, employer branding, candidate experience, employee development, and retention efforts across varied job families and locations.
• Employee Relations, Compliance, and Risk Management: Strong judgment in complex employee relations matters, investigations, grievances, performance issues, policy interpretation, equal opportunity, confidentiality, and compliance with federal, state, Commonwealth, and public-sector employment requirements.
• Workforce Data and Decision Support: Ability to use workforce metrics, performance information, stakeholder feedback, and technology-enabled tools to identify trends, inform decisions, monitor outcomes, and improve operational performance.
• Executive Communication and Stakeholder Partnership: Ability to present clear recommendations, alternatives, risks, and resource implications; build credibility with senior leaders; and collaborate effectively with managers, employees, and cross-functional partners.
• People Leadership and Change Management: Ability to lead and develop HR teams, establish accountability for service and results, and guide organizational change, new program implementation, and culture-building with minimal disruption to VEC operations.
Additional Considerations
• This position requires completion of a Statement of Economic Interest (SOEI) form.
• Mandatory training on the Conflict of Interest Act (COIA) must be completed.
• The position may involve extended hours to meet operational demands and project deadlines.
• Some statewide travel may be required to meet business needs.
• This position serves as the agency's Equal Opportunity Officer as defined in 29 CFR Part 38.31.
Special Instructions
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to "Your Application" in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
Contact Information
Name: VEC Human Resources / Recruitment
Phone: For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account. We do not provide application status updates via phone.
Email: Careers@vec.virginia.gov for recruitment related questions. Emailed applications, resumes, or cover letters will not be accepted. For the most up-to-date status of your application, please refer to your Jobs.Virginia.Gov account.
In support of the Commonwealth's commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.
Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.
Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force.
