About You:

You are a strategic, hands-on Human Resources leader who thrives in a mission-driven applied research environment. You are equally comfortable advising executives on workforce strategy and rolling up your sleeves to resolve day-to-day HR needs, support managers, improve processes, and deliver responsive service to employees. You bring sound judgment, discretion, and a practical, service-oriented approach to supporting technical, research, and operational teams while building scalable people systems for a growing organization.

Position Overview:

The Human Resources Director will lead a small HR team and serve as a key partner in advancing VT-ARC's people strategy, operations, and culture as the organization continues to grow. This role requires a leader who can operate effectively at both strategic and practical levels• advising senior leadership and managers on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, performance management, retention, compliance, and HR infrastructure, while also ensuring that daily HR needs are addressed with accuracy, responsiveness, and professionalism.

The Director will oversee and at times directly participate in core HR operations including bi-monthly payroll, employee relations, recruiting support, onboarding, HR records, policy interpretation, benefits coordination, routine administration, employee communications, and manager and employee inquiries. The ideal candidate will bring the judgment and experience to help scale the HR function for a growing enterprise while remaining actively engaged in practical execution and responsive service to employees and managers.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute practical HR strategies, policies, and programs that support organizational growth, workforce scalability, compliance, and mission delivery.
• Serve as a hands-on HR partner to employees and managers by addressing employee relations matters, coaching leaders, interpreting policies, resolving workplace concerns, and helping managers navigate day-to-day people issues.
• Advise executive leadership and managers on organizational design, workforce planning, performance management, retention, leadership development, and change management.
• Lead and support recruiting, onboarding, retention, and succession planning efforts, including coordinating job requisitions, interview processes, offer support, new hire integration, and manager follow-up.
• Oversee HR compliance, including employment law, federal contractor requirements, EEO, personnel records, required notices, policy documentation, and related reporting.
• Manage compensation, benefits, job architecture, performance review processes, employee development programs, and routine HR administration in alignment with market practices and organizational needs.
• Strengthen HR infrastructure, systems, processes, templates, documentation, and analytics to support efficient daily operations and informed decision-making as the organization grows.
• Maintain accurate and confidential HR records, support timely employee communications, and ensure follow-through on HR requests, transactions, and manager or employee inquiries.
• Promote a positive, inclusive, accountable, and high-performing workplace culture consistent with the corporation's values.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• Progressive HR leadership experience, including both strategic HR planning and hands-on responsibility for employee relations, compliance, talent acquisition, performance management, compensation, benefits, and HR administration.
• Demonstrated ability to build or mature HR policies, processes, systems, and programs while ensuring reliable execution of daily HR operations.
• Working knowledge of federal, multiple state, and local employment laws and HR compliance requirements.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, coaching, and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to advise leaders, support employees at all levels, and respond effectively to routine HR questions and concerns.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality when handling sensitive personnel matters, employee records, investigations, and workplace concerns.
• Comfort operating in a lean or growing HR environment where the HR leader is expected to set direction, improve systems, and personally execute key HR tasks.
• Experience supporting a federal contractor, nonprofit research organization, university-affiliated organization, technical services company, or applied research environment.
• Professional HR certification such as SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, or PHR.
• Working knowledge of ADP Workforce Now, registering businesses in other states and setting up tax jurisdictions, performing payroll, and completing HR-related external and internal audits.

Desired Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• Experience scaling HR operations for a growing organization, including implementation or optimization of HR information systems, compensation structures, career frameworks, leadership development programs, and employee self-service or manager support processes.
• Experience managing HR work directly in a lean team environment, including ownership of policy updates, onboarding workflows, employee documentation, benefits coordination, and HR communications.
• Familiarity with government contracting, security-sensitive work environments, and workforce compliance obligations.

Primary Work Location: Work is expected to be primarily onsite in Arlington, VA, 3-4 days per week.

Special Work Conditions: A hybrid work policy is in place with the corporation, and a telecommuting agreement will be negotiated.

Security: Must be a U.S. Citizen.

Competitive Salary: VT-ARC offers a competitive salary and benefits package designed to attract and retain senior technical talent supporting mission-critical programs.

Salary Range: $180,000 - $200,000 annually; Incentive Bonus Eligible

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation: VT-ARC is a 501(c)(3), non-profit R&D organization affiliated with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech or VT). Our mission is to provide superior analytic and technology solutions across multiple domains by leveraging Virginia Tech's multidisciplinary research and innovation ecosystem. With unique access to the broad and rich research enterprise found at Virginia Tech, VT-ARC forms multi-disciplinary teams to apply innovative solutions to the real-world problems that strain our social, political, industrial, and economic foundations.

To learn more about VT-ARC's Benefits, Perks, Culture & more visit our Careers page: https://vt-arc.org/careers/