THE OPPORTUNITYThe Missouri Botanical Garden is entering an important chapter as it advances a new strategic direction and strengthens its role as both a leading global botanical institution and a valued local resource. The Senior Vice President of Human Resources will help ensure the Garden's people, leadership, and workplace practices are aligned with its mission and ready to support its priorities across divisions and sites.
The next SVP HR will lead a 12-person HR and Safety team with strong non-profit expertise, a collaborative culture, and a commitment to dependable service. The Garden has also recently invested in its compensation and career development practices. These efforts provide a foundation for employee and leader development across the organization.
Looking ahead, there is an opportunity to strengthen how the Garden attracts, develops, and retains talent. The SVP HR will help embed career development into everyday practice, develop leaders and managers, improve workforce and succession planning, and build a highly engaged and productive workforce. This role will also help ensure HR services, technology, safety practices, and policies support the needs of employees and volunteers throughout the Garden.
This leader will continue to build HR as a visible, trusted partner to employees and leaders. By bringing empathy, clear expectations, and shared accountability to people decisions, the SVP HR can help the Garden build a people-first culture that supports its mission and long-term growth.
POSITION SUMMARYThe Senior Vice President of Human Resources (SVP HR) provides visionary leadership for all aspects of the employee and volunteer experience across the Missouri Botanical Garden's domestic and international locations. Reporting directly to the President, this role ensures that the Garden's people strategy aligns with and enables its mission, values, and strategic priorities.
The SVP HR oversees all facets of human resources, talent development, organizational culture, compensation and benefits, safety, and compliance. As a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, this role acts as a trusted advisor to the President, Executive Leadership Team, and Board of Trustees.
A critical responsibility is to build a people-first culture where employees and volunteers feel valued, respected, supported and connected to the Garden's mission. This role translates this commitment into leadership practices and people decisions that promote well-being, development, inclusion and shared accountability while supporting financially sustainable operations. As an approachable and visible partner, the SVP HR listens to employees, understands divisional needs, and combines empathy with decisive action.
Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesStrategic Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness- Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to the President and Executive Leadership Team, advancing the Garden's institutional mission through people-centered leadership.
- Develop a multi-year people strategy and annual priorities aligned with the Garden's strategic plan, institutional needs and available resources.
- Partner with the President and Executive Leadership Team on organizational design, role clarity, decision authority, workforce planning and succession; bring people implications into strategic decisions early.
- Work proactively with division leaders to understand their goals, anticipate workforce challenges and develop practical solutions across programs and sites.
- Guide organizational change with clear communication, employee involvement and realistic implementation plans; evaluate whether changes improve effectiveness.
- Represent the Human Resources Division on the Executive Leadership Team and contribute to institutional decision-making, policy development, and strategic planning.
- Represent the Garden at internal and external events, gatherings, community engagements and professional forums, building relationships and communicating the Garden's mission, values and commitment to a people-first culture.
Organization Development (Talent Management, Career Development, & Culture)- Lead Garden-wide recruitment, onboarding and retention practices that attract great and diverse talent, broaden access to opportunities, and connect employees to the Garden's mission.
- Develop career frameworks and progression criteria, with clear expectations for knowledge, skills, experience, contribution and growth.
- Strengthen leader effectiveness through practical coaching and development in feedback, performance management, conflict resolution and leading change.
- Lead workforce and succession planning for critical capabilities and leadership roles; connect development opportunities with future institutional needs.
- Ensure performance management establishes meaningful goals, supports regular feedback and addresses both strong and unsatisfactory performance, while building a people-first culture.
- Build a people-first culture grounded in care, trust, respect, inclusion and shared accountability; equip leaders to demonstrate these commitments through everyday decisions and behavior.
- Maintain a visible presence across all divisions and sites, while creating accessible channels for employees to raise concerns, share ideas and receive guidance.
- Use employee listening, engagement feedback and workforce information to identify issues and follow through on improvements with leaders.
- Lead initiatives that promote equity, inclusion, and psychological safety, ensuring all staff and volunteers feel valued and empowered to contribute to the Garden's mission.
Compensation and Benefits- Lead compensation, benefits and recognition strategies that balance market competitiveness, internal equity, transparency and financial sustainability.
- Oversee job evaluation, pay structures and compensation benchmarking; support consistent decisions about progression and pay.
- Partner with Finance on workforce budgeting, staffing scenarios and the cost implications of compensation and benefits decisions.
- Partner with the Executive Compensation Committee to manage annual reviews for key executives and the President.
Health, Safety, and Compliance- Provide executive oversight for all environmental health and safety programs, policies, and training.
- Collaborate with Facilities Support and Construction leadership to maintain a culture of safety for staff, volunteers, and visitors.
- Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations related to workplace safety, labor law, and employment practices.
- Oversee risk management strategies related to personnel, safety, and emergency response.
- Ensure adherence to legal, ethical, and institutional standards in all HR and safety functions, nationally and globally.
- Oversee the development and consistent administration of HR policies and procedures that reflect best practices and support the Garden's mission.
- Serve as HR liaison to the Zoo Museum District (ZMD) Committees and 403(b) Retirement Plan Committee.
- Report regularly to the President on HR and Safety initiatives, workforce metrics, and progress toward institutional goals.
HR Leadership and Operations- Lead, mentor, and inspire a diverse HR and Safety team of 12 people, cultivating teamwork, innovation, and accountability.
- Respect existing expertise, delegate appropriately, and provide clear direction, resources and accountability for functional leaders.
- Preserve strong collaboration, mutual respect and an open-door culture; advocate for the team and support continued professional growth.
- Manage the divisional budget and external partners responsibly, balancing strategic initiatives with dependable daily operations.
- Maintain strategic focus while understanding operational demands
- Establish metrics to evaluate HR effectiveness, safety outcomes, and organizational health.
- Model inclusive and transparent communication, reinforcing a culture of continuous learning and mutual respect.
- Establish reliable HR service delivery across payroll, benefits, employee relations, records and HR information systems, with clear ownership and service expectations.
- Simplify and standardize HR processes, improve data quality and expand useful self-service and automation.
CANDIDATE PROFILEThe Missouri Botanical Garden seeks an accomplished human resources executive who brings strategic perspective, strong operational judgment, and a deep commitment to developing people, teams, and organizations.
The successful candidate will be a trusted advisor and visible, approachable leader who can connect the Garden's people strategy to its mission and priorities. They will bring the experience to strengthen talent, leadership, culture, compensation, safety, and HR operations across a complex, multi-site organization, balancing employee well-being and development with accountability and financial sustainability.
Most importantly, this individual will know how to build a people-first culture through everyday leadership practices and decisions. They will listen closely, understand the needs of different divisions and sites, and combine empathy with decisive action. They will be energized by the Garden's mission and able to help employees and volunteers feel valued, supported, and connected to its impact.
The ideal candidate will bring:
- Significant executive-level HR leadership experience, including at least 15 years of progressive HR experience and five years in an executive role.
- A record of developing and implementing people strategies in complex, multi-site organizations; global experience is preferred.
- Broad expertise across talent development, organizational design, workforce and succession planning, employee relations, compensation, benefits, and HR operations.
- Demonstrated success leading organizational change, strengthening workplace culture, and advancing equity, inclusion, and psychological safety.
- Experience building and developing high-performing teams, coaching leaders, and helping managers lead through change.
- Strong financial, analytical, and strategic planning capabilities, including experience with workforce budgeting, HR technology, and data-informed decision-making.
- Experience overseeing workplace safety, employment compliance, and reliable HR service delivery.
- Excellent communication, facilitation, conflict-resolution, and relationship-building skills.
The strongest candidates will also demonstrate:
- Strategic vision paired with disciplined execution and sound judgment.
- A visible, approachable leadership style grounded in listening, trust, respect, and accountability.
- The ability to build productive partnerships with executive leaders, division leaders, employees, volunteers, and external partners.
- Intellectual curiosity, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.
- A genuine appreciation for the Garden's mission and the role its people play in advancing knowledge, conservation, and public engagement.
A bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a relate
