Director of Human Resources

WHAT WE DO

For more than 60 years, MAAC has been a champion for underrepresented communities throughout San Diego County, providing families in need with resources to achieve self-sufficiency, economic mobility, and build the life they want and deserve. While our organization first began in the southern region of San Diego, MAAC now operates nearly 40 sites across the county, from San Ysidro to Fallbrook. With an annual operating budget of $68 million, MAAC employs nearly 450 staff (including 300 union-represented) who provide life-changing services to 100,000 individuals annually through programs in 5 core focus areas: Education, Economic Development, Health & Wellbeing, Housing, and Advocacy & Leadership Development. Through our wide array of programs, MAAC has grown to become one of the largest nonprofit social service organizations in the region. And with our recent expansion to the Imperial Valley, we have expanded our ability to serve more families than ever before. For more information, please visit:

LEADERSHIP & CULTURE

The Director of Human Resources will report to Chief People Officer Dr. Taylor Mauriello, who originally joined MAAC in 2019 as the Director of Learning and Evaluation. Taylor has dedicated her career to building resilient and transformative organizations in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors in San Diego and across the globe. She holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership and a master's in Marriage and Family Therapy and her background as a workplace psychologist informs her data-driven, people-centered approach to organizational change and systems transformation. She believes that the greatest organizations are built from the inside out, starting with their people.

MAAC is proud of its internal leadership and development programs, with over one-third of MAAC’s team having 10 or more years of tenure with the organization. In fact, many current team members were once MAAC clients and have returned to join the organization and share their experience to further our impact and deep connection to the families we serve. This commitment to both our mission and our culture is what we call the MAAC Familia.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary – $145,000 – 160,000 DOE
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with employer contribution
• PTO: 20 paid days off, 40 hours of Management Leave, 8.66 hours of sick time accrued per month, 14 paid holidays plus 1 floating holiday
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Employee Assistance Program
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Voluntary supplemental insurance options

LOCATION

This is an in-person leadership position based in Vista, California, with regular travel to our Chula Vista, California campus.

POSITION SUMMARY

This is an outstanding opportunity for a strategic and collaborative human resources leader to help shape the future of one of Southern California's most respected nonprofit organizations. The Director of Human Resources will lead a 7-person HR team with 4 direct reports: 2 HR Managers, Recruitment Manager, and HRIS Manager. The position scope includes oversight of employee and labor relations, talent acquisition, compliance, organizational development, HR technology, and workforce planning for an organization of nearly 450 employees, including approximately 300 union-represented staff.

The Director serves as MAAC's chief negotiator and labor relations leader, providing expert guidance on complex workforce matters while supporting a positive employee experience and strong organizational culture. Working closely with executive leadership, managers, and employees across multiple locations, this leader will help position HR as a strategic partner that balances operational excellence, compliance, and service to internal stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will bring the ability to think strategically, lead organizational change, build trust across diverse constituencies, and develop systems and practices that strengthen both organizational effectiveness and mission impact.

First Year Priorities

• Listening, Learning, and Relationship Building: Build strong relationships with employees, managers, executive leadership, and labor representatives. Develop a deep understanding of MAAC's culture, programs, workforce, and operating environment while establishing credibility as a trusted HR leader.
• Labor Relations and Workforce Strategy: Provide leadership for employee and labor relations matters, strengthen labor-management relationships, and prepare for future collective bargaining activities. Partner with leadership to navigate workforce planning initiatives and organizational changes while ensuring compliance with labor agreements and employment regulations.
• HR Operations and Service Excellence: Assess HR systems, policies, and practices across locations and implement improvements that promote consistency, efficiency, accountability, and a high level of service to internal stakeholders.
• Technology, AI Governance, and Process Improvement: Evaluate opportunities to strengthen HR technology, reporting capabilities, and operational processes. Partner with leadership to develop policies, governance structures, implementation guidelines, and change-management strategies related to AI and emerging technologies while ensuring compliance with employment regulations and collective bargaining agreements.
• Strategic Planning and Organizational Development: Contribute to MAAC's next strategic planning process and align talent, culture, leadership development, and workforce priorities with the organization's long-term goals.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Human Resources Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of HR strategies that support MAAC's mission, operational goals, and workforce needs.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Chief People Officer and organizational leaders on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and change management.
• Develop and monitor key workforce metrics to support informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Partner with leadership to strengthen organizational culture, leadership capability, and employee retention.

Labor & Employee Relations

• Serve as MAAC's chief negotiator and primary labor relations leader.
• Provide leadership and oversight for collective bargaining, contract administration, grievance resolution, workplace investigations, and complex employee relations matters.
• Partner with leadership and legal counsel to manage labor strategies, workforce changes, and organizational restructuring initiatives as needed.
• Promote fair, consistent, and legally compliant employment practices across the organization.

Talent, Culture & Organizational Development

• Oversee talent acquisition, onboarding, succession planning, and workforce development initiatives.
• Support programs that enhance employee engagement, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness.
• Partner with managers to build strong teams and foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Total Rewards & Compensation

• Provide leadership and oversight for compensation, classification, and benefits programs.
• Partner with leadership to ensure compensation practices remain competitive, equitable, and aligned with organizational goals.
• Oversee market benchmarking, compensation analysis, and salary structure recommendations while maintaining compliance with applicable federal and California employment laws.
• Support benefits strategy, vendor relationships, and annual benefits planning to attract and retain a high-performing workforce.

HR Operations, Compliance & Technology

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, labor agreements, and organizational policies.
• Oversee HR systems, technology platforms, reporting processes, and department operations.
• Lead the ongoing evaluation and improvement of HR policies, procedures, and service delivery practices.
• Partner with organizational leaders to assess, develop, and implement AI governance frameworks, policies, and practices that support responsible adoption of emerging technologies across HR and the broader organization.
• Evaluate opportunities to leverage HR technology, automation, and analytics to improve efficiency, decision-making, compliance, and employee experience.
• Coordinate labor-management meet-and-confer processes related to technology and policy changes affecting represented employees.

BACKGROUND PROFILE

• Demonstrated success leading human resources functions within a complex, multi-site organization.
• Significant experience serving as the lead negotiator and primary labor relations leader in a unionized environment.
• Strong knowledge of California employment law and HR compliance requirements.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree and/or SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable certification preferred.
• Nonprofit experience preferred but not required. Candidates from education, government, healthcare, or other mission-driven organizations with significant labor relations experience are encouraged to apply.
• Experience leading organizational change, workforce planning initiatives, restructurings, or other complex people-related projects.
• Ability to establish priorities, lead cross-functional initiatives, and translate strategy into measurable outcomes.
• Track record of building strong relationships and credibility with executives, managers, employees, labor representatives, and other stakeholders.
• Experience leveraging HR technology, analytics, and process improvement to strengthen organizational performance and service delivery.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and change-management skills.
• Cultural competency and an understanding of the communities MAAC serves. Bilingual and bicultural experience is highly valued.