Chief Human Resources Officer

Seven Hills Foundation is one of the largest and most comprehensive health and human services organizations in New England, serving more than 60,000 children and adults annually across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. With more than 4,800 employees and over 230 program locations , Seven Hills delivers innovative supports in the areas of disability services, behavioral health, education, housing, and community integration.

Learn more about Seven Hills at .


The Opportunity

The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) serves as a strategic partner and thought leader to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team, responsible for developing, executing, and continuously evolving a comprehensive people and workforce strategy that supports the mission, values, and long-term sustainability of Seven Hills Foundation.

This role requires high-level strategic thinking and planning for all HR activities, ensuring alignment with the organization's operational priorities, future growth strategies, and evolving workforce needs. The CHRO will play a central role in supporting Seven Hills' growth through program expansion, mergers, acquisitions, and affiliate integration while maintaining a unified organizational culture and commitment to mission.

The CHRO oversees all aspects of human capital management across a diverse, multi-state workforce-including talent acquisition, organizational development, employee relations, labor and regulatory compliance, compensation and benefits, and workforce systems and analytics-and ensures that Seven Hills attracts, develops, and retains a mission-driven, highly skilled, and engaged workforce capable of advancing quality services to people with disabilities and other life challenges.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, contributing to overall organizational strategy, enterprise planning, and decision-making.
• Develop and execute enterprise-wide HR strategies that align with organizational mission and long-term growth, including strategies supporting mergers, acquisitions, and affiliate expansion.
• Lead strategic workforce planning, organizational design, and succession management in partnership with divisional and affiliate leadership to ensure readiness for future growth and changing service needs.
• Provide leadership to the executive team on emerging trends, best practices and innovation in HR and incorporate relevant practices into the company's HR strategy.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board of Directors on workforce strategy, culture, and organizational risk.

Culture, Engagement & DEI

• Champion Seven Hills' values of respect, inclusion, and continuous improvement across all HR programs and practices.
• Drive initiatives to foster a positive, equitable, and high-performing organizational culture that promotes employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction.
• Advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) through measurable, data-driven strategies.

Talent Management & Development

• Innovate and lead enterprise-wide recruitment, onboarding, leadership development, and performance management programs
• Build succession and talent readiness frameworks to strengthen leadership pipelines across all divisions and departments.
• Partner with the Chief Learning and Development Officer to ensure career pathways and leadership development are aligned with organizational goals.

Compensation, Benefits & Workforce Analytics

• Oversee competitive and compliant compensation structures, job classification systems, and total rewards strategies that attract and retain a high-performing, diverse workforce.
• Manage enterprise benefits programs, including health, retirement, and wellness initiatives.
• Direct workforce analytics, benchmarking, and reporting to guide data-informed decision-making on turnover, engagement, and workforce costs.

Employee & Labor Relations

• Ensure fair and compliant employment practices across all operating states (MA, NH, RI).
• Oversee employee relations, investigations, and corrective actions while promoting consistent application of policy.
• Serve as the primary liaison for union relationships, collective bargaining, and labor negotiations where applicable.

HR Systems, Compliance & Risk

• Partner with the Chief Information Officer to ensure modern, secure, and efficient HR technology systems that support operational excellence and workforce data integrity.
• Oversee HR policy development, audits, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Maintain compliance with all labor, employment, and licensing regulations across multiple jurisdictions.
• Evaluate HR initiatives for scalability, alignment, and return on investment.

External Leadership & Representation

• Represent Seven Hills Foundation on statewide and regional workforce, HR, and human services committees, task forces, and professional associations.
• Collaborate with peer organizations, regulators, and trade associations to advance public policy and workforce innovation in the human services sector.
• Travel regularly to program sites across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire to engage with employees, leaders, and affiliate operations.

Candidate Profile

The ideal CHRO candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

Mission Alignment The CHRO will bring a strong understanding of mission-driven work and the operational realities of nonprofit human services organizations. This leader will help ensure that people strategies reflect both the organization's values and its long-term sustainability, supporting staff who serve vulnerable populations across diverse programs and settings. With appreciation for organizational history and culture, the CHRO will partner with senior leadership to align workforce practices with evolving priorities-balancing compassion, accountability, and performance as the organization enters its next chapter. The ability to navigate complexity, growth, and change while keeping staff experience and mission impact at the center will be essential.

Organizational Effectiveness The Chief Human Resources Officer will play a central role in strengthening and modernizing the organization's people infrastructure to support a large, complex, and evolving workforce. This leader will oversee core HR operations, including talent acquisition, onboarding, employee relations, HRIS, performance management, labor and regulatory compliance, compensation, and benefits, ensuring systems are cohesive, scalable, and aligned across divisions and geographies. As the organization continues to grow and unify its operating model, the CHRO will lead a forward-looking workforce strategy, steward meaningful change, and maintain strong, compliant HR operations in a complex service environment. The CHRO will bring structure, clarity, and follow-through to day-to-day operations while preserving the flexibility required in a dynamic human services context. Success in this role will mean translating strategy into reliable systems that improve efficiency, consistency, and employee experience without over-bureaucratizing the organization.

Culture Enhancement The CHRO will play a pivotal role in strengthening an inclusive, values-driven culture where employees feel supported, engaged, and connected to the organization's purpose. Drawing on a deep understanding of organizational dynamics and workforce engagement, this leader will address disparities in employee experience and help foster a sense of belonging across roles, programs, and identities. In partnership with senior leadership, the CHRO will guide thoughtful cultural evolution, honoring the organization's history while shaping a more equitable, consistent, and high-performing workplace. The ability to lead cultural change through periods of growth and complexity, while centering employee voice and well-being, will be essential.

Interpersonal Wisdom & Adaptive Leadership This role calls for a CHRO who leads with emotional intelligence, steadiness, and sound judgment. As a trusted advisor to the executive team and a visible presence across the organization, the CHRO will support leaders and managers through rapid change, growth, and challenging people matters. The successful candidate will balance empathy with clarity, fostering open communication, addressing sensitive issues thoughtfully, and reinforcing shared expectations. An adaptive leadership style-one that can shift between strategic counsel and hands-on engagement-will enable the CHRO to build trust across a diverse, distributed workforce and help teams remain resilient during periods of transition.

Governance & Organizational Savvy The CHRO will operate with a high degree of organizational and political savvy, understanding governance structures, decision-making processes, and the interplay between affiliates, senior leadership, and the Board. This leader will help reinforce role clarity, accountability, and effective collaboration as the organization continues to align under a more unified divisional operating model. By partnering closely with executive leadership, the CHRO will support thoughtful change management, helping stabilize systems and relationships while enabling progress. The ability to navigate complexity with discretion, credibility, and confidence will be critical to success.

Regulatory, Compliance & Risk Management Expertise In a highly regulated environment, the CHRO will provide strong oversight of compliance, employee relations, and risk management. This leader will ensure that policies, practices, and systems are legally sound, consistently applied, and positioned to support continuity as the organization scales. Experience with employment law, union environments, benefits administration, and regulatory requirements will enable the CHRO to mitigate risk while supporting fair, people-centered decision-making. In partnership with legal, finance, and operations leaders, the CHRO will help safeguard the organization and reinforce HR's role as an integral contributor to organizational health, risk management, and workforce sustainability.

Qualified candidates will offer:

• Bachelor's degree required; Advanced degree preferred; SPHR/SHRM-SCP strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources preferred.

In addition, strong candidates will offer:

• Demonstrated success leading HR strategy for large, multi-site, multi-state, mission-driven, or healthcare/human-services organizations.
• Notable contributions to inclusive excellence that increase retention and a sense of belonging.
• Proven track record in strategic workforce planning, M&A due diligence, and post-merger integration.
• Strong understanding of labor laws and workforce regulations across MA, NH, and RI.
• Excellent strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills with a collaborative, servant-leadership approach.
• Willingness and ability to travel regularly to affiliate and program sites across New England.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is $200,000 - $230,000 with a generous benefits package.

Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Kim Dukes, Holly Jackson, and Judene Hylton. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected] . If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

Seven Hills is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.