Chief Human Resources Officer

Chief Human Resources Officer

Under the direction of the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent, the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) establishes and executes a clearly articulated vision and strategic plan to lead and align the Departments of Human Resources and Employee and Labor Relations and closely collaborate with General Counsel. As a key member of the Superintendent's Cabinet, this position provides executive leadership to shape and drive a systemwide human capital strategy in support of the school system's mission and strategic priorities, while promoting a positive, inclusive, and supportive work environment aligned with system values and equity commitments.

The CHRO leads the implementation of innovative, data-driven strategies to recruit, develop, support, and retain a highly qualified, diverse, and culturally proficient workforce to ensure the success of all students. In this role, the CHRO is also responsible for creating an exceptional customer experience by fostering a culture of service that consistently exceeds the expectations of employees and organizational stakeholders. The CHRO leads a comprehensive, end-to-end talent management system spanning recruitment, onboarding, development, retention, and succession planning to ensure a high-performing workforce aligned to system priorities. This position collaborates with school system leaders to implement human resources, employee and labor relations, and employment-related legal practices that comply with federal and state laws, Board of Education policies, and negotiated agreements, and ensures that policies, procedures, and practices align with compliance and equity standards.

The CHRO provides strategic guidance and oversight on workforce planning, labor relations, and organizational risk, ensuring coordinated, efficient, and legally sound practices across the organization. This role serves as a trusted advisor to the Superintendent and Board of Education on matters related to human capital, employee relations, and legal compliance.

This position requires an inspiring, collaborative, and innovative leader with outstanding people and management skills, and the ability to balance strategic leadership with sound judgment in a complex public education environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in human resources, business administration, public administration, educational administration, law, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in human resources, employee and labor relations, or a related field, including:
• Supervision of professional and senior-level staff
• Experience leading complex organizational change and strategic initiatives
• Experience developing, monitoring, and evaluating programs using data and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Direct communication, collaboration, and partnership with executive leadership, a Board of Education or other comparable governing body, government officials, and internal and external stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• Three (3) years of leadership experience in a mid-size to large PreK–12 public school system
• Experience leading or supporting collective bargaining negotiations within the last two (2) years
• Significant experience working closely with legal counsel on matters including employment, labor relations, student matters, Board governance and policy, procurement and contracts, and litigation in a public sector or education setting
• Experience overseeing or aligning total rewards strategy within a large organization
• Demonstrated experience using data analytics to inform organizational decision-making and workforce strategy
• Professional human resources certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR, IPMA)

Essential Position Responsibilities:

• Serves as a senior advisor to the Superintendent and Board of Education on human capital, labor relations, and employment-related legal matters.
• Establishes and leads a comprehensive, data-driven human capital strategy aligned with system priorities, student outcomes, and workforce needs.
• Leads a comprehensive data and accountability strategy, ensuring the integrity and effective use of human capital data systems to drive performance and inform decision-making.
• Presents data, recommendations, and progress updates to the Superintendent and Board of Education, including the Human Resources Annual Report.
• Supervises the Human Resources Executive Director, Executive Director of Employee and Labor Relations, ensuring alignment and accountability across all functional areas.
• Collaborates closely with the General Counsel as a member of the leadership team.
• Establishes clear expectations for performance and service delivery, and builds leadership capacity through effective delegation and development of staff.
• Ensures that policies, procedures, and practices align with compliance and equity standards.
• Partners with system leaders to enhance engagement, well-being, and organizational culture.
• Oversees the development and implementation of strategies to recruit, hire, develop, and retain a diverse and high-performing workforce.
• Ensures effective and efficient human resources operations, grounded in exceptional customer service.
• Ensures the design and delivery of responsive, high-quality human resources services through clear service standards, streamlined processes, and continuous feedback mechanisms that consistently exceed stakeholder expectations.
• Leads workforce planning aligned to enrollment trends, programmatic needs, and budget constraints.
• Leads the development and oversight of the Human Resources budget, ensuring strategic allocation of financial and human resources aligned with system priorities, enrollment trends, and organizational needs.
• Oversees classification, compensation, and position control strategies to support organizational effectiveness.
• Ensures the effective design and oversight of employee services, including total rewards, to support recruitment, retention, and employee well-being.
• Ensures the integrity and strategic use of human resources information systems (HRIS) and data, including the development of dashboards, metrics, and reporting structures to support decision-making, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Provides executive oversight of labor relations strategy, including collective bargaining, contract administration, and dispute resolution.
• Ensures consistent, fair, and legally compliant handling of employee relations matters, investigations, and grievances.
• Serves as a key member of the Board of Education's negotiation team.
• Collaborates with the Office of General Counsel to ensure the provision of timely, accurate, and strategic legal advice to the Superintendent, Board, and system leaders.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
• Advises on legal risk related to employment, labor relations, Board governance, policy implementation, student matters, and organizational decision-making.
• Collaborates with legal counsel on Board policies, administrative procedures, contracts, and litigation matters.
• Maintains appropriate balance between legal independence and operational alignment to uphold ethical standards and minimize organizational risk.
• Works with system leaders to establish and implement a systemwide performance management framework that defines clear expectations, evaluation standards, and feedback processes to ensure consistency, accountability, and high performance across all employee groups.
• Collaborates with appropriate teams to integrate performance management with professional learning, leadership development, and succession planning to support workforce effectiveness and retention.

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of human resources management, employee and labor relations, and applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
• Knowledge of employment-related legal frameworks and the ability to partner effectively with legal counsel to ensure compliance and mitigate organizational risk.
• Knowledge of human capital strategy, workforce planning, and organizational development in a complex organization.
• Knowledge of data analysis, performance measurement, and the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of the PreK–12 public education environment, including current issues, trends, and the budget process.
• Ability to provide strategic leadership and align multiple functional areas toward a common vision and system priorities.
• Ability to build strong relationships and collaborate effectively with executive leadership, the Board of Education, labor partners, and internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to analyze complex issues, interpret data, and make sound, informed decisions.
• Ability to balance innovation, operational effectiveness, and compliance within a complex public-sector environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including presenting complex information clearly and concisely.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure timely, high-quality outcomes.
• Skilled in leadership, organizational development, and change management.
• Skilled in long-range planning, project management, and implementation of systemwide initiatives.
• Skilled in developing high-performing teams through clear expectations, feedback, and accountability.
• Skilled in leveraging technology and systems to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Additional Requirements:

• This position is classified as "essential" and requires the ability to be on call and respond to calls 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Individuals in this position are issued an HCPSS mobile phone for these purposes. Accepting this position would require that you