Research & Content Director

At the heart of our company is our people. People from many different backgrounds with different perspective, opinions, and experiences. We strive to continually lead with our IMPACT values and empower our employees to develop their full potential on a team that is passionate about acceptance, inclusivity, and achievement. Our employees are the driving force for the innovation, collaboration and creativity that enables our organization to deliver strategic success.

For more than 20 years, HCI has empowered HR and talent leaders through research, thought leadership, professional development, communities, and events. The Director of Research and Contentis a remote leadership role responsible for shaping content strategy and delivering impactful research, educational programming, and engaging experiences that help HR and talent professionals navigate emerging trends, address workplace challenges, and drive organizational success. This role serves as a trusted voice for HCI, connecting insights and expertise across publications, certification programs, leadership councils, conferences, webinars, and other audience-facing channels.

Job Summary:

The Director of Research and Content drives content strategy, research initiatives, and audience engagement. This role is responsible for creating compelling and educational experiences tailored to HR and talent executives.

As a trusted voice for the organization, this position champions our insights across newsletters, research publications, certification programs, leadership councils, conferences, webinars, and other audience-facing channels.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop Content Strategy: Develop and execute an integrated content strategy that informs, educates, and engages HR and talent professionals across newsletters, research, events, learning, and digital channels.
• Create HR Editorial Content: Write and manage HR newsletter and develop articles, thought leadership, presentations, executive summaries, and other content that addresses emerging HR trends and challenges.
• Create Research & Thought Leadership: Analyze research and translate findings into compelling research reports, white papers, articles, presentations, webinars, and other actionable content.
• Speak, Moderate & Facilitate: Represent the organization as a subject-matter expert and thought leader by speaking at conferences, moderating panels, facilitating webinars and discussions, and serving as an engaging host.
• Deliver HR Certification & Learning Programs: Facilitate certification training, workshops, and other learning experiences while translating complex HR concepts and research into practical, actionable learning.
• Support Leadership Councils: Assist Council Leads as needed with council agendas and content, facilitating peer discussions, supporting member engagement, and creating connections between councils and the broader HCI product ecosystem.
• Develop Conference & Event Programming: Develop conference themes, agendas, session topics, and content strategies that deliver relevant and engaging experiences for HR professionals.
• Recruit & Manage Speakers: Identify, recruit, and build relationships with HR practitioners and subject-matter experts while managing speaker outreach, preparation, and event content.
• Drive Audience Engagement: Build relationships with HR professionals and use audience feedback, participation, and engagement data to continuously improve content, programming, communities, and the overall audience experience.
• Team Leadership: Cultivates high-achieving, collaborative teams by communicating clear objectives and actionable milestones.

Critical Competencies

• Ownership and Execution – Demonstrates a sense of ownership to drive issues to closure, maximize the use of existing processes while continuously pursuing ways to improve efficiencies, sets aggressive goals, monitors progress, and delivers results, seizes more opportunities than others
• Customer-Centric – Establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers, effectively aligns strategy with customer’s business, anticipates customer needs and sets high standards for customer service
• Collaboration and Teambuilding- Builds and maintains relationships to successfully work toward common strategic goals, creates strong morale and spirit, fosters open dialogue, creates a sense of unity among the team

The Individual:

• Knowledge of HR and talent management practices, trends, and challenges.
• Ability to translate audience needs and emerging trends into compelling content and experiences.
• Strong editorial judgment and sharp content oversight, paired with clear written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Proven track record of designing and executing high-impact adult training programs that simplify complex topics into actionable steps.
• Experience in leading, presenting and facilitating sessions for HR professionals and subject matter experts.
• Background in developing conference agendas, webinars, or other professional learning experiences.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with executive HR practitioners and subject-matter experts to drive organizational goals.
• Prior experience with newsletters, digital content, webinars, social media, or other audience engagement channels is preferred.
• HR certification such as SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR, or equivalent is a plus.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Communications, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience within human capital space with specialized expertise in HR research, content creation, talent management, learning and development (L&D), organizational development, or strategic advisory.
• 1-3 years’ experience managing or leading a team

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

All external applicants must be legally eligible to immediately work in the country of hire without current or future sponsorship.

If you require an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act or similar law in order to apply for employment at Simplify Compliance, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team View phone number on click.appcast.io.

Job applicants may request to review the company's affirmative action plans by contacting the talent acquisition team/recruiter, Human Resources department or Chief People Officer.