Vice President of Human Resources

Agency Profile: Spectrum Health and Human Services respectfully partners with adults, children and families as they recover from behavioral, emotional, mental health and/or substance related disorders by offering individualized and meaningful opportunities of hope, empowerment and support to achieve self-defined improvements in their quality of life. Location: 227 Thorn Ave SUMMARY OF POSITION FUNCTION The Vice President of Human Resources serves as a member of the agency’s senior leadership team and is responsible for developing and executing human resources strategy in support of Spectrum’s mission, workforce needs, regulatory obligations, and long-term organizational sustainability. This position provides executive leadership and oversight for talent acquisition, employee relations, compensation and benefits, HR compliance, performance management, leadership development, employee engagement, HR operations, and workforce planning. The Vice President of Human Resources serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership and supervisors across the agency, ensuring that HR practices are consistent, legally compliant, mission-driven, and aligned with the needs of a nonprofit human service organization. This position is responsible for strengthening the agency’s workforce infrastructure, supporting effective supervision, promoting accountability, and advancing strategies that support recruitment, retention, employee engagement, and organizational culture. MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Executive Leadership and Strategic Planning Serves as a member of the executive leadership team and contributes to agency-wide planning, decision-making, organizational development, and change management. Provides strategic guidance to the CEO, CFO, COO, CIO, executive leadership, and management team on workforce planning, employee relations, compensation, retention, compliance, organizational structure, and HR risk management. Develops and implements human resources strategies that support the agency’s mission, operational goals, regulatory requirements, and long-term sustainability. Partners with executive leadership to assess workforce needs related to agency growth, program development, restructuring, succession planning, and service delivery demands. Provides HR-related reports, analysis, and recommendations to executive leadership and, when appropriate, the Board of Directors. Ensures that human resources practices reflect the agency’s values, support high-quality service delivery, and promote a professional, accountable, and mission-driven workplace. Workforce Strategy, Recruitment, and Retention Leads the development and implementation of agency-wide recruitment, retention, and workforce planning strategies. Oversees talent acquisition efforts to ensure timely and effective hiring practices that support program operations and service access. Partners with agency leadership to identify staffing challenges, hard-to-fill positions, market pressures, and workforce trends impacting the agency. Supports the development of internal career pathways, promotional opportunities, succession planning, and leadership pipelines. Ensures hiring practices are equitable, consistent, compliant, and aligned with agency needs and position requirements. Employee Relations, Supervisor Consultation, and Risk Management Provides executive oversight and consultation regarding employee relations matters, performance concerns, corrective action, investigations, workplace expectations, and employee conduct. Serves as a consultative partner to supervisors and leadership regarding documentation, performance management, policy interpretation, and consistent application of agency standards. Ensures employee relations matters are addressed in a timely, objective, well-documented, and legally compliant manner. Provides guidance on complex or sensitive employment matters, including disciplinary action, termination, workplace conflict, complaints, and employee grievances. Supports supervisors in strengthening accountability, communication, documentation, and effective management practices. Identifies employee relations trends and recommends proactive strategies to reduce risk and improve supervisory effectiveness. Ensures appropriate confidentiality, professionalism, and discretion in all HR-related matters. Compliance, Policy, and Employment Law Ensures HR practices comply with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations. Provides oversight of employment-related screening, background checks, credential verification, license tracking, exclusion checks, and other workforce compliance requirements applicable to a regulated human service environment. Provides oversight of HR compliance systems, including wage and hour practices, leave administration, reasonable accommodation processes, workplace investigations, personnel recordkeeping, background checks, mandated training, and policy implementation. Oversees the development, review, revision, and implementation of agency employment policies, procedures, and HR-related practices. Ensures consistent interpretation and application of agency policies across programs, departments, and worksites. Partners with legal counsel, executive leadership, and other stakeholders as needed regarding employment-related matters. Provides leadership regarding labor relations, collective bargaining agreement administration, grievance processes, and management consultation, as applicable. Compensation, Benefits, Payroll Oversight, and HR Operations Leads the development and ongoing evaluation of the agency’s compensation philosophy, pay practices, benefits strategy, and market competitiveness. Balances employee retention, internal equity, fiscal responsibility, regulatory compliance, and nonprofit budget considerations in compensation and benefits planning. Partners with Executive leadership in negotiation and management of Section 125 benefits for the agency. Collaborates with Finance and executive leadership regarding payroll, position control, budgeting, compensation analysis, benefits costs, and workforce-related financial planning. Identifies opportunities to improve HR systems, workflows, technology, employee self-service, and administrative efficiency. Performance Management, Training, and Leadership Development Oversees the agency’s performance management systems and processes, ensuring they support meaningful feedback, accountability, professional growth, and consistent documentation. Develops and supports leadership development initiatives to strengthen supervisory skills, employee coaching, conflict resolution, communication, and performance management. Partners with agency leadership to identify training needs related to supervision, compliance, employee relations, workplace conduct, documentation, and HR policies. Ensures required HR-related trainings are completed, tracked, and aligned with agency expectations and regulatory requirements. Culture, Engagement, and Organizational Development Leads strategies that promote a mission-driven, trauma-informed, inclusive, accountable, and engaged workplace culture. Supports initiatives that strengthen diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging efforts, employee engagement, psychological and physical safety, retention, leadership effectiveness, and alignment with the agency’s mission and values. Provides leadership in addressing workplace culture concerns, communication patterns, morale issues, and organizational change. Uses employee feedback, exit interview data, engagement trends, and workforce metrics to recommend improvements to the employee experience. HR Data, Reporting, and Continuous Improvement Establishes and monitors HR metrics related to turnover, vacancy rates, time-to-fill, retention, recruitment trends, exit interview themes, employee relations trends, training compliance, leave and accommodation trends, workers’ compensation, overtime, benefits participation, performance management completion, and other workforce indicators. Provides regular workforce data and analysis to executive leadership to support planning, decision-making, and operational improvement. Identifies trends and risk areas and recommends strategies to improve workforce stability, compliance, employee engagement, and HR service delivery. Leads continuous improvement efforts within the HR department to strengthen consistency, responsiveness, accountability, and efficiency. Supervision and Department Leadership Provides leadership, supervision, and direction to the Human Resources department. Establishes departmental goals, workflows, performance expectations, and accountability measures for the HR team. Supports the professional development, training, and performance management of HR staff. Ensures the HR department functions as a strategic, service-oriented, and compliance-focused partner across the agency. NOTE This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as needed to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. SKILLS/COMPETENCIES Strong knowledge of HR principles, employment law, employee relations, compensation, benefits, recruitment, retention, performance management, and HR compliance. Ability to function as a strategic member of the senior leadership team while maintaining strong operational oversight of HR functions. Excellent judgment, discretion, professionalism, and ability to manage sensitive and confidential information related to employees, agency operations, benefits, compensation, and other sensitive matters. Strong leadership, supervisory, coaching, and consultative skills. Ability to build trust and credibility with executive leadership, supervisors, employees, external partners, vendors, and regulatory entities. Strong conflict resolution, workplace investigation, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. Ability to interpret, apply, and communicate agency policies, employment laws, benefit information, regulations, and HR procedures consistently and objectively. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and respond effectively in a fast-paced human service environment. Ability to use HR data and metrics to identify trends, assess risk, evaluate workforce needs, and recommend practical solutions. Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, employee engagement, and a respectful workplace culture. Knowledge of employee benefit programs, vendor relationships, open enrollment processes, and employee communication related to benefits. Working knowledge of ADP or similar HRIS/payroll systems, including employee records, payroll-related processes, benefits administration, reporting, and system functionality. Ability to participate effectively in committees, meetings, audits, projects, benefits-related initiatives, and agency planning activities. Proficiency with Microsoft Office, ADP platform, and other related technology systems. EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field required. Master’s degree preferred. SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, or PHR certification strongly preferred. Minimum of five (5) years of progressive human resources experience required, including at least three (3) years in a senior HR leadership role preferred. Experience in nonprofit, healthcare, behavioral health, human services, or another regulated service environment preferred. Demonstrated experience leading HR strategy, employee relations, compliance, compensation, benefits, recruitment, retention, and HR operations in a complex organization. Experience with HR analytics, compensation benchmarking, HRIS optimization, and workforce planning preferred. OTHER Must be able to maintain confidentiality and professionalism in a busy office and human service environment. Reliable transportation and a valid NYS driver’s license/insurance. COMPENSATION $90,000-$115,000 annually #J-18808-Ljbffr