Director of Human Resources

The-Children's-Home-Society-of-New-Jerse; Trenton (NJ); On-site; USD 115,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

FSA

Life/LTD

403(b)

PTO

Job summary

The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey seeks a Director of Human Resources to lead CHSofNJ’s HR function from the MAIN OFFICE in Trenton. You will partner with the COO to shape workforce strategy, oversee talent acquisition, employee relations, compensation, benefits, and compliance, and implement policies to strengthen organizational culture.

This senior role requires a track record of HR leadership, union environment experience, and ability to drive payroll, benefits administration, and HR

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent with 7+ years in HR leadership.
• Experience with employee relations, investigations, and progressive discipline.
• Experience supporting labor relations in a unionized environment.
• Supervisory experience and HR operations oversight.
• Strong knowledge of employment law and HR compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce strategy, talent acquisition, and compensation administration.
• Oversee employee relations, investigations, and labor relations activities.
• Partner with COO and leadership on workforce development and policy.
• Manage HR operations, records, payroll-related tasks, and benefits.
• Align HR practices with organizational culture and compliance.

Skills

Leadership

Employee relations

HR compliance

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

Master's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

ADP TotalSource

PuzzleHR

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Director of Human Resources

Full Time MAIN OFFICE, Trenton, NJ, US

$115,000.00 To $125,000.00 Annually

Position Summary

The Director of Human Resources serves as the operational leader of CHSofNJ's human resources function and is responsible for building the workplace where exceptional people choose to join, stay, grow, and serve.

Working closely with the Chief Operating Officer, the Director leads workforce strategy, talent acquisition, employee relations, labor relations, compensation and benefits administration, leave management, employee engagement, HR and regulatory compliance, policy development, and organizational culture initiatives. This role is responsible for developing the people, systems, and workplace practices that strengthen CHSofNJ's workforce and support long‑term organizational success.

While the COO establishes organizational priorities and strategic direction, the Director of Human Resources leads the execution of CHSofNJ's human resources, employee relations, and workforce development functions.

CHSofNJ Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, FSA, Life/LTD, 403(b), PTO

• Develop and implement workforce strategies that support recruitment, retention, succession planning, and organizational growth.
• Oversee talent acquisition and onboarding functions, ensuring efficient and effective hiring processes.
• Partner with leadership to identify workforce needs and develop staffing strategies.
• Support the development of career pathways, workforce planning initiatives, and total rewards programs.
• Promote CHSofNJ as an employer of choice within the nonprofit and human services sectors.

Employee & Labor Relations

• Lead employee relations efforts, providing guidance and support on workplace issues, conflict resolution, and performance concerns.
• Conduct and oversee workplace investigations, including matters involving discrimination, harassment, policy violations, and employee misconduct.
• Oversee progressive discipline processes and support leaders in addressing employee performance concerns.
• Serve as a key advisor on labor relations matters, including contract administration, grievance management, and union communications.
• Participate in collective bargaining negotiations and labor-management discussions in partnership with the COO.
• Represent CHSofNJ in arbitrations and other formal employee relations proceedings.
• Oversee HR operations, personnel records, compliance activities, and HR administrative processes.
• Direct the development, implementation, and maintenance of HR policies and procedures.
• Lead CHSofNJ’s relationship with ADP TotalSource, PuzzleHR, and other HR service providers, ensuring clear accountability, effective service delivery, and appropriate utilization of outsourced services.
• Continuously evaluate the division of responsibilities between internal staff and external partners, identifying opportunities to reduce administrative burden and increase organizational efficiency.
• Oversee compensation administration, benefits administration, leave management, and regulatory compliance.
• Administer biweekly and semi-monthly payroll processing, workers' compensation, and unemployment claims administration, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with applicable regulations."
• Direct administration and compliance of ERISA and non-ERISA 403(b) retirement plans, including plan documentation, reporting, and audit readiness."
• Manage Head Start assessments, reviews, audits, and reporting requirements, ensuring compliance with federal and program-specific standards."
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, modernize processes, and improve HR service delivery through process improvement, technology, and responsible use of AI.

Culture, Engagement & Workforce Development

• Lead employee engagement, recognition, retention, and culture-building initiatives in partnership with executive leadership.
• Supervise the Manager of Workforce Development & SEL and support the organization's investment in supervisor capability and workforce development.
• Partner with leadership to strengthen employee experience, psychological safety, and organizational effectiveness.
• Promote a workplace culture grounded in professionalism, accountability, respect, learning, and continuous improvement.

Leadership & Team Management

• Supervise and develop Human Resources staff.
• Establish clear priorities, goals, and performance expectations.
• Foster collaboration across HR, operations, programs, finance, quality improvement, and executive leadership.
• Promote a culture of customer service, accountability, and continuous improvement within the Human Resources Department.

Organizational Partnership

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the COO and executive leadership team on workforce, labor relations, compensation, policy, and organizational effectiveness matters.
• Partner with organizational leaders to support change management and organizational growth initiatives.
• Support the use of workforce data and metrics to inform decision-making and improve organizational performance.
• Champion practices that strengthen employee engagement, retention, and organizational capacity.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including employee relations and leadership responsibilities.
• Experience managing workplace investigations, employee relations matters, and progressive discipline processes.
• Experience supporting labor relations activities in a unionized environment.
• Experience supervising staff and leading HR operations.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, HR compliance, and best practices.
• Strong communication, problem-solving, and relationship management skills.

Preferred

• Master's degree or equivalent experience.
• Professional HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or equivalent).
• Experience in nonprofit, human services, healthcare, education, Head Start, or related environments.
• Experience supporting collective bargaining negotiations and grievance administration.
• Experience implementing HR technology, workforce analytics, or process improvement initiatives.
• Experience leading employee engagement, culture, and workforce development programs.

What We're Looking For

• A leader who develops people and strengthens organizations.
• A professional who balances accountability with compassion.
• A strategic thinker who can translate workforce challenges into practical solutions.
• A collaborative partner who builds trust across all levels of the organization.
• A leader who develops people, systems, and organizational capacity.
• Someone who values professionalism, continuous improvement, and long‑term institutional strength.
• A human resources leader committed to making CHSofNJ the best nonprofit to work for in New Jersey.

Success in This Role

Success will be measured by:

• Effective recruitment and retention of high‑quality staff.
• Strong employee and labor relations.
• Reliable HR operations and regulatory compliance.
• Successful administration of compensation, benefits, and workforce programs.
• Effective management of ADP TotalSource, PuzzleHR, and other HR service providers.
• Reduced administrative burden through improved systems, processes, and vendor utilization.
• Increased employee engagement, recognition, and retention.
• Effective supervision and development of HR staff.
• Successful modernization of HR processes and systems.
• Strengthened supervisor capability and workforce development initiatives.
• Increased organizational capacity through workforce development and culture improvement.

The Director of Human Resources builds the workplace where exceptional people choose to join, stay, grow, and serve.

This job description is intended to describe the essential functions and qualifications; however it is not an exhaustive statement of all duties and responsibilities. Management reserves the rights to modify, add, or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties as necessary. This is not a contract of employment.

The Children’s Home Society is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer M/F/D/V. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.