Human Resource Director

Grand Canyon Trust; Flagstaff (AZ); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K with company match

Long-term disability insurance

Professional development resources

Paid holidays

Job summary

The Grand Canyon Trust seeks a Human Resources Director who blends hands-on HR administration with strategic partnership. You will manage payroll, benefits, compliance, and risk, while partnering with finance and program teams to support the Trust’s mission.

You will lead policies, open enrollment, leaves, and staff development in a collaborative, inclusive culture that values staff wellbeing and justice in all HR processes.

Qualifications

• Experience in HR or related roles with compliance knowledge.
• Experience with conflict management and resolution.
• Commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Ability to build trusting relationships across perspectives and power dynamics.
• Familiarity with the lands and peoples of the Colorado Plateau.

Responsibilities

• Develops and updates policies and the employee handbook.
• Oversees payroll processing and wage/hour compliance with finance.
• Ensures multi-state employment law compliance for remote staff.
• Manages leaves of absence and accommodation requests.
• Directs safety programming and workers’ comp/unemployment management.
• Leads recruitment, onboarding, and offboarding processes.

Skills

HR leadership

Conflict resolution

DEI commitment

Relationship building

Staff coaching

Education

SPHR/PHR/SHRM credentials

Tools

HRIS

Payroll system

Benefits administration

Job description

Do you approach human resources (HR) from a place of creativity and curiosity? Do you have experience maintaining and improving HR systems that are compliant and genuinely support the people they serve? Can you integrate tools such as streamlined payroll, HRIS and benefits administration, and thoughtful risk management using a collaborative approach across teams?

The Grand Canyon Trust is hiring a human resource director who excels at both hands-on administrative HR and strategic partnership. This role centers on operational excellence, compliance, benefits and compensation stewardship, and close collaboration with the finance team and other teams to support the ongoing work of the Trust. The human resource director balances HR best practices with the day-to-day realities of payroll, benefits, insurances, and various organizational processes, ensuring HR functions as a trusted partner across the organization.

This person welcomes feedback and collaborative decision-making, serving as the go-to guide for staff navigating workplace questions and concerns while ensuring organizational compliance and helping staff feel heard and supported. This person is a thoughtful member of the organization who values its people and shares in its vision. The Trust has 40+ employees and a budget of $7.2 million.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with HR or similar positions (i.e. organizational development, leadership, supervising employees, conflict resolution, etc.) and knowledge of relevant state and federal compliance requirements.
• Experience with conflict management and resolution.
• Ability to center care for others in all aspects of work and a commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Ability to build trusting, reciprocal relationships; collaborate across multiple perspectives and power dynamics; and provide guidance to staff on matters such as HR processes and procedures, conflict management, and supervision of others.
• An attentiveness to the concerns and needs of a diverse staff.
• A familiarity with the lands and peoples of the Colorado Plateau.
• SPHR, PHR, SHRM-SCP, or SHRM-CP credential preferred.

Note that experience includes lived experience, traditional knowledge, volunteer experience, school or coursework, work experience, and other related qualifications, skills, and experience.

No candidate will meet every requirement.

The nitty gritty

Flexibility and paid time off

• Flexible scheduling
• 12 paid holidays
• 2 weeks paid vacation and two weeks paid sick leave
• 12-14 weeks of paid parental leave
• Paid community service time and sabbatical leave

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid employee medical and dental insurance (50% employer-paid for qualified dependent premiums)
• 4% automatic employer contribution to 401K retirement plan plus up to 2% match
• Employer-paid long-term disability insurance
• Professional development resources

Location

Flagstaff, Arizona with flexible scheduling and ability to work from home up to two days per week. While Flagstaff is preferred, we will consider candidates located elsewhere within Arizona, Utah, Colorado, or New Mexico who are able to travel to Flagstaff at least once per month.

Compensation

$105,000 - $115,000 annual salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

What does this position entail?

Policies, procedures, and operations (approximately 45%)

• Develops policies and procedures and leads the annual review and update of the employee handbook.
• In collaboration with the finance team, oversees accurate payroll processing, and ensures proper employee classification and wage and hour compliance. Manages personnel files and various HR-related employee administrative processes. Communicates changes with finance.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local employment law (multi-state considerations for remote staff), and workplace retirement benefits.
• Administers medical leaves of absence and accommodations, ensuring confidentiality.
• Directs safety programming, workers’ compensation claims management, unemployment claims management, COBRA, and other compliance tasks. Coordinates with the finance team on liability insurance.
• Handles employee concerns, grievances, investigations and improvement/disciplinary processes. Supports staff in resolving conflicts as they arise within the organization.

Benefits administration (approximately 15%)

• Manages health insurances, retirement plans, and ancillary benefits (life, disability, etc.).
• Leads annual open enrollment and vendor/broker relationship management.
• Administers leave programs (sabbaticals, parental leave, etc.).
• Coordinates with the finance team on benefits budgeting and accuracy of payroll deductions.
• Partners with the finance team on annual budget development for personnel line items.

Employee experience (approximately 15%)

• Works with the executive director todevelop and administer equitable, transparent, and competitive pay and benefits.
• Supports a culture of feedback within the organization by implementing employee surveys and other feedback opportunities. Listens to employees, acts on feedback, and communicates results.
• Is a key collaborator for employees and supervisors to provide resources for professional development training for employee’s career development.

Leadership and strategy (approximately 10%)

• Creates and manages HR programs that support a positive, inclusive, and collaborative workplace.
• Builds and maintains trusting relationships with employees and applicants.
• Serves on the organizational support (OS) team to lead organizational strategies as part of a cross-functional team.
• Advises on annual employee performance review processes.

Recruitment and retention (approximately 10%)

• Creates recruitment plans, assists with job advertisements, and facilitates the overall recruitment and hiring processes.
• Manages employee orientation, including new hire paperwork, benefits education, and other onboarding tasks, such as workspace and equipment assignment.
• Facilitates offboarding and exit interviews.

Other (5%)

• Stays up to date on HR trends and compliance and regulatory issues that impact the Trust.
• Attends staff retreats and events.

Initial review of applications

Week of September 28, 2026

Anticipated start date:

January 2027

Commitment to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion

The Grand Canyon Trust is an equal opportunity employer, and we are committed to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in every aspect of our organization. We work actively to ensure against discrimination in employment, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the basis of identity including but not limited to: Race, ethnicity, gender, parental status, national origin, age, religion, disability, veterans’ status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We actively seek diversity in our candidate pools. Applicants of all identities are encouraged to apply. If you need a reasonable accommodation in the application or interview process, please contact [e-mail]