Human Resources Director

LHH; Lawrence (KS); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

LHH is partnering with a mission-driven organization in Lawrence, KS to recruit an HR Director who can provide strategic leadership and hands-on execution. The role supports ~350 employees and will balance workforce strategy with labor relations, governance, and compliance.

Hybrid schedule offers executive flexibility while maintaining strong community impact. You’ll partner with the CEO, COO, and senior leaders to build a trusted HR function, develop the team, and advance people initiatives

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
• Strong employee relations and employment law knowledge.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and/or a Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

• Set the vision and strategic direction for HR.
• Lead, coach, and develop the HR team.
• Advise executives on complex HR and employee relations matters.
• Lead labor relations strategy and liaise with union representatives.
• Support collective bargaining and CBAs administration.
• Oversee employee relations, investigations, performance management, and corrective actions.
• Strengthen recruiting, onboarding, engagement, and retention strategies.
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies and practices.
• Partner with leadership on organizational design and compensation.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic HR

Employee relations

Labor relations

Coaching & development

Policy implementation

Change management

Communication

Executive stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Tools

HRIS

Job description

Ready to lead HR at the executive level while making a meaningful impact on an organization and the community it serves? We’re partnering with a highly respected, mission-driven organization in Lawrence, KS to find an experienced HR Director who brings the right combination of strategic HR leadership, employee relations expertise, and strong business partnership.

This is a highly visible leadership role with significant influence across the organization. You’ll work closely with the CEO, COO, in-house legal counsel, and senior leadership team, while leading an established HR function supporting approximately 350 employees.

With a recently unionized workforce, this leader will also have the opportunity to shape the organization’s labor relations strategy and serve as a key liaison between leadership and union representatives.

Why This Opportunity Stands Out

• Executive-level exposure: Partner directly with the CEO, COO, legal counsel, and senior leadership.
• Lead an established HR function: Manage and develop a team supporting recruiting, benefits, employee relations, labor programs, HR operations, and more.
• Make an organizational impact: Help shape the people strategy for an approximately 350-employee organization.
• Own labor relations: Serve as a primary HR liaison for the unionized workforce and help foster productive labor-management relationships.
• Broad HR leadership scope: Influence everything from talent acquisition and retention to employee relations, compliance, benefits, HRIS, and organizational effectiveness.
• Hybrid flexibility: Executive leadership has flexibility for a hybrid working schedule.

What You’ll Lead

As HR Director, you’ll set the direction for Human Resources while ensuring the function stays highly connected to the needs of employees, managers, and executive leadership. Key responsibilities include:

• Setting the vision and strategic direction for HR
• Leading, coaching, and developing the HR team
• Advising executives and managers on complex HR and employee relations matters
• Leading labor relations strategy and serving as a key point of contact with union representatives
• Supporting collective bargaining, interpretation and administration of CBAs, grievances, and dispute resolution
• Leading employee relations, investigations, performance management, and corrective action processes
• Strengthening recruiting, onboarding, engagement, and retention strategies
• Ensuring consistent application of HR policies and practices
• Partnering with leadership on organizational design, compensation, merit planning and workforce needs
• Overseeing benefits, HRIS, workers’ compensation, unemployment, and employee safety programs
• Identifying and mitigating employment and labor-related risk
• Ensuring compliance with applicable employment and labor regulations

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a confident, credible, hands-on HR leader who can move seamlessly between strategy and execution. You should be comfortable advising executive leadership, coaching managers through difficult employee situations, developing an HR team, and navigating complex labor and employee relations matters.

Ideal experience includes:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field
• Progressive HR leadership experience within an organization of similar size or complexity
• Strong employee relations and employment law knowledge
• Demonstrated leadership and people-management experience
• Experience partnering with executive leadership and/or a Board of Directors
• Strong judgment, communication, organization, and relationship-building skills

Experience That Will Really Stand Out

Labor relations experience is highly valued.

We’d especially love to talk with HR leaders who bring experience with:

• Unionized workforces
• Collective bargaining negotiations
• Collective bargaining agreement administration
• Grievances and dispute resolution
• Healthcare or behavioral health organizations
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or similar HR certification

The Opportunity

This is more than an opportunity to run an HR department. It’s a chance to have a seat alongside senior leadership, lead and develop an HR team, navigate an evolving labor environment, and help shape the people strategy of an organization doing meaningful work in its community.

If you’re an HR leader who knows how to build trust, navigate complexity, develop people, and lead through change, I’d love to connect.