Senior Director of Human Resources- Employee Relations & Leave Accommodations

Ascend Schools; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

403(b) retirement plan

Generous paid time off

Job summary

Ascend Schools in Brooklyn, NY seeks a Senior Director of Human Resources—Employee Relations and Leave Accommodations to define and lead HR operations strategy, employee relations frameworks, and leave administration across the network.

Reporting to the Senior Managing Director - People Team, this role ensures compliance, strengthens the employee experience, and aligns HR initiatives with Ascend’s mission and growth goals.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Extensive experience in employee relations, compliance, HR operations, benefits, and leave administration.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Experience leading HR teams and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead HR operations strategy, employee relations, leave administration, benefits, and compliance.
• Advise senior leadership on workforce risk, trends, and policy development.
• Oversee investigations, grievances, and performance issues with integrity.
• Develop scalable HR policies, procedures, and training for managers.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Talent, and School Leadership to drive organizational effectiveness.

Skills

Employee relations

HR operations

Leave administration

Benefits administration

Compliance

HRIS & analytics

Education

HR certifications (SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CEBS)

Bachelor's in HR/Business or related field

Tools

HRIS platforms

HR analytics dashboards

Job description

Ascend is Brooklyn’s premier K–12 public charter network, committed to graduating high-achieving students who have access to boundless choice in their futures—not only through college acceptance, but through meaningful preparation for career readiness and thriving adult lives.

Across our schools, we pair rigorous academics with strong systems, supportive adult culture, and a deep belief in students’ brilliance and potential. Our work is grounded in the understanding that preparing students for long-term success requires excellence in instruction, intentional culture-building, and disciplined execution at every level of the organization.

At Ascend, adults are held to high standards because our students deserve nothing less. How we teach, lead, collaborate, and make decisions every day directly shapes the opportunities our students will have tomorrow.

Join us in shaping learning environments where curiosity is nurtured, excellence is the norm, and every student is prepared for a lifetime of boundless choice.

About the Role

The Senior Director of Human Resources- Employee Relations and Leave Accommodations is responsible for defining and leading Ascend's human resources operations strategy, employee relations framework, leave administration, benefits programs, compliance infrastructure, and people systems governance.

Reporting to the Senior Managing Director - People Team, the Senior Director serves as the network's subject-matter expert on employee relations, labor and employment law, leave management, benefits administration, HR compliance, HR operations, HRIS strategy, and people risk mitigation.

This leader drives enterprise-wide HR initiatives that strengthen organizational effectiveness, ensure legal and regulatory compliance, enhance the employee experience, and support Ascend's long-term talent strategy. The role requires both strategic vision and operational excellence, partnering closely with Executive Leadership, Finance, Legal, Talent Acquisition, School Leadership, and Network Operations to build scalable people systems that serve a growing organization.

The Senior Director oversees critical people operations functions, leads complex employee relations matters and investigations, ensures excellence in leave and accommodations management, and establishes best-in-class policies, processes, and controls that align with Ascend's mission, culture, and values.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead the strategy, design, and continuous improvement of HR operations, employee relations, leave administration, benefits, compliance, and HR technology programs across the network.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on workforce risk, employee relations trends, organizational effectiveness, compliance matters, and people strategy.
• Develop and execute multi-year people operations initiatives that improve scalability, efficiency, employee experience, and organizational performance.
• Identify organizational risks and develop proactive solutions to support a healthy, compliant, and high-performing workplace culture.
• Partner with senior leaders to drive change management initiatives and support organizational transformation efforts.

Employee Relations & Labor Compliance

• Lead the resolution of complex employee relations issues, workplace investigations, grievances, performance concerns, and disciplinary matters.
• Provide expert guidance to leaders on federal, state, and local employment laws, HR policies, collective employee concerns, and workplace practices.
• Manage relationships with external legal counsel regarding employment, labor, compliance, accommodations, and employee relations matters.
• Establish organization-wide employee relations standards, investigation protocols, and manager support resources.
• Monitor emerging employment legislation and ensure proactive organizational compliance and risk mitigation.

Leaves, Accommodations & Benefits Administration

• Provide strategic oversight of all leave management programs, including FMLA, ADA, PFL, workers' compensation, disability programs, and reasonable accommodations.
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local leave regulations while promoting a positive employee experience.
• Oversee benefits administration strategy, vendor management, enrollment processes, employee communications, and compliance reporting.
• Evaluate and recommend enhancements to employee benefit offerings to ensure market competitiveness and alignment with organizational goals.
• Monitor utilization trends and provide strategic recommendations based on workforce data and analytics.

Policy Development & Compliance

• Establish and maintain HR policies, procedures, employee handbooks, and compliance frameworks.
• Lead audits and reporting requirements related to employment laws, benefits administration, leave compliance, and charter school regulatory obligations.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable employment laws, regulations, and reporting requirements.
• Develop training programs and compliance education for managers and employees.
• Lead, mentor, and develop HR Operations, Benefits, Leave Administration, and Employee Relations team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability, service excellence, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making.
• Establish performance standards, professional development plans, and succession strategies for direct reports.
• Build organizational capability by developing manager training programs and leadership resources.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• Minimum 10+ years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience and employee labor law experience.
• Minimum 7+ years leading employee relations, compliance, HR operations, benefits, and leave administration functions.
• Demonstrated experience operating within HR-owned structures.
• Proven experience managing complex staffing issues
• Strong background in employee relations and labor laws.
• Senior-level experience leading complex operational workflows across Finance, HR, Talent, and Legal.
• Deep expertise in federal, state, and local employment and leave laws, including FMLA, ADA, NY Paid Family Leave, workers' compensation, and wage-and-hour regulations.

Professional Background

• Experience implementing and optimizing HRIS systems and HR analytics dashboards.
• Strong technical understanding of HR functions, including but not limited to compensation, performance management, HCM management, employment law, and employee benefits is required.
• Entrepreneurial mindset; committed to preserving a bold, can-do culture that sustains the organization’s values of integrity, curiosity, community, empowerment, growth, daring, and excellence
• Ability to align with Ascend’s educational and workplace philosophies
• Ability to analyze complex, sometimes ambiguous information and acquire data from multiple sources when solving problems
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines, navigating systems and an emerging organization of scale and complexity
• Experience working in a school-based setting preferred

Education & Certifications

• HR professional certification(s) preferred.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CEBS, CCP, or other advanced HR certifications strongly preferred.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinker with strong operational execution skills.
• Exceptional analytical and data governance capabilities.
• Impeccable written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams without direct authority.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with high ethical standards.
• Strong change management and culture leadership capabilities.

Compensation

The salary for this position begins at $115,000. Salaries are determined using an equitable compensation scale that accounts for years of experience and levels of attained education.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Based in our Brooklyn, NY office
• Hybrid work schedule requiring in-office presence at least three days per week

In-person work expectations include network office time, stakeholder meetings, school visits, special events, and other role-specific responsibilities as determined by management.

This full-time, exempt position offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching
• Generous paid time off and additional employee benefits