Vice President of Human Resources

The Home for Little Wanderers, Inc.; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 165,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous time off

Health, Dental & Vision

Tuition reimbursement

401(k) with match

Disability & Life Insurance

Job summary

The Home for Little Wanderers, Inc. is seeking a senior HR leader to guide strategy, operations, and Total Rewards in a complex nonprofit environment serving vulnerable youth. The role will shape HR practices, modernize systems, and build an employee-centric program.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this position leads a high-performing HR team, partners with executives, and leverages data, technology, and best practices to strengthen HR infrastructure and the overall employee experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, or related field.
• 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• 5+ years managing HR professionals.
• Expertise in Compensation strategy and design, Total Rewards, Benefits, Wellness, HRIS, and analytics.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic HR leadership to the Executive Leadership Team on workforce planning, compensation, HR technology, and total rewards.
• Oversee HRIS strategy and ensure systems support operations, self-service, reporting, and analytics.
• Lead compensation strategy, market benchmarking, internal equity, and annual salary planning.
• Oversee benefits and wellness programs to remain competitive and responsive to workforce needs.
• Partner with Finance on budgeting and forecasting using data and market insights.

Skills

HR leadership

Strategic thinking

Change management

HR analytics

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business

Master's degree in HR/Business

Tools

HRIS (UKG Pro)

HR technology

Compensation systems

Job description

When you join The Home for Little Wanderers, you join a team of professionals dedicated to creating better, brighter futures for kids.

For over 200 years, The Home for Little Wanderers has helped build stable lives and hopeful tomorrows for vulnerable children and their families. Our 25+ community-based and residential programs serve thousands of at-risk youths from birth to age 26. Many of these children have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, or a disrupted family life. As the oldest child welfare agency in America, we provide them with safe surroundings, permanent loving relationships, and a secure path toward a better, brighter future.

How You Will Be Making a Difference

The Home for Little Wanderers is seeking an experienced, strategic, and forward-thinking Senior Director / Vice President of Human Resources to lead and strengthen key HR functions and help build the systems, practices, and infrastructure needed to support a complex and evolving organization. Final title will be determined based on the selected candidate’s depth of experience, scope of leadership, and ability to operate at a senior organizational level.

As a senior member of the Human Resources team, this leader will oversee a team of HR professionals and partner closely with executive leadership to modernize HR practices, strengthen HR operations and systems, improve compensation discipline, and ensure The Home remains competitive and well positioned as an employer of choice.

The ideal candidate combines strong HR expertise with strategic thinking, business orientation, operational rigor, and a systems mindset. They will leverage data, technology, automation, and best practices to strengthen HR infrastructure, improve efficiency and effectiveness, and deliver programs and practices that support employees and contribute to a strong overall employee experience.

The role will report to the Chief People Officer.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Strategic Human Resources Leadership

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Executive Leadership Team on workforce planning, compensation, HR technology, and total rewards.


• Develop and execute HR strategies that align with organizational priorities and support long-term workforce sustainability.


• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing HR team while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.


• Establish metrics and dashboards to evaluate HR effectiveness and inform strategic decision-making.

Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)

• Lead the organization's HR technology strategy, ensuring HRIS systems effectively support business operations, employee self-service, reporting, and workforce analytics.


• Drive process improvements through automation, data integrity, AI-enabled solutions, and continuous optimization of HR systems.


• Develop meaningful workforce metrics and dashboards that support informed decision-making.


• Serve as the senior HR leader for Total Rewards, setting strategy and providing oversight across compensation, benefits, wellness, recognition, and leave programs.


• Lead the organization’s compensation strategy, including market competitiveness, internal equity, pay transparency, annual salary planning, benchmarking, and job evaluation, while overseeing the HR team responsible for day-to-day administration.


• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for employee benefits and wellness, ensuring programs remain competitive, sustainable, responsive to workforce needs, and effectively administered.


• Partner with Finance and executive leadership on workforce planning, budgeting, and compensation forecasting, using data and market insights to inform decisions and strengthen The Home’s ability to attract and retain employees.

Supervisory Responsibilities

This position supervises members of the Human Resources team and is responsible for coaching, performance management, professional development, and ensuring effective delivery of assigned HR functions.

HR Operations

• Oversee efficient HR operational processes supporting the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, HR administration, HRIS workflows, and employee support services.


• Ensure HR policies, procedures, and practices are consistently implemented across the organization.


• Partner closely with the Legal & Compliance team to ensure HR practices align with applicable employment laws, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies.


• Ensure job descriptions and job postings include required compensation information, including anticipated salary range or wage range, consistent with applicable law and The Home’s pay transparency standards.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.


• 10+ years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience.


• 5+ years managing HR professionals.


• Demonstrated expertise in:
  
  
  • Compensation strategy and design
  
  
  • Total Rewards
  
  
  • Benefits administration
  
  
  • Employee wellness programs
  
  
  • HRIS and HR technology
  
  
  • HR analytics and workforce planning
  
  
  
  


• Strong leadership, communication, and project management skills.


• Experience leading organizational change and process improvement initiatives.


• Demonstrated ability to bring operational discipline, process improvement, and measurable accountability to HR programs, systems, and service delivery.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.


• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification.


• Experience in complex, multi-site, mission-driven, healthcare, human services, education, private equity-backed, or other highly regulated organizations undergoing growth, transformation, or operational modernization.


• Experience implementing a new HRIS for an organization of ~ 1,000 FTEs


• Experience with UKG Pro or comparable enterprise HRIS platforms

We are committed to excellence in diversity, equity, and inclusion, while simultaneously creating a culture that supports those values. We believe the differences we bring enhance our ability to provide exceptional service and care to diverse children, families, and communities. Moreover, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging align with our values and our mission to help vulnerable children and their families build permanent, positive change.

What The Home Can Offer You

In addition to the chance to make a lasting impact on the lives of the youth we serve, The Home for Little Wanderers offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Generous time off including up to 15 days per year for new full-time employees, plus 11 holidays, and 5 sick days


• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance available


• Extensive training to new staff


• Tuition reimbursement of up to $3,000 per fiscal year


• 403(b) Retirement Plan with employer match


• Employer paid Long-term and Short-term Disability Insurance, plus Basic Life and AD&D Insurance


• And more!

The pay range listed represents the company’s good faith estimate of the salary or wage range for this position at the time of posting, as required under applicable law. Actual compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including a candidate’s relevant experience, education, skills, and internal equity relative to other employees in similar roles. Candidates with less directly related experience may be placed toward the lower end of the range, while those with extensive or specialized experience may be placed toward the higher end. Market conditions and budget considerations may also influence final pay decisions.

Salary Range

The starting salary range for this position is $165,000-210,000/year.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.