Director of Human Resources

The Opportunity

Indian Community School (ICS) is seeking a strategic, approachable, and highly trusted Director of Human Resources to lead the school's people strategy and day-to-day HR function. Reporting directly to the Board of Directors and serving as a member of the Leadership Team, the Director partners with school leaders to strengthen staff retention, workplace culture, leadership effectiveness, organizational alignment, and consistent employment practices.

This is a hands-on leadership role. The Director must be able to move comfortably between Board-level strategy and the details of recruiting, compensation, benefits, employee relations, compliance, HR systems, and staff support. The right leader will listen well, communicate clearly, protect confidentiality, make sound recommendations, and follow through.

What Success Looks Like

• Employees experience HR as responsive, fair, consistent, and trustworthy.

• ICS attracts, develops, and retains strong employees who are aligned with the school's mission and values.

• Leaders receive practical guidance, clear expectations, and timely support when managing staff.

• Policies, job descriptions, compensation practices, and HR processes are current, documented, and applied consistently.

• The Board and Leadership Team receive accurate information, clear recommendations, and meaningful workforce data.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership and Governance

• Develop and execute an HR strategy aligned with the mission, strategic plan, and organizational priorities of ICS.

• Serve as the Board's primary advisor on workforce matters and provide clear, timely recommendations on policy, staffing, compensation, risk, and organizational needs.

• Partner closely with the Leadership Team to support sound decisions and shared organizational accountability.

• Use workforce data, employee feedback, and operational trends to identify risks, recommend priorities, and measure progress.

Talent Acquisition, Development, and Retention

• Lead workforce planning and the full recruitment process, including position review, job postings, interview design, selection support, offers, and hiring documentation.

• Maintain accurate, current job descriptions and help leaders clarify roles, responsibilities, reporting relationships, and performance expectations.

• Oversee onboarding, orientation, succession planning, and offboarding practices.

• Develop practical retention strategies informed by employee experience, staffing data, and organizational needs.

• Support leadership development through coaching, training, mentorship, and clear standards for supervision and accountability.

Employee Relations and Workplace Culture

• Build trust through consistent communication, proactive listening, visible support, and fair application of policies and expectations.

• Advise leaders and employees on performance, conduct, attendance, workplace concerns, and conflict resolution.

• Lead or coordinate workplace investigations and recommend appropriate, well-documented action.

• Support the consistent implementation of staff and leadership expectations, performance management, recognition, and corrective-action processes.

• Partner with leaders on staff communication practices that improve clarity, follow-through, and organizational alignment.

Compensation, Benefits, and HR Operations

• Administer compensation programs, salary structures, annual pay processes, market reviews, and out-of-cycle compensation requests.

• Oversee employee benefit programs, retirement plans, leaves of absence, COBRA, workers' compensation, unemployment matters, and related vendor relationships.

• Maintain effective HR systems for applicant tracking, onboarding, employee records, payroll coordination, benefits, performance management, and required reporting.

• Develop and maintain clear standard operating procedures, internal controls, timelines, records, and communication tools for recurring HR processes.

• Prepare and manage the HR budget and evaluate outside consultants, vendors, and service providers.

Compliance and Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and requirements, including wage and hour, leave, equal employment opportunity, disability accommodation, immigration documentation, recordkeeping, and employee privacy.

• Coordinate required background checks, employment documentation, and applicable Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction licensing or school-related requirements.

• Maintain current personnel policies and support leaders in applying them consistently and appropriately.

• Protect confidential employee and organizational information and maintain complete, accurate personnel records.

Team and Administrative Leadership

• Lead and develop the Human Resources Generalist and other assigned support staff.

• Promote clear roles, documented processes, service standards, and effective collaboration across assigned functions.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, organizational psychology, or a related field.

• At least five years of progressively responsible HR experience, including meaningful responsibility for employee relations, recruiting, policy, compensation, benefits, and compliance.

• Demonstrated leadership experience and the ability to advise senior leaders or a governing board with sound judgment and discretion.

• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, investigative, and organizational skills.

• Ability to manage sensitive matters, balance competing priorities, and follow through in a fast-moving school environment.

• Demonstrated respect for and commitment to learning from the diverse Tribal Nations and Native communities represented at ICS, and the ability to lead in alignment with the school's mission and Seven Sacred Gifts.

Preferred

• Professional HR certification, such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR.

• Experience in a school, nonprofit, Tribal organization, or similarly mission-driven environment.

• Experience with organizational development, leadership coaching, compensation, HR technology, and policy development.

About Indian Community School

Indian Community School is a private, faith-based school serving an intertribal student body in grades K4-8. Our mission is to nurture the whole child - mind, body, spirit, and emotions - through Indigenous ways of knowing, language, and values. ICS employs more than 100 full-time employees and is located on a 178-acre campus in Franklin, Wisconsin, with prairies, wetlands, ponds, forested areas, walking trails, and culturally significant learning spaces.

Guided by the 4 R''s-Respect, Relationships, Reciprocity, and Responsibility-alongside the Seven Sacred Gifts (Bravery, Wisdom, Respect, Honesty, Love, Humility, and Truth), we lead, communicate, make decisions, and care for one another with shared purpose.

Benefits and Perks

• Competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package

• Generous 401k match, paid time off, and paid holidays

• Professional learning and leadership development opportunities

• Onsite fitness center and cafeteria

• Beautiful 178-acre campus with walking trails and natural spaces