HR Director

Job Description: HR Director

Direct Reports: None

Position Summary

The HR Director is a strategic, hands-on leader responsible for developing and executing the people strategy and HR functions for a growing consulting business. This role serves as the primary HR business partner to the executive leadership team, providing expert guidance across the full employee lifecycle while ensuring HR practices support business growth, organizational effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and a high-performance culture.

This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports. The successful candidate will thrive in a highly autonomous environment, balancing strategic initiatives with operational execution and partnering across the business to deliver practical, business-focused HR solutions.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership

• Develop and execute the organization's people strategy in alignment with business objectives.

• Partner closely with executive leadership to provide strategic counsel on organizational design, workforce planning, talent strategy, and culture.

• Lead HR initiatives that support business growth, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness.

• Use people analytics and workforce insights to inform decision-making and measure HR outcomes.

• Lead HR integration efforts related to future M&A activities.

Talent Management

• Lead recruitment strategy for professional and consulting talent.

• Design and manage onboarding programs that accelerate employee integration and productivity.

• Develop performance management processes that promote accountability, continuous feedback, and professional growth.

• Identify succession planning and leadership development opportunities.

Employee Relations & Culture

• Serve as the trusted advisor to leaders and employees on complex employee relations matters.

• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing workplace culture.

• Facilitate conflict resolution and coach managers on employee issues and leadership effectiveness.

• Drive employee engagement initiatives and organizational health assessments.

Compensation, Benefits & Compliance

• Manage compensation philosophy, salary benchmarking, and annual compensation review processes.

• Oversee employee benefits administration and vendor relationships.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including annual 5500s and other employment-related filings.

• Develop and maintain HR policies, procedures, and employee handbook updates.

HR Operations

• Own and execute all HR processes across the employee lifecycle, recruiting, onboarding through offboarding.

• Manage HR systems and directly maintain/process HR records, payroll, and reporting.

• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve the employee experience.

• Coordinate with external partners including legal counsel, benefits (Medical, 401k, etc) brokers & providers, payroll providers, and HR consultants as needed.

Qualifications

Required

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

• 8 12+ years of progressive HR experience, including strategic HR leadership.

• Experience supporting professional services, consulting, or other knowledge-based organizations.

• Experience directly onboarding/offboarding employees, inputting and managing HRIS data, processing payroll, and navigating compliance related issues/discrepancies.

• Strong working knowledge of employment law and HR best practices.

• Demonstrated ability to operate independently and manage multiple priorities.

• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills.

• Experience advising senior leaders and executive teams.

Preferred

• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification.

• Experience supporting high-growth or dynamic organizations.

• Experience implementing HR technology and process improvements.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking with strong business acumen

• High degree of initiative and ownership

• Sound judgment and discretion

• Executive presence and influence

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills

• Excellent organizational and project management abilities

• Adaptability in a fast-paced consulting environment

• Ability to balance strategic planning with hands-on execution