SUMMARY:
The Director, HR Operations is responsible for leading the day-to-day operational execution of Human Resources across PACE Southeast Michigan to ensure high-quality, consistent, and compliant people services that support organizational goals, workforce effectiveness, and a positive employee experience.
This position serves as a trusted partner to leaders, providing expertise, guidance, and coaching on employee relations, performance management, policy interpretation, workforce practices, compliance, and organizational effectiveness. The Director, HR Operations oversees Human Resource Business Partners (HRBPs), Benefits, Leave Administration, Compensation, HRIS, and HR Compliance functions and is responsible for driving operational excellence, service consistency, process improvement, workforce analytics, and leader support across the organization.
This role partners closely with the Senior Director of Human Resources & Organizational Development and organizational leaders to implement people strategies, strengthen leader effectiveness, mitigate organizational risk, improve HR operations, and support the mission, vision, values, and culture of PACE Southeast Michigan.
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS:
Leadership & Team Development
- Leads, directs, coaches, and develops the Human Resources Operations team, including Human Resource Business Partners (HRBPs), Benefits, Leave Administration, Compensation, HRIS, and HR Compliance to ensure high-quality, responsive, and consistent service delivery.
- Establishes clear expectations, accountability, priorities, and development plans to strengthen team effectiveness, leadership capability, and professional growth.
- Coaches, mentors, and develops team members to strengthen capability, engagement, customer service, and operational excellence.
- Promotes a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and employee-centered leadership.
Employee Relations & Leader Support
- Serves as a trusted advisor to leaders on employee relations matters including performance management, workplace conflict, investigations, attendance, leave administration, behavioral concerns, policy interpretation, and corrective action.
- Provides oversight and guidance for complex and high-risk employee relations matters while ensuring fair, consistent, compliant, and practical outcomes.
- Partners with leaders to strengthen leadership effectiveness, team performance, accountability, and employee engagement through practical guidance and coaching.
- Supports leaders through organizational change, workforce challenges, difficult conversations, and employee-related concerns.
HR Operations, Policy & Compliance
- Oversees Human Resources operational processes and service delivery to ensure consistency, efficiency, compliance, and a positive employee experience throughout the employee lifecycle.
- Develops, implements, communicates, interprets, and monitors Human Resources policies, procedures, and practices to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, CMS regulations, accreditation standards, and organizational requirements.
- Identifies opportunities to improve Human Resources processes, workflows, and service delivery while reducing risk and improving consistency.
- Ensures compliance with employment laws, organizational policies, and Human Resources best practices through proactive oversight and problem resolution.
Compensation, Benefits & HR Systems
- Oversees compensation, benefits, and leave administration practices including market benchmarking, wage structures, job evaluations, compensation practices, leave compliance, and employee support.
- Oversees Human Resources systems, technology, reporting, and data integrity, including optimization of HRIS platforms, workflows, automation, and reporting functionality.
- Partners with internal stakeholders to ensure effective administration and continuous improvement of Human Resources programs, systems, and employee services.
Analytics, Process Improvement & Organizational Effectiveness
- Utilizes workforce metrics, analytics, dashboards, and reporting to identify trends, support organizational decision-making, measure effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement.
- Leads process improvement efforts to strengthen Human Resources service delivery, operational consistency, leader support, and employee outcomes.
- Uses workforce insights and operational data to identify opportunities, anticipate organizational needs, and recommend practical solutions.
Partnership & Organizational Support
- Partners with Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition, and organizational leaders to support onboarding, retention, workforce planning, employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and organizational change initiatives.
- Communicates effectively and professionally with leaders, employees, and stakeholders to ensure clarity, alignment, and resolution of issues.
- Supports organizational goals and People Support initiatives by serving as a collaborative and solutions-oriented partner.
- Other duties as assigned.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Strong knowledge of Human Resources operations including employee relations, compensation, benefits, leave administration, compliance, employment law, and policy interpretation.
- Strong operational leadership skills with the ability to lead teams, improve processes, and ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery.
- Demonstrated ability to coach, influence, and partner effectively with leaders to address employee concerns, performance issues, and organizational challenges.
- Strong understanding of Human Resources systems, reporting, workforce analytics, dashboards, and process improvement methodologies.
- Excellent judgment, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with the ability to navigate complex and sensitive situations.
- Strong communication and facilitation skills with the ability to translate complex issues into practical, actionable guidance.
- Ability to lead, mentor, and develop teams while fostering accountability, engagement, and continuous improvement.
- Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS:
- Leads a high-performing Human Resources Operations team that delivers responsive, accurate, consistent, and customer-focused support to leaders and employees.
- Demonstrates strong leadership of employee relations matters by effectively mitigating risk, supporting leaders, conducting investigations, and resolving issues in a fair and timely manner.
- Utilizes workforce metrics, analytics, and reporting to identify trends, improve processes, and support organizational decision-making.
- Maintains compliant, effective, and consistent Human Resources policies, procedures, and operational practices.
- Builds strong, trusted partnerships with leaders and is viewed as a credible, responsive, and solutions-oriented Human Resources partner.
- Improves Human Resources operational effectiveness through process improvement, systems optimization, and service enhancements.
- Coaches and develops Human Resources team members, strengthening capability, accountability, and leadership effectiveness.
- Successfully manages multiple priorities and organizational needs while maintaining quality, responsiveness, professionalism, and operational excellence.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
- Human Resources certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR preferred.
- Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience required, with ten (10)+ years preferred.
- Minimum of three (3) years of leadership experience managing people, teams, or Human Resources functions required.
- Strong operational Human Resources leadership experience required, including employee relations, compliance, HR systems, policy development, compensation, benefits, and leave administration.
- Experience utilizing workforce metrics, analytics, dashboards, and reporting to guide decisions and improve outcomes required.
- Healthcare experience preferred, including familiarity with regulatory environments, workforce challenges, and operational complexity
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Regular travel to PACE SEMI centers, community sites, and events.
- Ability to lift to 15 pounds as needed.