Position Summary
The Director of Human Resources is a senior leadership position responsible for setting and implementing organization-wide human resources strategy with a primary emphasis on recruitment, retention, and workforce engagement, particularly for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) in a highly competitive labor market.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role partners closely with executive leadership, program directors, and supervisors across geographically dispersed residential and community-based locations to reduce turnover, strengthen engagement, and build a connected, mission-aligned workforce.
A key priority of this position is leveraging technology, data, and innovative engagement practices to foster connection, recognition, and belonging among employees who work across many locations and do not regularly interact in person.
Why Join Home of Hope?
This role offers a meaningful opportunity to shape workforce strategy for an organization whose mission directly impacts the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As Director of Human Resources, you will help ensure that those who provide care and support every day feel valued, connected, and equipped to succeed.
If you are a people-centered HR leader who thrives on recruitment challenges, strategic thinking, and building community across distance, Home of Hope encourages you to apply.
Key Responsibilities
Recruitment (High Priority)
- Lead and continuously improve high-volume recruitment strategies for DSPs, supervisors, and other frontline roles across Home of Hope’s multiple service locations.
- Address DSP-specific hiring challenges, including labor shortages, scheduling demands, wage competition, and alignment with Home of Hope’s mission and values.
- Strengthen Home of Hope’s employer brand and candidate experience, ensuring timely, respectful, and mission-centered hiring practices.
- Develop and maintain recruitment pipelines through employee referrals, local schools, career centers, community organizations, and workforce agencies.
- Monitor recruitment metrics (time-to-fill, applicant flow, offer acceptance rates) and use data to drive continuous improvement.
Retention & Workforce Engagement (High Priority)
- Design, implement, and lead retention strategies (with particular focus on DSP’s) in partnership with program leadership and frontline supervisors.
- Coach and support all supervisors across numerous locations on best practices for communication, recognition, accountability, and employee engagement.
- Implement and analyze stay interviews, exit interviews, and employee engagement surveys; translate insights into actionable improvements.
- Promote internal career pathways, advancement opportunities, and leadership development, with intentional focus on DSPs and frontline staff.
- Support a workplace culture rooted in dignity, respect, inclusion, and shared purpose.
Leadership and Collaboration
- As part of Home of Hope’s Senior Staff, consisting of all Department Heads, the Human Resources director must partner closely with executive leadership to address workforce challenges unique to a decentralized, remote service model.
- Must partner with executive leadership to forecast workforce needs and proactively address staffing shortages across multiple remote locations.
- Collaborate with supervisors and managers to identify DSP turnover trends, root causes, and location specific retention challenges.
- Develop practical, supervisor focused retention tools, playbooks, and training that emphasize relation building, recognition, communication and workload sustainability.
Technology & Community Building
- Utilize HRIS, communication, and engagement platforms to connect a decentralized workforce and strengthen organizational culture.
- Lead virtual onboarding, recognition programs, internal communications, and engagement initiatives.
- Partner with IT and Communications teams to ensure HR and engagement tools are accessible, user-friendly, and widely adopted by staff across locations.
HR Leadership & Operations
- Oversee core HR functions, including employee relations, performance management, benefits administration, and policy development.
- Ensure compliance with federal and state employment laws, nonprofit regulations, and applicable healthcare and human services standards.
- Lead, mentor, and develop the Human Resources team.
- Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to executive leadership on workforce planning, organizational development, and change management.
Success Measures (Key Performance Indicators)
- Reduction in overall and DSP-specific turnover rates
- Improved 90-day, 6-month, and 12-month DSP retention
- Improved employee engagement survey results
- Increased supervisor participation in retention and engagement initiatives
- Specific targets for the above to be set in collaboration with executive leadership
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred)
- Minimum of 3 years of HR leadership experience; nonprofit, healthcare, or human services experience strongly preferred
- Demonstrated success recruiting and retaining employees; in a distributed, high-turnover workforce of significant interest
- Experience supporting leaders and teams across multiple remote or community-based locations preferred
- Strong data analysis, HR technology, and relationship-building skills required
Preferred Credentials
- SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or similar professional HR certification