Director of Human Resources

Chartwell School • Seaside, CA

18d

About The Position

The Director of Human Resources serves as a strategic partner to the Head of School and Director of Finance and Operations and is a key member of the Leadership Team. The role develops, leads, and executes the school’s overall human resources strategy in alignment with its educational mission. In a small independent school environment, the Director balances strategic work—including culture building, talent development, and equity initiatives—with hands-on HR administration, including compliance, employee relations, salary and benefits administration, leave, and performance evaluation and management.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• 10–15 years of progressive HR experience, including at least 5 years in an HR managerial or directorial role.
• Deep working knowledge of federal and state labor laws; California labor laws are preferred, including PDL, CFRA, and wage/hour regulations.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive situations with empathy and discretion.
• Proficiency with HRIS platforms, web-based administrative tools, and the Microsoft Office and Google Workspace suites.

Responsibilities

• Serve on the Leadership Team and contribute to school-wide strategic planning, organizational design, and policy development.
• Partner with school leaders to foster an inclusive, supportive, mission-driven workplace culture focused on staff retention and professional growth.
• Advise the Head of School, Director of Finance and Operations, and Board of Trustees on personnel trends, compensation benchmarks, regulatory changes, and risk management.
• Lead Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives within recruitment, hiring, and employee retention practices.
• Work with Business Office shared staff on HR-related matters.
• Oversee full-cycle recruitment for instructional, administrative, and specialized support staff.
• Design and execute structured onboarding and offboarding experiences for all personnel.
• Manage state credential tracking, background clearances (Live Scan/fingerprinting), TB clearances, and mandatory educational certifications.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director