Director of Human Resources

Historic Hudson Valley • Pocantico Hills, NY

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) is the largest nonprofit cultural organization in Westchester County, welcoming over 250,000 visitors annually to its historic sites for tours, school programs, Legendary Experiences, and large-scale public events. HHV is a significant driver of economic development through tourism and a treasured resource for Westchester communities. The organization focuses on women's history, the history of slavery, the Rockefeller Family legacy, and Washington Irving's contributions. HHV owns and operates four historic sites: Philipsburg Manor, Van Cortlandt Manor, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, and the Union Church of Pocantico Hills. It also offers award-winning digital educational programs, maintains a research library, operates a Women’s History Institute, manages a collection of artifacts, and provides fellowships and teacher training. HHV's workforce includes approximately 40 full-time, year-round employees and 160 part-time and seasonal employees, with a significant increase in the fall. The organization has an annual operating budget of approximately $14M and is committed to fostering an inclusive, collaborative, high-performing workplace. The Director of Human Resources is responsible for developing, implementing, and following up on HR programs, policies, and systems that support HHV’s mission and strategic objectives. This role involves setting workplace expectations, monitoring staff performance, and guiding managers on employee supervision, documentation, coaching, accountability, discipline, and workplace practices. The Director provides hands-on leadership across various HR functions, including workforce planning, recruiting, employee relations, compensation, benefits, performance management, learning and development, HR technology, data analytics, compliance, and employee engagement. A key aspect of this role is promoting values of hospitality and collegiality to enhance the visitor experience. The Director acts as a trusted advisor, balancing organizational priorities, employee needs, legal requirements, and HR best practices to create an engaged, inclusive, compliant, and high-performing workplace.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources management.
• A familiarity with the non-profit cultural or museum sector.
• Experience with employment law, compensation management, organizational development, employee relations, and benefits administration.
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with judgment and discretion.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and HRIS platforms (e.g., ADP Workforow).
• Outstanding collegiality, customer service, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across all organizational levels.
• Demonstrated capability to perform effectively under pressure and adapt to rapidly changing priorities.
• Strong, personal ethic about responding within the day to all calls, e-communications, and notifications; and about keeping employee databases updated daily and responding to employee and family concerns about health and other benefits and claims issues as an expression of HHV’s care for its employees.
• Eagerness to employ technology, including AI where safe and applicable, to improve personal efficiency and effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement HR strategies aligned with HHV’s mission, strategic priorities, operational needs, and organizational culture.
• Support workforce planning, organizational change, succession planning, restructuring, and other initiatives affecting employees and organizational effectiveness.
• Develop and monitor HR metrics and workforce trends to identify risks, opportunities, and recommendations for leadership.
• Lead workforce planning and oversee the full recruitment lifecycle, including position development, sourcing, selection, offers, pre-employment processes, and onboarding.
• Guide hiring managers to develop effective, equitable, and legally compliant recruitment and selection strategies.
• Analyze hiring and workforce trends to improve recruitment efficiency, candidate quality, retention, and workforce readiness.
• Scan local communities for talent pipelines and manage relationships with external talent partners.
• Work closely with supervisors to identify exceptional incumbents, recognize and reward outstanding service, and focus managerial attention on steps needed to retain top talent.
• Develop employee learning, leadership development, cross-training, and professional development capabilities based on organizational and departmental needs.
• Direct and implement organization-wide annual performance evaluation system and guide managers on goal setting, feedback, coaching, corrective action, performance improvement, and linking pay with performance.
• Partner with department leaders to identify training needs and develop appropriate learning and development solutions.
• Source and manage external training providers and evaluate the effectiveness of learning and performance-management initiatives.
• Serve as a trusted resource to employees and managers regarding workplace concerns, policies, performance, conflict resolution, and employee relations matters.
• Engage hands-on in resolving complex and sensitive employee relations matters.
• Conduct or oversee workplace investigations and work with managers to implement appropriate corrective or remedial actions.
• Develop, interpret, implement, and communicate HR policies and procedures to promote consistency, clarity, fairness, and legal compliance.
• Partner with leadership to strengthen organizational culture, employee engagement, communication, retention, and the overall employee experience.
• Mount the annual all-staff meeting day in May to showcase organizational accomplishments, set forth challenges and goals, and kick off the new season with enthusiasm, common purpose, and high spirit.
• Develop and administer HHV’s compensation strategy, salary structures, pay ranges, job classifications, and related practices.
• Conduct local-market and internal equity analyses and provide recommendations regarding starting salaries, promotions, adjustments, and other compensation decisions.
• Coordinate annual compensation planning linked with performance and HHV budget, including salary review, and employee status and compensation-change processes.
• Monitor applicable wage-and-hour, pay transparency, and pay equity requirements.
• Source and implement HHV’s health, welfare, retirement, and ancillary benefit programs.
• Evaluate benefit offerings for competitiveness, pertinence to employee needs, cost effectiveness, administrative efficiency, and regulatory compliance.
• Lead benefit renewals, open enrollment, employee education, and retirement plan administration, including audit and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate with payroll, finance, and external partners to ensure accurate eligibility, enrollment, deductions, records, and benefit administration.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws while monitoring regulatory developments and maintaining accurate, confidential, and legally compliant employee records, policies, and HR documentation.
• Fulfill complete and timely governmental reporting, regulatory submissions, compliance audits, employment-related claims, workplace safety initiatives, and agency inquiries.
• Maintain and regularly update the employee handbook, HR policies, procedures, and administrative practices.
• Integrate the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging principles into HR policies, recruitment, employee development, engagement, and organizational practices.

Benefits

• Employer-sponsored medical benefits, with HHV contributing a significant portion towards premiums.
• 401(k) with Employer-paid contributions.
• Paid time off, family and parental leaves.
• Employer-sponsored life and AD&D insurance at $0 cost to employees.
• Other voluntary insurances, including: Pet insurance, Hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness.
• Generous discount in the Museum Shop.
• Opportunities to participate in enrichment activities.
• Free or discounted admission to a variety of museums and historic houses in the area.

What This Job Offers

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