Human Resources Director
About The Position
New England Conservatory is a cultural center, built on 150 years of innovation, that pushes the boundaries of making and teaching music. NEC is renowned for its dedicated faculty, gifted students, and contributions to the cultural landscape, past, present, and future. NEC educates and trains musicians of all ages from around the world, drawing on the talent and deep reservoir of experience of our distinguished faculty. At NEC, music is both tradition and transformation. Our community includes world-class faculty, passionate staff, and extraordinary students who believe in the power of music to shape lives, challenge perspectives, and strengthen communities. We are mission-driven, collaborative, and committed to creating an environment where creativity, belonging, and excellence thrive together. Position Summary The Director of Human Resources serves as a strategic and operational partner to leaders, faculty, and staff across NEC. Working closely with the CHRO, this role leads core people initiatives including employee relations, leadership coaching, talent acquisition strategy, talent development, and compensation consultation. This leader is a visible and trusted resource who brings strong people instincts, sound judgment, compliance expertise, and operational follow-through. The Director helps NEC strengthen a respectful, inclusive workplace while supporting leaders in building high-performing teams aligned with NEC’s mission and culture.
Requirements
- 5+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, typically at the Director level or senior HR Business Partner equivalent
- Strong expertise in employee relations and leadership coaching
- Foundational knowledge of compensation practices and talent development strategy
- Demonstrated ability to influence without authority and work across diverse populations
Nice To Haves
- Experience in complex, multi-stakeholder environments; higher education, arts, or mission-driven nonprofit experience preferred
Responsibilities
- Build trusted partnerships with leaders, faculty leadership, and managers
- Coach leaders on organizational development, team effectiveness, and leadership capability
- Support leaders in navigating complex people situations
- Partner with HR Operations to strengthen and modernize hiring processes and tools
- Support managers in equitable, effective hiring practices
- Advance NEC’s talent brand to attract high-quality, mission-aligned candidates
- Strengthen NEC’s presence across job boards and candidate platforms
- Identify development needs across emerging and high-potential talent
- Design and implement learning and development programs supporting individual and organizational growth
- Build sustainable development processes that balance equitable access with personalized growth pathways
- Lead NEC’s employee relations strategy and day-to-day workplace practices
- Coach managers through performance management and workplace concerns
- Support employees through consultation and resolution of workplace issues
- Ensure compliance with employment laws and institutional policies
- Promote respectful workplace practices across faculty, staff, and administrative populations
- Partner with the CHRO, HR Operations, and Finance to apply compensation frameworks
- Consult with managers on pay decisions and compensation strategy
- Support employee understanding of compensation practices
- Contribute to pay transparency communication strategies
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
No Education Listed
