Chief Human Resources Officer

Title: Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)
Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
Classification: Executive / Exempt
Department: Human Resources
Supervises: Human Resources Department and Training Department

Position Summary

The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and serves as the organization's senior executive responsible for human resources strategy, workforce management, employee relations, employment compliance, employee benefits, talent acquisition and retention, performance management, organizational development, and staff training.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the CHRO serves as a strategic advisor to the CEO and senior leadership and is responsible for ensuring that human resources practices support the mission, operational needs, regulatory obligations, and long-term workforce needs of RISE Life Services.

The CHRO is expected to provide both strategic leadership and hands-on oversight of complex employee relations and workforce matters within a multi-program human services organization. The CHRO is expected to exercise independent professional judgment, identify and address human resources risks, provide clear recommendations to leadership, and ensure timely and consistent resolution of HR matters.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Executive & Strategic HR Leadership

• Serve as the principal HR advisor to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
• Develop and implement an agency-wide human resources strategy aligned with organizational goals.
• Advise leadership regarding workforce planning, organizational structure, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Identify workforce, employment, and organizational risks and proactively recommend solutions to the CEO.
• Provide HR information, trends, and workforce metrics for executive and Board reporting as appropriate.
• Participate in organizational strategic planning and major organizational initiatives.
• Exercise independent judgment within the scope of the position and appropriately escalate significant employment, legal, compliance, financial, or organizational risks to the CEO.
• Ensure HR matters are addressed proactively and timely, with clear recommendations and appropriate follow-through.

Employee Relations & Performance Management

• Provide executive oversight of employee relations matters, including performance concerns, corrective actions, disciplinary processes, investigations, and terminations.
• Ensure consistent application of agency policies and progressive disciplinary practices across departments.
• Establish and maintain consistent standards for coaching, counseling, corrective action, progressive discipline, performance improvement plans, and termination.
• Coach managers regarding performance management and employee relations.
• Review significant disciplinary and termination recommendations for consistency, documentation, policy compliance, and legal/regulatory risk.
• Ensure appropriate documentation and follow-through on performance improvement plans and corrective actions.
• Review HR and management practices for consistency across departments and address discrepancies when identified.
• Promote accountability while maintaining fair and consistent employment practices.

Employment Law & HR Compliance

• Maintain compliance with applicable federal, New York State, and local employment laws and regulations.
• Oversee FMLA, ADA/accommodation processes, workers' compensation, and other employment-related leave matters.
• Ensure fitness-for-duty, return-to-work, accommodation, and other employment-related medical processes are handled consistently, appropriately, and in accordance with applicable law.
• Coordinate with employment counsel when appropriate.
• Develop, review, implement, and maintain HR policies, procedures, and the Employee Handbook.
• Monitor changes in employment law and ensure agency practices are updated accordingly.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of employee, personnel, medical, and other protected information.
• Identify potential employment-related liability and ensure appropriate action or escalation occurs.

Recruitment, Retention & Workforce Planning

• Provide strategic oversight of recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention.
• Evaluate vacancies, turnover trends, and staffing challenges and develop appropriate workforce strategies.
• Partner with operational leadership regarding workforce needs.
• Develop succession planning and internal advancement strategies.
• Monitor recruitment effectiveness, turnover, vacancies, and other key workforce metrics.
• Ensure hiring and selection practices are fair, consistent, appropriately documented, and aligned with agency policy and applicable employment requirements.

Compensation & Employee Benefits

• Provide oversight of employee compensation practices and wage structures.
• Oversee administration of employee health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and other employee benefit programs.
• Oversee COBRA administration and employee benefit enrollment processes.
• Partner with the CFO regarding benefit costs, compensation planning, and annual budgeting.
• Manage relationships with employee-benefit brokers, carriers, and other HR vendors.
• Periodically evaluate broker performance, commissions/fees, plan competitiveness, and benefit costs.
• Evaluate compensation practices and make recommendations regarding internal equity, market competitiveness, recruitment, retention, and organizational sustainability.
• Ensure employees receive accurate and timely information regarding their benefits.

Training & Workforce Development

• Provide executive oversight of the Training Department.
• Ensure required employee orientation, regulatory training, certifications, and recertifications are appropriately administered and tracked.
• Work collaboratively with program leadership and Quality/Compliance to ensure training requirements reflect OPWDD, OMH, Justice Center, and other applicable regulatory requirements.
• Ensure employees are appropriately trained and qualified before performing assigned responsibilities.
• Develop management and supervisory training to strengthen leadership capabilities throughout the organization.
• Monitor training compliance and address systemic deficiencies.
• Evaluate the agency's longer-term workforce development needs.
• Ensure appropriate coordination among Human Resources, Training, Quality/Compliance, and operational leadership regarding employee qualifications and training requirements.

HR Operations

• Oversee personnel records, HRIS/Paycom processes, and HR reporting.
• Ensure personnel actions are appropriately documented, reviewed, and processed.
• Establish internal controls and accountability within HR.
• Develop HR metrics and dashboards covering vacancies, turnover, recruitment, overtime/workforce trends, employee relations, training compliance, and other relevant indicators.
• Ensure HR processes are timely, accurate, and consistently applied.
• Periodically review HR processes and practices to identify gaps, inconsistencies, inefficiencies, and organizational risk and implement corrective measures as necessary.

Leadership & Department Management

• Directly supervise, develop, and hold accountable HR and Training leadership/staff.
• Establish clear expectations and performance standards for the departments.
• Ensure appropriate delegation, oversight, follow-through, and accountability within Human Resources and Training.
• Promote collaboration among HR, Payroll, Finance, Training, Operations, and Quality/Compliance.
• Maintain appropriate separation of responsibilities while ensuring effective communication between departments.
• Develop a service-oriented HR function that provides timely, knowledgeable, and consistent guidance to agency leadership and employees.
• Perform other duties and strategic initiatives as assigned by the CEO.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience, including significant senior HR leadership experience.
• Minimum of 5 years managing HR staff and/or an HR function.
• Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, performance management, employment law, investigations, employee benefits, recruitment, and HR operations.
• Strong knowledge of federal and New York State employment law.
• Experience advising executive leadership on complex employee relations and organizational matters.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment, identify organizational and employment risks, and make sound HR recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters with discretion.
• Strong written, verbal, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or related field.
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable senior HR certification.
• Senior HR experience in nonprofit human services, healthcare, behavioral health, I/DD, or another highly regulated environment.
• Experience supporting a large, geographically dispersed and/or 24/7 workforce.
• Familiarity with OPWDD, OMH, and Justice Center environments.
• Experience with Paycom or comparable HRIS/HCM system.

Work Location & Schedule

This is a full-time executive leadership position that is primarily on-site and requires regular presence at the Agency's administrative offices and program locations. The CHRO must be available to respond to time-sensitive employee relations, operational, and workforce matters as necessary.

The position requires travel among Agency locations and flexibility based upon operational needs, including occasional availability outside of normal business hours.

Limited remote work may be authorized at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer based upon operational needs. Any remote-work arrangement does not alter the requirements of the position, including availability, responsiveness, attendance at required meetings, or the ability to report on-site when necessary.

Physical Requirements

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. The position generally requires prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer; frequent verbal and written communication; and occasional standing, walking, bending, reaching, and movement throughout administrative and program locations.

The position requires the ability to travel between Agency locations and occasionally lift and/or move office materials weighing up to approximately 20 pounds.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

General Statement

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the individual assigned to this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Duties and responsibilities may be modified based upon the operational needs of RISE Life Services.