Director of Human Resources

Summary

The Director of Human Resources is responsible for overseeing employee relations, employment law compliance, workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, terminations, unemployment claims, and employment-related litigation support. This position serves as a strategic partner to the Chief Human Resources Officer and property leadership, ensuring consistent application of company policies, legal requirements, and organizational standards while protecting the interests of The Boca Raton and its associates.

The Director is responsible for analyzing workforce turnover, overseeing exit interviews, identifying organizational risks, facilitating compliance training, and supporting the onboarding and integration of new leaders. This position provides guidance to leadership on complex employee relations matters and develops proactive strategies to strengthen accountability, improve retention, mitigate legal exposure, and enhance the associate experience.

The ideal candidate is an experienced Human Resources professional with strong knowledge of federal and Florida employment laws, exceptional investigative and analytical skills, and demonstrated success in managing sensitive employee relations matters. The individual must exercise sound judgment, maintain the highest level of confidentiality, demonstrate a sense of urgency, and possess the ability to influence leadership while balancing legal compliance, operational needs, and the property's commitment to service excellence.

Essential Functions

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

Employee Relations, Discipline & Terminations

Oversee employee relations matters across all departments, ensuring fair, consistent, and timely resolution of workplace concerns.

Advise Executive, Senior, and Operational Leadership on disciplinary actions, performance concerns, corrective measures, suspensions, and terminations.

Review and evaluate disciplinary recommendations to ensure proper documentation, consistency, and compliance with company policies and applicable employment laws.

Oversee employee separation processes, including termination documentation, separation meetings, final pay compliance, and identification of potential legal risks.

Provide guidance to leaders regarding progressive discipline, performance improvement plans, documentation standards, and accountability.

Evaluate employment decisions for consistency with established policies, precedents, and organizational standards.

Identify recurring employee relations concerns and recommend proactive solutions to prevent escalation.

Employment Law Compliance & Risk Management

Oversee compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII, ADEA, USERRA, and other applicable employment regulations.

Partner with the CHRO and employment counsel to ensure HR policies, practices, and employment decisions comply with legal requirements.

Identify and evaluate potential employment-related risks and recommend appropriate preventative or corrective actions.

Support the development, interpretation, implementation, and consistent enforcement of the Associate Handbook, Code of Conduct, and HR policies.

Conduct periodic compliance reviews and audits to identify procedural gaps and opportunities for improvement.

Monitor employment law developments and recommend necessary policy revisions and leadership training.

Ensure accurate documentation, confidentiality, and appropriate retention of employment records.

Support regulatory inquiries, employment audits, and government agency matters.

Workplace Investigations & Suspensions

Lead and conduct thorough, objective, timely, and confidential workplace investigations involving allegations of misconduct, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, policy violations, conflicts of interest, and other sensitive employee relations matters.

Develop investigation plans, conduct interviews, collect and evaluate evidence, and document factual findings.

Prepare comprehensive investigation summaries outlining allegations, supporting evidence, findings, policy considerations, and recommended corrective actions.

Evaluate and recommend administrative suspensions when appropriate, ensuring consistency with company policies and applicable laws.

Partner with Security, Information Technology, Legal Counsel, and operational leadership when investigations require cross-functional collaboration.

Ensure investigations are completed promptly, impartially, and with appropriate confidentiality.

Identify trends in workplace misconduct and recommend preventative measures, policy enhancements, and leadership coaching.

Unemployment Claims & Employment Litigation

Oversee unemployment claims, including preparation of responses, supporting documentation, and participation in hearings when appropriate.

Coordinate employment-related litigation matters, administrative charges, and legal inquiries in collaboration with the CHRO and employment counsel.

Assist with the preparation and preservation of documentation related to EEOC claims, discrimination complaints, wage and hour disputes, and other employment-related matters.

Maintain organized records of employment claims, litigation matters, deadlines, and resolutions.

Evaluate claim trends and identify opportunities to reduce organizational exposure and strengthen employment practices.

Ensure timely communication and coordination with legal counsel regarding sensitive or high-risk employment matters.

Turnover Analysis, Exit Interviews & Retention Strategies

Oversee the exit interview process to identify reasons for associate separations and opportunities to improve the associate experience.

Analyze voluntary and involuntary turnover trends by department, position, leadership level, tenure, and other relevant workforce indicators.

Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual turnover reports, including comparisons to prior-year results and organizational objectives.

Conduct strategic analysis to identify underlying causes of turnover, including leadership effectiveness, workplace culture, scheduling, compensation, onboarding, and associate engagement.

Present findings and actionable recommendations to the CHRO and property leadership.

Partner with department leaders to develop and implement targeted retention strategies and corrective action plans.

Monitor retention initiatives, evaluate results, and recommend adjustments to improve workforce stability.

Identify departments experiencing elevated turnover and proactively recommend interventions.

Compliance Training & Leadership Development

Develop, coordinate, and facilitate HR compliance training for Executive, Senior, and Operational Leadership.

Provide training on employment laws, progressive discipline, workplace investigations, documentation standards, harassment prevention, retaliation, FMLA, ADA, FLSA, and other employment-related requirements.

Educate leaders on appropriate handling of employee concerns, consistent policy enforcement, and escalation procedures.

Partner with Learning & Development to establish training schedules, materials, and completion tracking.

Conduct refresher training in response to policy changes, legal developments, investigation findings, and identified compliance concerns.

Evaluate training effectiveness and recommend improvements to strengthen leadership accountability and organizational compliance.

Leadership Onboarding & Integration

Oversee and facilitate the HR compliance and employee relations components of onboarding for newly hired and promoted leaders.

Ensure leaders understand company policies, leadership expectations, employment law obligations, disciplinary procedures, and documentation requirements.

Provide orientation regarding employee relations practices, performance management, attendance standards, investigations, and reporting protocols.

Partner with Learning & Development and operational leadership to support structured 30-, 60-, and 90-day onboarding and integration programs.

Conduct follow-up discussions to assess leadership understanding, reinforce expectations, and identify opportunities for additional support.

Ensure completion of required compliance training and acknowledgment of applicable policies.

Strategic HR Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness

Serve as a trusted advisor to the CHRO and property leadership on employee relations, compliance, workforce challenges, and organizational risk.

Develop and monitor HR performance indicators, including turnover, disciplinary actions, suspensions, investigations, unemployment claims, and employment-related litigation trends.

Identify patterns and opportunities for process improvement, operational consistency, and enhanced leadership accountability.

Prepare executive-level reports, strategic analyses, and recommendations supported by reliable workforce data.

Collaborate with department leadership to implement HR initiatives, policy improvements, and organizational changes.

Maintain the highest standards of confidentiality, professionalism, integrity, and sound judgment.

Perform additional responsibilities and special projects as assigned by the CHRO.

Internal Relationships

Reports to the Chief Human Resources Officer and maintains regular communication and collaboration with Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Operational Leadership Team (OLT), Human Resources, Learning & Development, Security & Risk Management, Finance, Payroll, Information Technology, and department leadership.

Serves as a strategic HR resource to leaders throughout the property, providing guidance on employee relations, disciplinary decisions, compliance, investigations, workforce retention, and organizational policies.

External Relationships

Has regular contact with outside employment counsel, unemployment agencies, government and regulatory agencies, third-party HR service providers, compliance consultants, and other external partners as necessary.

Coordinates with legal representatives and appropriate government agencies regarding employment claims, investigations, unemployment hearings, regulatory inquiries, and employment-related litigation.

Qualifications

Extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws, particularly Florida employment regulations.

Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, progressive discipline, terminations, workplace investigations, and employment law compliance.

Strong understanding of unemployment claims, employment-related litigation processes, and organizational risk management.

Exceptional investigative skills with the ability to evaluate evidence, assess credibility, document findings, and recommend appropriate action.

Strong analytical capabilities with demonstrated ability to interpret workforce metrics, identify trends, and develop strategic recommendations.

Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, conflict resolution, and presentation skills.

Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion when handling highly confidential and sensitive information.

Strong leadership, organizational, and decision-making abilities, with a demonstrated sense of urgency and accountability.

Ability to influence and advise leaders at all organizational levels while maintaining professional objectivity.

Proven ability to manage multiple complex matters, prioritize competing demands, and meet established deadlines.

Experience developing and facilitating HR compliance training and leadership onboarding.

Proficiency in Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), Microsoft Office applications, and workforce reporting and analytical tools.

Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced, complex, luxury hospitality environment.

Commitment to integrity, fairness, associate engagement, and service excellence.

Education/Experience Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Employment Relations, or a related field required; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.

Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related discipline preferred.

Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive Human Resources experience, with significant responsibility for employee relations, compliance, and workplace investigations.

Minimum of 3–5 years of Human Resources leadership or management experience preferred.

Previous experience in luxury hospitality, resort operations, or a large, multi-department organization strongly preferred.

Demonstrated experience managing complex disciplinary matters, terminations, unemployment claims, and employment-related legal proceedings.

Experience conducting sensitive workplace investigations and preparing comprehensive, well-documented findings.

Proven experience analyzing turnover data, developing retention strategies, and presenting workforce recommendations to senior leadership.

Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR preferred.

Physical Requirements

Lifting 50 lbs. maximum with frequent lifting and carrying of objects weighing up to 25 lbs. It requires walking or standing to a significant degree, as well as reaching, handling, feeling, talking, hearing, and seeing.

 In the United States, we are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.