Offer Range: $171,936 – $ 252,006
How We’ll Take Care Of You
- Medical, Vision, and Dental Insurance Coverage (Employee and SDCC share in cost of coverage)
- Retirement Plans: 403(b) and 457
- Money Purchase Pension Plan (Paid in full by SDCC)
- Paid Time Off (PTO): 21 accrued days to be used for vacation and sick paid time off
- 11 Paid Holidays
- Employee Assistance Plan (Paid in full by SDCC)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Life and AD&D Insurance (Paid in full by SDCC, with additional voluntary coverage)
- Disability Insurance (Paid in full by SDCC)
- Supplemental Health Plans
- Employee-Exclusive Discounts (discounts to 250+ retailers through Fun Express & Corporate Shopping)
- Free onsite employee dining during shift at our Tides Cafe
- Union employees should refer to their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for additional details (if applicable)
About The Role
Under the direction of the Deputy CEO & Chief Financial Officer, the Executive Director of Human Resources (ED of HR) serves as a trusted strategic advisor and key member of the Executive Leadership Team, with enterprise-wide accountability for shaping and delivering an innovative, future-focused people and culture strategy for the Corporation’s diverse, multi-union and non-represented workforce.
This executive role requires the ability to plan and strategize at the highest level while translating complex initiatives into clear, relatable plans that resonate with employees at all levels. The ED of HR integrates strategic foresight with active, hands-on execution, translating high-level initiatives into practical, effective solutions that drive a high-performing, compliant, and inclusive workplace culture which advances the Corporation’s mission and strengthens its reputation as an employer of choice. The ED of HR not only sets the vision for the HR function, but also directly engages in the execution of organizational design, talent strategy, job architecture, total rewards, labor relations, and cultural transformation, ensuring all HR practices are scalable, data-informed, and aligned with business objectives. This role exercises expert judgement in reviewing employment-related agreements and policies, applying a legally informed perspective to identify risks, propose mitigation strategies, determining when to escalate to legal counsel.
What You Will Do
- Oversee the entire HR team and directly supervise HR Manager(s), including coaching, hiring, training, mentoring, performance evaluation, and professional development. Responsible for workforce planning, staff engagement, and ensuring adherence to Corporation policies and expectations while fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and accountability.
Strategic Leadership and Program Oversight
- Develop and execute a comprehensive HR strategy with defined metrics and performance targets aligned with organizational goals and workforce needs.
- Actively participate in day-to-day HR operations to ensure alignment between strategy and execution, including direct involvement in problem-solving and process improvements.
- Serve as a strategic partner to executive leadership in areas of organizational development, workforce planning, labor relations, and change management.
- Partner with the C-Suite, Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors on workforce trends, talent risks, and policy changes, presenting complex matters with clarity and business impact.
- Establish and oversee a job architecture framework and compensation philosophy that ensures internal equity, supports career mobility, and creates transparency in promotion and progression opportunities.
- Lead the design and execution of career pathing programs that connect employee development with organizational needs, ensuring consistent growth opportunities for union and non-represented staff.
- Oversee the Corporation’s whistleblower program, employee grievance processes, and management of employment-related litigation.
- Champion a positive, inclusive workplace culture by leading initiatives and modeling behaviors that enhance employee engagement, collaboration, and performance.
- Drive accountability, performance, and development within a service-focused culture.
- Process Improvement, Execution and Change Management
- Remain current on employment trends and evolving legal requirements to ensure efficiency, legal compliance, and alignment with best practices.
- Implement scalable HR solutions and process improvements that support organizational growth, elevating the employee experience as an effective change agent.
- Lead efforts to modernize HR data practices, including reporting, analytics, HR technology adoption, and automation of key processes.
Employee & Labor Relations
- Oversee strategy and guidance for employee and labor relations, including serving as lead negotiator in union bargaining when designated, contract interpretation, grievance resolution, employee discipline, and conflict mediation. Oversee all employee involved investigations, respond to employee discipline appeals and coordinate efforts or represent the Corporation for related legal matters that involve complaints filed by employee/applicant.
- Ensure effective and transparent practices are in place for performance management, investigations, and corrective actions across all teams.
- Provide internal guidance and oversee HR-related contracts (e.g., separation agreements, vendor services, consulting agreements), in collaboration with legal counsel as needed.
- Maintain expert-level knowledge of labor laws, collective bargaining agreements, and employment regulations while ensuring HR practices anticipate and adapt to evolving legal and regulatory requirements.
- Partner with Communications and executive leadership to manage internal and external messaging related to workforce issues, ensuring timely, consistent, and compliant communications.
- Design and facilitate labor-management partnership programs that encourage collaboration, problem-solving, and mutual gains in bargaining.
- Workforce Development & Organizational Effectiveness
- Oversee the design and implementation of training programs for skills development and leadership readiness, performance management tools, and coaching frameworks to build leadership pipelines and address skill gaps.
- Lead the integration of career-pathing frameworks into succession planning efforts to identify high-potential talent, ensure business continuity, and address critical skill gaps.
- Collaborate with department heads to forecast workforce needs and develop strategies for talent acquisition, retention, and career progression.
- Identify key performance indicators (KPI’s) for the organization’s human resource and talent management functions and establish benchmarks to evaluate program effectiveness.
Total Rewards, Benefits & Wellness
- Oversee the strategy, administration, and compliance of the Corporation’s Total Rewards philosophy ensuring competitiveness, internal equity, and fiscal responsibility.
- Develop engagement programs through evaluation of trends and utilization to recommend plan design changes and wellness initiatives that improve employee satisfaction and reduce long-term costs while supporting mental, physical, and financial well-being.
- Develop a compensation strategy that provides equitable but competitive pay across represented and non-represented staff, aligning collective bargaining provisions with living wage and other government program requirements to minimize compression that supports financial health throughout the organization.
Safety, Risk & Compliance Management
- Partner with insurance brokers, internal stakeholders and legal counsel to proactively mitigate HR-related risks, including claims, grievances, and workplace safety issues.
- Collaborate with Risk Management and Safety Committee to support crisis response and operational planning to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, in compliance with workplace regulations and injury prevention programs.
- Participate in health benefit insurance renewals and risk assessments related to HR operations and employee programs.
- Other duties may be assigned.
What You Will Need
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business, Psychology, Communications, Employment Law, or another related field; advanced degree preferred.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including 5+ years at a senior leadership level.
- SPHR, SHRM-SCP or PHR-Ca preferred.
- Strong knowledge of employment law, labor relations, and HR best practices.
- Ability to lead both strategy and operations, with a hands-on approach to troubleshooting and continuous improvement mindset.
- Proven experience leading union collective bargaining negotiations strongly preferred. Collective bargaining relationships and culture awareness. Skilled in navigating and balancing complex union environments with the needs of non-represented staff.
- Experience advising and presenting to a Board of Directors preferred.
- Strategic planner with high business acumen.
- Leadership development and building effective teams.
- Relationship management, responsiveness, and excellent communication.
- Data-driven decision making and HR technology fluency.
- Proactive, solutions-oriented, and trusted advisor to leadership and staff alike.
- Ability to interpret and apply legal and regulatory language.
- Ability to build credibility quickly, assess organizational needs, and implement impactful change.
- Experience leading workforce development and succession planning strategies in a unionized and public-facing environment.
- Strong knowledge of health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, and wellness program design.
- Experience managing HR compliance, employment-related risk exposure, and workplace safety initiatives in coordination with risk management teams.
- Demonstrated success in driving employee engagement strategies and change management initiatives.
- Exceptional ability to communicate complex employment and labor matters with clarity, diplomacy, and persuasion to executives, union leaders, legal counsel, and the Board of Directors.
- Ability to interpret and apply HR-related financial, statistical, and trend data to drive informed decisions and measure ROI on people initiatives.
- Knowledge of managerial and supervisory principles and practices and demonstrated leadership skills.
- Excellent personal ethics and integrity, adhering to the Corporation's Core Values.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to remain in an office at a computer workstation and access information from a computer. The employee is required to be mobile to, from, and within the Human Resources department suite, as well as maneuver throughout the Convention Center facility to attend meetings and briefings. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
- This is an exempt-level position generally following a standard five-day workweek. However, flexibility is required, possibly working weekends or holidays, as the role may demand varied hours to ensure appropriate support and interaction with employees and internal departments. Travel out of town may be required as needed.
