HR Director
Chicago, IL 60661
Overview
Salary Range
$135,000.00 - $185,000.00 Salary
Description
Miller Cooper is seeking a Human Resources Director to join our growing team!
With over 105 years of independent, client-focused service in Chicagoland, we've grown organically to 600+ employees—never through mergers or acquisitions. That means more opportunity, more impact, and a real voice in the firm and your career.
Firm Highlights:
- Crain’s Chicago 10th largest firm (2025), Accounting Today’s 55th largest firm in the US, 10th in the Great Lakes region (2025).
- Largest local, independent public accounting firm in Chicago.
- Large Firm Opportunities, Small Firm Culture.
- Flexible locations- your choice of offices in Chicago, Deerfield, and Downers Grove.
- Culture of collaboration. We win as a team; we lose as a team.
Position Summary
The Director of Human Resources is responsible for leading and executing the firm’s human resources strategy while ensuring operational excellence across all core HR functions. This role serves as a trusted advisor to leadership and employees, balancing employee advocacy with business needs. The Director has responsibility for employee relations, compliance, benefits, payroll coordination, employee onboarding, and HR operations, while managing and developing an HR Generalist.
This is primarily an in-office role. Candidate needs to be flexible to be present in any of our three locations - Chicago, Downers Grove, and Deerfield, IL, based upon business needs.
Key Responsibilities
Employee Relations
- Serve as the primary point of contact for employee relations matters, including performance concerns, workplace issues, investigations, and conflict resolution.
- Partner with leaders to provide guidance on coaching, corrective action, and performance improvement plans.
- Ensure consistent application of policies and fair, equitable treatment of employees.
Separations & Terminations
- Lead and oversee involuntary and voluntary separations in a manner that achieves smooth transitions
- Advise leaders on risk mitigation, documentation, and best practices related to terminations.
- Ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements related to separations.
Benefits Administration & Open Enrollment
- Oversee all employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement plans, and wellness initiatives.
- Lead annual open enrollment planning, communications, vendor coordination, and execution.
- Serve as the primary liaison with benefits brokers and vendors; evaluate plan effectiveness and cost efficiency.
- Ensure timely and accurate administration of benefits throughout the employee lifecycle.
Payroll Oversight
- Provide oversight of payroll processing in partnership with Finance and/or an external payroll provider.
- Ensure payroll accuracy, compliance with wage and hour laws, and timely resolution of payroll-related issues.
HR Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure firm compliance with all applicable federal, multiple state, and local employment laws and regulations.
- Maintain and update employee handbook, policies, and procedures.
- Oversee compliance related to FMLA, ADA, state leave programs, military leave, and other protected leaves of absence.
- Manage audits, reporting, and responses to employment-related inquiries or claims.
Leaves of Absence (FMLA and Other Leaves)
- Oversee administration of FMLA, medical, parental, military, and other statutory or firm-sponsored leaves.
- Ensure accurate tracking, documentation, and communication with employees and managers.
- Partner with leadership to support employees returning from leave and ensure smooth transitions.
Team Leadership & Development
- Manage and develop one HR Generalist, providing coaching, prioritization, and professional development.
- Allocate work effectively to ensure timely and high-quality HR support across the firm.
HR Process Improvement
- Evaluate and improve HR processes, systems, and workflows to support scalability and efficiency.
- Use HR data and insights to inform decision-making and leadership discussions.
Other
- Lead HR orientation for new hires when needed
- Other HR related duties as assigned
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
- 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including leadership experience
- Demonstrated experience handling employee relations, terminations, and compliance matters.
- Strong working knowledge of employment laws in multiple states, FMLA, and leave administration.
- Experience overseeing benefits programs and open enrollment.
- Prior experience managing payroll processes or payroll vendors.
- Experience managing and leading others.
- HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent) preferred.
Key Competencies
- Sound judgment and discretion
- Business acumen
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to balance employee advocacy with business needs
- Detail-oriented with a strong compliance mindset
- Organized, proactive, and solution-oriented
What we offer:
- Competitive benefits package
- Generous paid time off
- 401K profit sharing
- Discretionary performance-based annual bonuses (for eligible employees)
- Paid Parental leave
- 8 hours of paid volunteer time
- Team lunches in the office every Tuesday
- Miller Cooper Communities (employee resource groups)
- Commuter Benefits
Individual salaries that are offered to a candidate are determined after consideration of numerous factors including internal salary alignment, market data, and the candidate’s qualifications- including, but not limited to, specialty skills, prior relevant industry experience, and relevant degrees or certifications. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is $135,000 to $185,000, not including discretionary annual bonus and other competitive benefits.
