Human Resources Director

The Carlisle Group has been retained to recruit for an HR Director. Our client was founded in 2020. The organization and schools are focused on early childhood learning. They provide weekday care and education for children from six weeks to age 5 from qualifying families—with all costs covered. The schools create high-quality learning communities that nurture, educate, and empower children and families in social and financial need to lead fulfilling and productive lives. They were founded from a $350M initiative to develop 6 state-of-the-art early childhood centers in PA. The organization has opened three centers in the greater Harrisburg area as of 2025 and are opening three more in the greater Lancaster area.

Position Summary:

The Human Resources Director will act as the visionary for all staff related talent acquisition and development programming. The Human Resources Director will provide leadership in advancing the strategic direction of the organization in talent management, training, and retention efforts. This role is responsible for leading and guiding a team that includes the Human Resources Manager, Recruiter, Professional Development Manager, Human Resources Associate, Office Coordinator, and Human Resources Generalists. The Human Resources Director is part of the central office team, reporting to the Executive Director, with whom he/she will work closely to ensure talent strategy implementation. Overall, this individual will create policies and programming for how to recruit, develop, and retain staff.

Key Accountabilities:

• Learn, maintain, and share knowledge of best employment practices, regulations, and strategies.
• Advance policies and regulations for the Employee Handbook.
• Create and manage an impactful onboarding program and training for new hires to enable a smooth new employee experience.
• Participate in the interview process for new hires.
• Advance recruitment and selection protocols.
• Oversee the administration of compensation, benefits, leave plans, performance management, workforce planning, employee relations, etc.
• Advance policies for PTO and flexible scheduling and other related subjects for employees.
• Create a model and pathway for staff learning and advancement for higher degrees and additional education.
• Lead and plan career development workshops and training days, programming for monthly leadership meetings, as well as potential professional development retreats.
• Monitor the budget relating to human resource activities.
• In collaboration with other staff, support the development and maintenance of talent pipelines and apprenticeships.
• Create metrics to understand hiring and retention and present the data to the Executive Director and Board of Directors when necessary.
• Provide reports on metrics and progress to the Executive Director.
• Incorporate market research to understand how to improve hiring practices and policies.
• Support the HR team in developing workshops for Inclusion and Diversity.
• Coach and mentor HR staff.
• Conduct surveys to understand and address areas of employee concern.
• Encourage employee engagement through social events, recognition programs, and human-centered initiatives to increase morale and enhance our employees’ experience.
• Lead meetings to solicit new ideas and areas of improvement from staff.
• Attend relevant ECE conferences.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with all staff and encourage center growth and performance.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• 10 years of experience in human resources.
• 5 years of supervisory experience.
• 5 years of experience in a similar HR generalist type of leadership role.
• 5 years of experience managing a P&L or departmental budget.
• Experience in an organization or company with 500 employees and multiple locations is preferred.
• ERP/HRIS experience.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the schools and demonstrate a high degree of integrity as all staff are considered to be role models for students.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate collaborative working relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including parents, staff, and community partners.
• Ability to effectively oversee a large department, multitask, and efficiently streamline operations.