Director of Human Resources & Operations

Are you energized by organizations that operate via business strategy using growth and profits to drive social impact? Have you worked in start up like, growing organizations?

The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) is the national leader in healthcare quality, setting the standard for workforce excellence. With innovative products and services designed for healthcare professionals and organizations, we support a mission-driven approach to improving outcomes and ensuring a higher quality of care at a sustainable cost. NAHQ is widely recognized and awarded, and it recently announced a strategic alliance with The Joint Commission where they endorsed NAHQ’s framework and programs.

The Director of HR & Operations will be responsible for leading the HR and Operational functions. This position will manage operational execution to advance the organization’s strategic objectives through cultural transformation, leadership development, attracting and retaining top talent, implementing and evaluating standard processes, and ensuring efficient organizational operations, inclusive of: legal, risk management, compliance, company policy development and facilities management.

Reporting to the Chief Financial & Operating Officer, the Director will be part of the leadership team focused on strategic initiatives that enhance organizational and individual performance and growth. NAHQ is poised for significant growth, expecting a 35 % increase in headcount in 2025 and forging a new strategic alliance that will drive innovation and impact. This individual will be a culture steward who builds solid relationships that foster NAHQ’s culture based on integrity, trust, collaboration, and a growth mindset. You will play a critical role in ensuring the successful integration and management of contractors and vendors.

You will also be directly involved in leadership development and coaching, performance management systems, employee relations, and change management, including communications and policy implementation. You will exemplify, by example, how to mentor and develop capacity in staff through your management of the HR Manager and the Office Administrator.

This role is hybrid-based, with in-person collaboration near O’Hare once to twice a week.

Key Responsibilities

HR Strategic Planning & Change Management (60%)

• Advise and coach executives and the leadership team on best practices in workforce planning, culture transformation, organizational design, and talent strategy to support rapid growth and achievement of NAHQ’s mission, objectives, and goals.
• In collaboration with the CFOO, develop and implement strategies, programs, policies, and procedures to meet both the short- and long-term people and talent needs, enabling NAHQ to achieve its strategic priorities.
• Assess and improve HR processes and policies that drive cultural transformation and ensure scalability and operational efficiency.
• Drive use of HR data and analytics to guide leaders in strategic decision making and performance evaluations.
• Develop programs and policies to support employees’ growth and success including new employees, exiting employees, new managers, high-potential employees, and leaders. Provide hands-on training and coaching, especially for leadership development initiatives, including guiding managers to lead through rapid growth and organizational changes.
• Proactively provide thought leadership and manage policies that foster strong culture, employee performance, organizational and individual growth, and employee engagement in a remote-heavy hybrid environment.
• Oversee HR and operations functions, including legal compliance, policy development, talent acquisition, payroll, HR Systems and benefits administration, ensuring efficient execution of daily operations.
• Mentor the HR team, building their capacity to manage day-to-day HR functions and strategic projects that foster a high-performance, mission-driven culture. Drive a proactive, future-focused, continuous improvement approach to onboarding, offboarding, talent development, and employee engagement processes to enhance the employee lifecycle.
• Develop and execute comprehensive Talent Acquisition strategies and total rewards packages that are competitive and sustainable. Provide strategic oversight on compensation redesign and benefits strategies that attract and retain top talent from diverse backgrounds while fostering an inclusive environment welcoming to all - including new and existing employees.
• Effectively operationalize adopted People and Talent strategies.

Business Operational Oversight (40%)

• Oversee and manage the company's insurance programs, including general liability and workers' compensation, ensuring adequate coverage and compliance with legal requirements.
• Evaluate processes to improve operational efficiency.
• Work closely with the CFOO to establish annual budgets including operational needs and systems to enhance efficiency in business operations.
• Manage relationships with contractors and vendors, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and standards of excellence.
• Ensure compliance with both external local, state, and federal regulations including Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), wage, and hour laws, and internal company policies
• Identify potential legal risks and develop proactive strategies to mitigate them, including conducting regular audits and review of key contracts, agreements, and business practices.
• Maintain a strong understanding of corporate governance principles and ensure compliance with relevant laws and industry standards.
• Manage day-to-day operations of the company’s physical facilities, inclusive of space planning, facility layout, and resource allocation, ensuring a safe, efficient, and productive environment for employees.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• HR Leadership experience with strong business acumen and expertise in rapidly growing organizations.
• Demonstrated success in organizational transformation using data-driven strategies to optimize organizational performance, ideally with a mission-driven organization and an emphasis on culture transformation aimed at employee performance and engagement.
• Strong expertise in strategic HR and Operations planning with the ability to operationalize initiatives, programs, and systems, particularly in leadership training and coaching and performance management.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and influence across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to maintain confidential information and exercise discretion.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Leadership experience with some/all of the following business operational functions: legal, risk management, compliance, company policy development and facilities management.
• Experience supporting organizations that have had a “start-up” within a mature organization.
• Experience with a professional service organization – where employees are part/all of the product/service offering.
• Experience acting as a Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP) and/or in Employee Relations (ER).

Compensation: $150,000 - $180,000

This pay range reflects the Company’s current estimate for this position at the time of posting. Compensation will be determined in accordance with applicable laws and based on the applicant’s skills, experience, knowledge, and the requirements of the role. The Company reserves the right to adjust this pay range at its discretion.

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, STD, LTD, 401K w/ direct contribution, Life, AD&D, HSA, FSA, Wellness Program, Identity Theft Insurance, Pet Insurance, Flexible Time Off (FTO) Policy, Paid Parental Leave

The benefits offerings are reviewed on an annual basis and are governed by the terms of the applicable plan documents.

About NAHQ

NAHQ is a collaborative, innovative, and open environment asking its staff to show ethical behavior and business practices that align with the organization's values. This position is vital to the success of NAHQ, and the person must bring, in addition to professional knowledge, a personality well suited to working with numerous individuals (staff, members, vendors, sponsors, etc.).

NAHQ’s Values: Personal Accountability, Empathy, High Performance, Teamwork, Authenticity/Diversity, Organizational Ownership, Improvement, Service, Adaptability.

NAHQ’s culture is high performance, and high impact, but limits draining behaviors associated with fear of failure, and unproductive competition. Leadership and management teams aim to set and communicate a clear compelling vision. Leaders work to coach, develop, and manage staff to meet organizational goals while also growing personal competencies for continued professional development. A growth and improvement mindset embodies our daily work and our interactions inside and outside of the organization. NAHQ’s values parlay into a culture that is optimistic, energetic, accountable, and fun.

NAHQ is an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. We hire without regard to age, color, disability, gender (including gender identity), marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.