Executive Director of Human Resources

Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) educates approximately 26,500 students in 41 schools: 3 early childhood centers, 24 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 5 high schools, 1 middle/high combination school and an alternative learning program. NNPS is a community of diverse learners: over 1,500 students speak a language other than English. NNPS employs approximately 4,200 teachers, administrators, and support staff. Each day in Newport News Public Schools, the focus is on one mission: ensuring that all students graduate college, career and citizen-ready!

With an early learning curriculum designed to boost literacy and math instruction, state-of-the art science labs and advanced educational technology, NNPS has the tools to ensure student and teacher success.

Newport News Public Schools seeks dedicated professionals and staff to support our district's goal of graduating college, career, and citizen-ready students. We also value the personal well-being and professional development of our employees and strive to make the employment experience at Newport News Public Schools as rewarding as possible. At NNPS, we recognize our ultimate success depends on our talented and dedicated workforce. We understand the contribution each employee makes to our accomplishments and so our goal is to provide a comprehensive program of competitive benefits to attract and retain the best employees available. Through our benefits programs we strive to support the needs of our employees and their dependents by providing a benefit package that is easy to understand, easy to access and affordable for all our employees. This benefits program includes employee and dependent health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, paid time off, multiple retirement plan offerings, employee assistance and wellness programs, legal resources, and tuition reimbursement.

Under the direction of the Superintendent, the Executive Director of Human Resources position provides strategic leadership and oversight of the school division’s human resource functions. This position ensures the recruitment, retention, and development of a diverse and highly effective workforce to support student achievement. This includes ensuring a competitive and equitable total compensation package for all staff. The Executive Director leads efforts to establish a positive, equitable, and professional workplace culture while safeguarding compliance with all applicable laws, policies, and collective bargaining agreements.

Essential Duties

1. Serve as a key advisor to the Superintendent and School Board on all human resource matters, including staffing, labor relations, compensation, benefits, and policy development.
2. Drive initiatives to improve workplace culture, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness across the division.
3. Lead division-wide recruitment and retention efforts to attract and retain diverse, high-quality talent for instructional, administrative, and support roles.
4. Oversee robust onboarding processes to ensure smooth integration of new employees into the school division.
5. Promote a culture of trust, fairness, and accountability while ensuring compliance with labor laws and regulations.
6. Responsible for the implementation and monitoring of performance evaluation systems for all staff to ensure alignment with division goals.
7. Facilitate professional development programs to promote employee growth, leadership development, and retention.
8. Establish partnership with principals and supervisors to address performance concerns and create improvement plans as needed.
9. Oversee development, maintenance, and implementation of competitive compensation structures, salary schedules, and employee benefits programs to ensure competitiveness and fiscal responsibility.
10. Serves as a fiduciary for the school division making fiscally responsible recommendations for the School Board and employees with regard to compensation, benefits, and supplemental retirement plans.
11. Directs the management of HR systems, payroll processing, leave administration, and employee records to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and compliance.
12. Collaborate with the finance department to forecast staffing costs and manage HR budgets effectively.
13. Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including EEO, FLSA, ADA, FMLA, Title IX, and other relevant legislation.
14. Develop, update, and interpret human resource policies, procedures, and handbooks.
15. Maintain confidentiality and ensure proper handling of personnel records and sensitive information.
16. Oversee HR data systems to provide accurate and timely data for decision-making.
17. Analyze key HR metrics, such as retention rates, staffing trends, and employee satisfaction, and recommend strategies for improvement.
18. Prepare and present HR reports for the Superintendent, School Board, and other stakeholders.
19. Identifies legal requirements and government reportingregulations affecting the human resource’s function and directs the preparation of information required for compliance.
20. Leads selection process for filling of vacancies in key leadership positions.
21. Models’ nondiscriminatory practices in all activities.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills and/or Abilities Required)

Master’s degree from an accredited college/university or bachelor’s degree in human resources management, public administration, business administration or a related field required. HR Certification(s) are preferred. A combination of human resources leadership experience and K-12 building administrator experience.

Newport News Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer, committed to non-discrimination in recruitment, selection, hiring, pay, promotion, retention or other personnel actions affecting employees or candidates for employment. The Newport News City School Board prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, political affiliation, gender, age, marital status, disability or any other basis prohibited by law, in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities.

Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is a military-friendly and a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) certified employer. We appreciate the values, leadership, and unique skills Service members bring to the workforce and will encourage opportunities to hire Guardsmen, Reservists, Veterans, military spouses, and family members to become a part of the NNPS team.