Human Resources Director

About La Casa Norte

La Casa Norte’s mission is to serve youth and families confronting homelessness. We provide access to stable housing and deliver comprehensive services that act as a catalyst to transform lives and communities. Our mission and philosophy of service is to impact the social issues of homelessness at the individual and community levels.

About the Position

The Human Resources Director will plan, lead, direct, develop, and coordinate the policies, activities, and staff of the Human Resources (HR) department, ensuring legal compliance and implementation of the organization's mission and talent strategy. The Human Resources Director performs duties at the professional level in all of the following functional areas: employee relations, recruitment, retention, onboarding, training, affirmative action, benefits management, performance management, policy development and implementation, employment law, union relations. and payroll functions. This position requires an extremely perceptive person who can relate to individuals at all levels within the

organization. The HR Director must be sensitive to employee morale and organizational needs while working closely with the VP of Finance & Operations and CEO/Executive Director.

Duties and Responsibilities

Recruitment, Retention and Onboarding:

Lead all efforts related to recruiting, hiring, onboarding and retaining union and non-union staff.

Collaborate with hiring managers on job descriptions and conduct initial screenings.

Maintain job descriptions, titles, pay rates and salaries for all exempt and non-exempt positions.

Assist in the development of dynamic materials for recruiting events like job fairs and open houses.

Conduct background and reference checks, manage I-9 and E-Verify processes.

Ensure all employment legal compliance and maintain an efficient record-keeping system.

Implement and foster consistent staff training and ongoing professional development opportunities.

Human Resources Information System (HRIS):

Administer HRIS and personnel databases.

Manage employee orientation and training logistics.

Track workforce data for strategic goals.

Address employee HR queries (e.g., benefit related questions, resetting passwords, etc.).

Increase working knowledge of HRIS, incorporating various tools for employee communication.

Employee Relations:

Collaborate with management on claims or allegations of harassment, discrimination & other workplace misconduct; assist in providing analyses of each case and recommendations for any necessary follow-up actions.

Assist with any employee relation issues.

Compile union reporting and notifications.

Support in maintaining compliance with collective bargaining agreement stipulations, which encompasses addressing grievances, overseeing performance management, and managing confidential personnel-related data.

Be a resource for employees seeking advice and counsel on work-related situations.

Benefits Administration:

Work with insurance brokers to provide the best available benefits package within budget constraints.

Collaborate with the director of Finance & Compliance and VP of Finance & Operations on annual open enrollment planning and implementation.

Administer and answer questions related to compensation and benefits for new hires and existing employees.

Process benefit paperwork for New Hires.

General Administration:

Provide administrative support across the organization (i.e., employee verifications, internal employee engagement events, general requests for information, etc.)

Provide cross-functional support to leadership as needed.

Collaborate with team members, pitch in and help out when needed, in the spirit of La Casa Norte.

Other Duties:

In addition to the responsibilities listed above, all La Casa Norte employees are responsible for contributing to the overall success of La Casa Norte through:

Participation in company-wide meetings and seminars.

Contribution to program and protocol development.

Performing other duties as required.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field.

Minimum of 10 years of Human Resources experience required 5+ as a Director.

Labor relations experience required; Experience under collective bargaining agreement preferred.

Working knowledge of HRIS (e.g., Paycom, Paycor, etc.)

Knowledge and Skills:

Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.

Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Strong supervisory and leadership skills.

Ability to adapt to the needs of the organization and employees.

Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.

Thorough knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations.

Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.

Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn the HRIS and talent management systems.

Uphold integrity, professionalism and confidentiality.

Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.

Compensation and Benefits Package Includes:

Paid Time Off: 14 vacation days per year.

Personal Days: 7 personal days per year (may be carried over into the following year but must be used by December 31 of that year).

Holidays: 10 paid holidays annually.

Sick Leave: 6 sick days per year (up to 20 hours of unused sick time may be carried over year to year).

Health Insurance: Medical coverage through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (HMO or PPO options available).

Dental and Vision Insurance: Comprehensive coverage options available.

Retirement Savings: 403(b) retirement savings plan.

Life Insurance: $25,000 in basic term life insurance (provided at no cost to the employee).

Disability Insurance: Long-term disability insurance (provided at no cost to the employee).

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Options for pre-tax savings on eligible healthcare, transit, and dependent care expenses.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support and resources for employees.

Payroll: Direct deposit payroll for convenience.

La Casa Norte is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, national origin, or disability. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear, sit, use hands, reach with hands and arms, stand, walk, walk up and down stairs, lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.