Director of Human Resources

SeriousFun Children’s Network, founded by Paul Newman, is a growing global community of independently managed and financed camps and programs, which have come together with a common purpose – to provide transformative experiences to children with serious illnesses and their families, free of charge. Through our 30 camps and partner programs around the world, SeriousFun reaches more than 150,000 children and families annually. Learn more at www.seriousfun.org

About us: The SeriousFun Support Center is located in East Norwalk CT. Our team of 33 staff members provides support services to SeriousFun camps and partnership programs around the world in order to ensure program and operational excellence, create awareness for the camps worldwide, and foster the continued growth of the Network as a whole.

SeriousFun is committed to fostering and ensuring a culture and environment that values the experiences, knowledge, and voices of all those who work to carry out our mission. We are continually focused on bringing our core principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion to life by embracing individual talents and experiences and encouraging ongoing learning and understanding.

The purpose of our job posting is to provide an overview of the responsibilities and qualifications needed for this role and

what it’s like to work with us. If this sounds like the work you would like to do - and if we sound like a non-profit that you would like to work for - then please apply even if you don’t match 100% of the job description.

This position is perfect for you if: You are an experienced human resources professional that leads by example, encourages diversity of thought, are a strategic thinker, and excel at talent management. You are professional in your communications, exercise good judgement, and have a desire and ability to take initiative, while successfully contributing to a collegial group environment.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Director of Human Resources provides strategic guidance, direction, and support in their leadership of the SeriousFun Support Center human resources department. The Director is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the organization’s human resources function, including directly supervising the Associate Director, Human Resources. Along with overseeing day-to-day human resource operations, the Director focuses on human resource planning and talent management, while also supporting the Chief Financial Officer in the management and administration of workplace policies and procedures. The main areas of responsibility for the Director, as described in further detail below, are human resource planning, function classification, performance management, learning and development, and manager support.

The SeriousFun Support Center has approximately 30 employees, with the human resources function currently fulfilled by the Chief Financial Officer and the Associate Director, Human Resources. The Director of Human Resources position is new and expected to significantly expand and strengthen the department’s capacity and service model.

All SeriousFun employees at the Director level are expected to build and maintain high performing teams, to lead and contribute to the implementation of departmental strategic initiatives and business process improvements, and to effectively coordinate, collaborate, and work directly with other Directors and senior leadership. When requested to do so, Directors are to provide input into organizational strategies, processes, practices, and policies. Directors typically engage and interact with camp and partner program staff, donors, third-party vendors, partners and/or service providers to provide support while best representing the organization. Employees at this level are expected to be able to work well independently, while proactively and effectively managing up and across the organization.

Note: Human Resources employees are entrusted with sensitive information and are expected to treat such information confidentially and with a high level of discretion, professionalism, and tact.

Essential Responsibilities

• Human resource planning – Partnering with senior leadership to identify and address ongoing and future human resource needs of the organization, including succession planning.
• Employee Relations – promoting, supporting, and maintaining positive employee relations by responding to employee relations matters and bringing them to a fair resolution. Ensuring the consistent application of the organization’s policies, procedures, and practices.
• Workplace Culture – providing leadership and support to all best-place-to-work culture initiatives, including employee engagement activities and DEIB initiatives.
• Function classification / position leveling – Evaluating and comparing the organization's positions in order to categorize and rank them in terms of how they contribute to the organization as a whole.
• Performance management – Designing and facilitating employee annual goal-setting and periodic performance evaluations, including year-end assessments, to ensure continued productivity and employee engagement, while also informing compensation decisions.
• Learning and development – Identifying, prioritizing, and providing formal and informal opportunities for employees to learn and develop their skills.
• Manager support – Training and supporting managers to ensure that they help the organization to fulfill its duty of care to its employees, while also aligning with organizational human resource goals, policies, and procedures.
• Supervising the Associate Director, Human Resources – Effectively overseeing the work of the Associate Director through mentoring, coaching, and providing day-to-day direction, periodic feedback, and development opportunities.
• Supporting the Chief Financial Officer in the management and administration of workplace policies and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Competencies:

• Job-Specific Skills, Knowledge and Ability: Demonstrating the application of job-specific technical skills, general knowledge, and/or abilities to add value.
• Authority and Accountability: Providing direction of processes, projects, programs, and people. Delegating responsibilities and decisions appropriately. Being accountable for results.
• Critical Thinking and Decision Making: Making decisions and solving problems involving varied levels of complexity, ambiguity, and risk.
• Planning and Organizing: Defining tasks and milestones to achieve objectives and ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.
• Interpersonal Skills: Building and maintaining productive work relationships, collaborating with others to achieve common goals, listening, and communicating in a way that is inclusive, respectful and supportive of others.
• Adaptability: Adjusting behavior to work efficiently and effectively in light of new information, changing situations, and/or different environments.
• Leadership: Setting a positive example, encouraging, and supporting collaboration and teamwork, exhibiting humility, helping others achieve success, being honest and trustworthy.
• Management: Mentoring, coaching, and providing feedback, direction, development opportunities, and positive reinforcement to employees. Inspiring commitment, providing vision, promoting, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals and values.

Minimum Qualifications & Job-Specific Skills

• Education: ​Bachelor's Degree (e.g. BA, BS) or equivalent​
• Years of Relevant Work Experience: ​10 - 15 years​
• Proven skills and successful track record in human resources management, including human resource planning, talent management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in human resources, business, and/or related field(s)
• Professional certification in human resources management
• Experience working at NGO’s or other non-profit organizations

Company Culture, Perks and Benefits – please read Our Focus here to get a sense of what’s important to us.

• Fun, respectful, and collaborative environment.
• Professional Development opportunities (online and company facilitated offerings).
• Respect for your non-working time (in Eastern Standard Time) unless under special circumstances, we limit contacting staff on evenings and weekends.
• 30+ days paid time off for you to enjoy as you see fit, including vacation days, holidays, opportunities to volunteer at a SeriousFun camp.
• Paid time off for family, medical, and civic service needs.
• Company sponsored retirement savings plan after one year of continued service.
• New office located in a fully renovated mixed-used building with great onsite (free) amenities.
• Steps away from the regional train station

Benefits are subject to change

Compensation is commensurate with experience and relevant labor market comparisons.