Chief Human Resources and Culture Officer

Job Opportunity: Chief Human Resources and Culture Officer (CHRCO) Location: Litchfield, Connecticut Travel: Local and statewide travel required Schedule: 35 hours Mon-Fri 8am-4:30pm

The Opportunity

The Chief Human Resources and Culture Officer (CHRCO) serves as a key member of CJR's Executive Leadership Team who is responsible for people, culture, and workforce development , ensuring employees are empowered to thrive and contribute to organizational success. The CHRCO partners closely with the President & Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Leadership Team, senior leaders, and the Board of Directors to ensure CJR attracts, develops, engages, and retains a highly qualified and mission-driven workforce. The position provides executive oversight for talent acquisition, workforce planning, employee engagement, leadership development, succession planning, compensation and benefits, organizational effectiveness, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, employee relations, and compliance. As a strategic leader, the CHRCO helps shape the future of CJR by strengthening organizational culture, supporting leadership capacity, and ensuring that people remain central to every aspect of the organization's success.

The Candidate

The ideal CHRCO understands that people are CJR's greatest strength. They view human resources not simply as an administrative function, but as a strategic driver of organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, leadership excellence, and mission success. They believe that when employees feel supported, valued, and empowered, they are better equipped to positively impact the lives of those CJR serves. The ideal candidate understands that a strong organizational culture and high accountability are not competing priorities—they are mutually reinforcing. They will possess the ability to raise expectations, strengthen performance, and foster continuous improvement while preserving the trust, compassion, and human connection that define CJR's culture.

Executive Leadership Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the President & CEO and Executive Leadership Team
• Advise leadership and the Board on workforce trends, succession planning, organizational effectiveness, and culture
• Lead the development of long-term workforce and talent strategies that support organizational growth and sustainability
• Present workforce, culture, and talent metrics to executive leadership and Board committees
• Champion a culture of accountability in which expectations are clear, performance is measured, and individuals are supported in achieving excellence.
• Demonstrate the courage to address difficult issues, navigate challenging conversations, and make decisions that are in the best interest of the organization and those it serves

Culture & Employee Experience

• Champion employee engagement, recognition, wellness, and belonging initiatives.
• Lead efforts to strengthen communication, transparency, collaboration, and trust throughout the organization
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous learning, and mission alignment
• Conduct regular employee engagement assessments and develop action plans to address opportunities for improvement

Talent Strategy & Workforce Development

• Develop innovative strategies to address workforce shortages and strengthen recruitment pipelines
• Create career development pathways and internal advancement opportunities
• Establish robust succession planning and leadership pipeline programs
• Partner with senior leadership to ensure equitable employment practices and opportunities
• Monitor workforce demographics and engagement data to inform continuous improvement efforts

Leadership Development & Organizational Effectiveness

• Design and implement leadership development programs for supervisors, managers, directors, and emerging leaders
• Coach and support senior leaders in building high-performing teams
• Lead organizational assessments to identify opportunities for improved effectiveness and employee engagement
• Facilitate organizational change initiatives and support leaders through periods of transition and growth
• Promote best practices in performance management and professional development

Human Resources Operations

• Provide executive oversight of all human resources functions including recruitment, onboarding, benefits administration, compensation, employee relations, labor compliance, leave management, performance management, and policy administration
• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations
• Develop systems that enforce compliance and consistency with how management facilitates employee investigations, corrective actions, Performance Improvement Plans, and other employment-related risk management activities
• Continue developing the opportunities offered to CJR employees through the organization’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Partner with legal counsel on employment and labor matters
• Lead annual benefits reviews and vendor management processes
• Collaborate with Executive Leadership Team to evaluate workforce incentives that improve retention, recruitment, and employee satisfaction (lead a formal evaluation of organizational compensation structure)

Data, Analytics & Strategic Workforce Planning

• Analyze turnover, retention, engagement, recruitment, vacancy, and workforce demographic data and report to stakeholders such as the staff, the Board of Directors and to be incorporated in CJR’s Annual Report
• Utilize workforce analytics to guide executive decision-making
• Establish annual workforce goals aligned with organizational strategic priorities

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, Public Administration, Industrial Psychology, or related field
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or comparable executive HR certification preferred
• Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible human resources leadership experience, including senior leadership responsibilities
• Experience in nonprofit, healthcare, education, behavioral health, residential services, special education, or human services settings strongly preferred
• Demonstrated success leading organizational culture initiatives, workforce development strategies, leadership development programs, and organizational change efforts.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive and commensurate with experience
• Low-cost Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Plan Options
• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance offered after 30 days of employment
• Company Paid Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Generous Paid Vacation Package (unused time eligible for carry over)
• Paid Holiday Time (separate from vacation time)
• Floating Holidays (separate from paid vacation time and holiday time off)
• Annual Monetary Incentives
• Tuition Assistance
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan with Company Match
• Company Celebrations & Employee Recognition Program
• Employee Discounts (Cell Phone, Computer)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Qualified Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Employer Federal Student Aid
• 10%-20% tuition discount at many local educational institutions, including those listed by the CT Nonprofit Alliance

Equal-Opportunity Employer: CJR is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.