Director of HR Operations & Onboarding

Director of HR Operations & Onboarding

Position Summary

The Director of HR Operations & Onboarding serves as an operational leader within the Human Resources department and is responsible for the strategic oversight and day-to-day management of onboarding, employee transactions, compliance processes, background screening, HR systems administration, and workforce-related operational functions. The position acts as a key partner to the Vice President, ensuring continuity of operations, independent resolution of complex matters, strong team leadership, and consistent execution of critical HR workflows.

The Director partners closely with Human Resources, Payroll, Compliance, Operations, Employee Health, Information Technology, Credentialing, and organizational leadership to ensure all employee lifecycle processes are executed efficiently, accurately, and in accordance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

HR Operations Leadership

• Lead and oversee the day-to-day operations of the HR Operations and Onboarding team.
• Ensure incoming HR phone calls and emails are monitored, responded to, and redirected to the appropriate team member or department in a timely manner.
• Oversee the receipt, distribution, and appropriate handling of incoming HR mail and correspondence.
• Ensure wage garnishments and related notices are reviewed, processed, documented, and coordinated with Payroll and other appropriate stakeholders accurately and timely.
• Maintain oversight of front-end, day-to-day HR operational activities to ensure requests are appropriately triaged, assigned, tracked, and resolved in accordance with established procedures and service expectations.
• Develop, implement, and monitor HR operational processes to improve efficiency, accuracy, and employee experience.
• Establish and maintain standard operating procedures, workflows, and service-level expectations for HR transactions and onboarding processes.
• Monitor departmental metrics and key performance indicators and provide regular reporting to executive leadership.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement, automation, and enhanced employee service delivery.

Employee Onboarding & New Hire Experience

• Direct all aspects of the onboarding process for newly hired employees, licensed providers, and organizational leadership.
• Ensure timely completion of pre-employment requirements, including background checks, education verification, licensure verification, health screenings, and regulatory screenings.
• Oversee new hire orientation programs and onboarding initiatives to ensure a positive employee experience.
• Collaborate with department leaders to ensure employees are effectively integrated into their roles and work environments.
• Monitor onboarding timelines and resolve barriers that may delay employee start dates.
• Lead, expand, and continuously improve the organization's new hire buddy program to strengthen early engagement, role integration, and the overall onboarding experience.
• Develop and deliver orientation, training, tools, and clear expectations for leaders, designated buddies, and team members participating in the buddy program.
• Establish feedback mechanisms and monitor the effectiveness of the buddy program, using insights to improve participation, consistency, and outcomes.

Compliance & Regulatory Oversight

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and organizational employment requirements.
• Oversee processes related to licensure, certifications, credentialing support, regulatory screenings, and audit readiness.
• Maintain HR records and documentation in accordance with legal and organizational standards.
• Partner with Compliance, Legal, and Operations teams regarding employment-related regulatory requirements and operational workflows.
• Provide end-to-end oversight of background screening processes, ensuring all required checks are initiated, monitored, completed accurately, documented appropriately, and maintained in accordance with applicable requirements and organizational standards.
• Coordinate with background screening vendors, government agencies, regulatory bodies, and internal stakeholders to verify information, resolve discrepancies, and address delays or incomplete results.
• Maintain current knowledge of screening requirements and ensure related procedures, tracking tools, and documentation standards remain accurate and up to date.
• Experience with OMH, OASAS, and CHRC screening requirements is strongly preferred.

HR Systems & Data Management

• Provide oversight of HRIS processes and employee data management.
• Ensure employee records are maintained accurately and updated in a timely manner.
• Monitor transactions related to hires, transfers, promotions, compensation changes, leaves of absence, and separations.
• Submit all required personnel action changes accurately and timely in the HRIS on a biweekly basis, ensuring supporting documentation is complete and appropriate follow-up is conducted to resolve any outstanding items.
• Support reporting and analytics initiatives leveraging HR technology platforms.
• Partner with HRIS and other departments on system enhancements and process improvements.

Employee Lifecycle Administration

• Oversee employee status changes, transfers, promotions, position changes, and organizational restructuring activities.
• Ensure accurate processing and documentation of employment actions.
• Collaborate with Payroll and Benefits to ensure seamless execution of employee transactions.
• Support workforce planning initiatives by monitoring staffing changes and operational workforce needs.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, develop, coach, and mentor HR Operations and Onboarding staff.
• Establish performance expectations and provide ongoing feedback and professional development opportunities.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, customer service, and operational excellence.
• Ensure appropriate coverage and resource allocation to meet departmental objectives.
• Independently oversee the day-to-day operations of a large, high-volume team, ensuring priorities, service levels, coverage, and deliverables are consistently maintained.
• Serve as the primary operational resource and escalation point for complex onboarding and HR operations matters, exercising sound judgment and escalating only when appropriate.
• Demonstrate receptiveness to constructive feedback and the ability to translate feedback into timely, sustained improvements in performance, leadership, and process execution.
• Build accountability and process ownership across the team through clear expectations, coaching, follow-through, and consistent application of established workflows.

Strategic Partnership

• Collaborate with executive leadership to support organizational growth and workforce initiatives.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on onboarding, HR operations, workforce processes, and employee lifecycle management.
• Support organizational initiatives related to employee engagement, retention, workforce stabilization, and operational effectiveness.
• Participate in special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned.
• Partner closely with the Talent Acquisition team to clarify process ownership, handoffs, communication standards, and accountability across recruitment-to-onboarding workflows.
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition and key stakeholders to identify workflow gaps, streamline transitions, and improve the candidate and new hire experience from offer acceptance through onboarding.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or related field required.
• Master's degree preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 5-7 years progressive Human Resources experience.
• Minimum of 3-5 years leadership experience managing HR, onboarding, employee services, or operational teams.
• Experience within healthcare, multi-site operations, or highly regulated environments strongly preferred.
• Experience managing HR compliance, onboarding, employee records, and workforce administration processes.
• Demonstrated experience independently leading day-to-day HR operations and managing a large or high-volume team.
• Hands-on experience administering background checks, verifying results, resolving discrepancies, and coordinating with screening vendors and applicable agencies.
• Experience using Oracle as an HRIS is strongly preferred.
• Experience with OMH, OASAS, and CHRC-related screening processes is a plus.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of employment laws, HR operations, and onboarding best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams and drive process improvements.
• Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong communication and relationship-building abilities.
• Experience with HRIS systems, workforce analytics, and reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to confidentiality and professionalism.
• Ability to operate as a trusted partner to the Vice President and assume broad operational responsibility in support of departmental continuity and effectiveness.
• Ability to work independently, make informed decisions, manage competing priorities, and follow matters through to resolution with limited oversight.
• Demonstrated capacity to lead a large team and manage complex, high-volume day-to-day operations.
• Ability to receive and apply constructive feedback professionally, with demonstrated adaptability and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Strong working knowledge of background screening, regulatory verification, documentation, vendor coordination, and audit-ready recordkeeping.

Annualized Salary

$122,686.20 - $137,807.77

Reporting Relationship

Reports To: Vice President, Talent Acquisition

Supervises: Onboarding Specialists, HR Operations staff, and other assigned personnel.