Summary
Description
Position Title: Director for Human Resources and Staff Engagement
Reports to: Executive Conference Minister
Department: Executive Team
FLSA: Exempt
Salary Grade: 8
Salary: $80,000
Hours: Full-Time
Location: Hybrid (CT/MA/RI)
Position Summary
The Director of Human Resources and Staff Engagement provides strategic and operational leadership for all human resources functions of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ (SNEUCC). This role partners closely with the Executive Conference Minister, Executive Team, supervisors, and staff to cultivate a healthy, equitable, compliant, and engaging workplace culture aligned with the Conference’s mission and values. The Director oversees HR systems, policies, employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits, compliance, and staff engagement initiatives, ensuring best practices and legal standards are consistently upheld across the organization.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Human Resources Leadership & Operations
- Lead all day-to-day HR operations, including recruitment, onboarding and off-boarding, employee relations, performance management, promotions, job changes, leaves of absence, relocations, and terminations.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the Executive Conference Minister, Executive Team, supervisors, and staff on HR matters, organizational change, and workforce planning.
- Collaborate with legal counsel and senior leadership on employee relations matters, investigations, and staff transitions, ensuring fairness, consistency, and compliance.
- Conduct workplace investigations related to harassment, discrimination, retaliation, workplace violence, and policy violations; document findings and recommend appropriate actions.
- Ensure all HR cases are handled with integrity, confidentiality, consistency, and timeliness.
Policy, Compliance & Governance
- Maintain deep working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws, including but not limited to Title VII, ADA, FMLA/CTFMLA, EEOC, Wage and Hour, and Workers’ Compensation.
- Lead regular review and updating of the Employee Handbook and HR policies.
- Chair and support the HR Committee of the Board in policy review and preparation of materials for Board consideration.
Performance, Compensation & Benefits
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve the Conference’s Performance Management System.
- Conduct compensation and pay equity analyses to ensure fairness and competitiveness.
- Oversee employee benefits administration, including health, retirement, leave, disability, and related programs.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for leave administration (FMLA, CTFMLA, ADA interactive process, short-term disability).
Staff Engagement, Learning & Culture
- Design and implement staff engagement initiatives that promote morale, connection, and well-being.
- Lead or support supervisor and management training, including compliance, performance management, and people leadership.
- Ensure staff have access to learning opportunities that foster a respectful, inclusive, and productive work environment.
Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement
- Oversee HRIS and related systems (including timekeeping and payroll coordination with PrimePay) to ensure accuracy and efficiency.
- Analyze HR data, including exit interviews, to identify trends and recommend actionable improvements.
- Identify opportunities to strengthen HR programs through technology, automation, and process improvement.
- Manage the HR budget and staff engagement program resources.
Additional Responsibilities
- Participate in executive, management, and all-staff meetings.
- Stay current on HR best practices through professional development and engagement with HR networks.
- Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Conference’s mission.
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field.
- Minimum of 7 years of progressive HR experience, including employee relations and HR compliance.
- Demonstrated experience in performance management, compensation, benefits, and policy development.
- Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practices.
- Exceptional interpersonal, mediation, listening, and communication skills.
- Demonstrated empathy, sound judgment, and ability to manage sensitive matters with discretion.
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field.
- HR certification (SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR).
- Experience in nonprofit, faith-based, or mission-driven organizations.
- Experience supporting hybrid or geographically distributed teams.
Conference-Sponsored Events
- The Director for Human Resources and Staff Engagement will be required to participate in Conference-Sponsored events throughout the year.
Benefits
- Health, Dental, Vision, Life and Disability insurance; up to 14% employer contribution to pension plan; generous paid time off.
Travel
- Position may require in-person meetings in Rocky Hill, CT and Framingham, MA.
Physical Requirements
Data Utilization – Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data, and/or information. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.
Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization – Requires the ability to use computer hardware and software and database systems in regular performance of job duties.
Verbal Aptitude – Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data, and information.
Mathematical Aptitude – Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may require ability to utilize principles of fractions and/or interpret graphs.
Functional Reasoning – Requires the ability to apply principles of influence systems, such as: motivation, incentive, and leadership. Ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.
Situational Reasoning – Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness, and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental, or subjective criteria, as opposed to that which is clearly measurable or verifiable.
ADA Compliance
Physical Ability – Tasks involve the ability to travel to meetings outside the office, exert moderate physical effort, and may involve some lifting, carrying, pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials up to 20 pounds. Tasks may involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or workstation and/or repetitive motion.
Sensory Requirements – Some tasks require visual perception and discrimination. Requires oral communications ability.
Environmental Factors – Tasks are occasionally performed with exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, machinery, vibrations, electric currents, traffic hazards, animals/wildlife, toxic/poisonous agents, or pathogenic substances.
Application Submissions:
Interested internal/external applicants may submit a cover letter and resume to search@sneucc.org or submit directly to the Southern New England Conference, UCC website at www.sneucc.org/classifieds by no later than, Friday, February 13, 2026.
Employment with the Southern New England Conference, UCC is contingent upon the receipt and review of a Conference approved background and reference check.
EEOC Policy
The Conference provides equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion (except insofar as ordination or religious background may be a qualification for a position), sex, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or preference, gender, gender identity or gender expression, pregnancy, genetic information, military status, or any other class or status protected by law.
