Director, People & Culture

• Job Category Human Resources, Employee Relations
• Employee Type Exempt - FT

• Name Abby Helsel
• Phone
• Email

Harbor Health

Must be based in Houston, TX

Harbor Health is hiring a Director of People & Culture to lead people strategy for our Houston market and manage HR partnership across our other Texas markets (Austin, El Paso, Dallas, San Antonio).

You’re joining at a pivotal moment. Harbor is growing quickly, and Houston is a key part of that growth. The person in this seat will be central to how that growth lands with our teammates. You’ll spend real time in clinics, building relationships with physicians and operations leaders, and making sure people feel supported. You’ll also manage an HR Business Partner covering our other Texas markets, so you’ll shape how People & Culture shows up across the state.

This isn’t a traditional HR role. We have policies because we need them, and we know people don’t fit neatly into policies. You’ll be the person managers and clinicians call when something doesn’t fit the template. You’ll have the judgment to know when to hold the line and when to make an exception, and you’ll be able to explain the difference.

You’ll partner closely with the Chief People Officer, and together we’ll build a People & Culture function that people actually want to work with.

Reports to:

Chief People Officer

Must be located in Houston, TX

Houston market partnership

Serve as the primary People & Culture partner for physician, clinical, and operations leaders in the Houston market

Be visible and present in clinics, building trust with managers and teammates through direct relationships rather than administering HR from a distance

Support the market through periods of growth and change, coaching managers and making sure people feel informed and supported

Bring the Houston market perspective into company-wide People & Culture conversations

Team leadership across Texas

Manage one HR Business Partner supporting Austin, El Paso, Dallas, and San Antonio

Set the bar for how People & Culture shows up in the field: responsive, judgment-driven, close to the business

Partner with the CPO on shared support for corporate functions

Employee relations and judgment calls

Handle complex and sensitive ER matters directly, in partnership with the CPO and legal counsel when needed

Coach managers through hard people conversations rather than always owning them outright, and build manager capability over time

Spot patterns across markets and bring proactive recommendations to the executive team

Policy, compliance, and practical application

Provide input on policies that need to evolve, and flag when what’s on paper isn’t working in practice

Partner with centralized HR Operations on benefits, leaves, accommodations, and compliance, applying policy with judgment in individual cases

Maintain strong working knowledge of Texas employment law and federal regulations (ADA, FMLA, FLSA, Title VII, EEOC)

Culture and employee experience

Own culture and employee experience strategy for the Houston market in partnership with the CPO

Lead culture integration work related to acquisitions and organizational growth

Use stay interviews, exit interviews, and pulse data to drive real changes, not just report them

8+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 3 years managing others

A track record of being in the field with the business, not running HR from a desk

Strong judgment in ambiguous, high-stakes situations, and the ability to explain your reasoning to skeptical audiences

Direct experience partnering with physician, clinical, or operations leadership

Comfort holding your own with executives, physicians, and front-line teammates in the same day

Strong working knowledge of Texas employment law

Experience in multi-site, high-growth, or post-acquisition environments

Executive presence without corporate stiffness

Healthcare industry experience, particularly with clinical or physician populations

Experience supporting an acquisition or integration

Comfort using AI tools like Claude or ChatGPT as everyday work accelerators

Generous PTO and 10 paid holidays

Medi…