Director of Human Resources

Title:

Director of Human Resources State Role

Title:

Human Resource Manager IIIHiring Range:
Commensurate to $160,000

Pay Band: 7

Agency:
Virginia Employment Commission

Location:

VEC CENTRAL OFFICE Agency Website: www.

VEC.virginia.gov Recruitment Type:

Job Duties The Director of Human Resources leads human resources strategy and service delivery for the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), supporting a workforce spanning numerous offices, customer contact centers, central office functions, and the new Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. This role strengthens agency-wide workforce planning, talent acquisition, employee relations, compliance, succession planning, organizational design, and HR service delivery.

A defining priority of this position is enabling the PFML stand-up. The Director of Human Resources will partner with PFML program leadership to sequence and deliver hiring waves beginning with founding leadership roles and scaling through the operational hiring needed ahead of contributions beginning April 1, 2028 and benefit payments beginning December 1, 2028. This includes classification and pay band review for newly created PFML positions, high-volume recruitment and onboarding capacity, candidate experience standards, and workforce planning that keeps PFML and Unemployment Insurance (UI) operating as one agency with one consistent employee experience.

The Director of Human Resources will serve as a trusted advisor to the Deputy Commissioner of Operations, agency executive leaders, managers, and supervisors on complex workforce matters, including organizational changes, hiring priorities, staffing models, employee relations, leadership capability, policy interpretation, and labor and compliance risk. The position requires strong executive communication, sound judgment, change leadership, and the ability to translate agency priorities into actionable people strategies, operating at both strategic and operational levels.

The Director of Human Resources will oversee HR staff and functional delivery across recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, employee relations, equal opportunity, benefits, learning and development, performance management, HR operations, and workforce analytics, ensuring HR programs are compliant, consistent, customer-focused, and aligned with agency business needs. The role monitors and assesses the impact of changing legislation, policies, and funding, and recommends and oversees necessary adjustments.

The Director of Human Resources will also make presentations, conduct training, respond to inquiries (including legal, audit, and FOIA requests), and participate in grievance, court, audit, and investigation proceedings as a technical expert representing the agency.

Minimum Qualifications
• Executive HR Leadership:
Ability to operate as an enterprise-level strategic leader and trusted advisor, translating VEC, UI, and PFML priorities into workforce strategies, organizational decisions, and measurable actions rather than relying solely on established HR processes.
• Strategic Thinking and Practical Improvement:
Ability to assess organizational needs, constructively challenge existing approaches, and develop practical, evidence-based solutions within applicable government policies, regulations, funding constraints, and operational requirements.
• Operational Efficiency and Organizational Effectiveness:
Ability to improve HR service delivery, streamline processes, reduce unnecessary handoffs and silos, clarify roles, and partner with business units on organizational and process-improvement work.
• PFML Stand-Up and Scaled Workforce Delivery:
Ability to plan and execute time-bound workforce strategies for a new statewide program, including…