Director of Human Resources - Harvesters

Harvesters, a regional food bank serving a 27 county area across northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri, is seeking a strategic and collaborative Director of Human Resources. Driven by its mission to mobilize the power of the community to create equitable access to nutritious food and address the root causes and impact of hunger, Harvesters works toward a vision of a healthy, thriving community where no one is hungry. The organization is committed to creating a safe, inclusive environment where employees, volunteers, partners, and clients are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.
 
Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), the Director of Human Resources provides leadership and oversight for Human Resources, compensation and benefits, employee relations, workforce development, and internal communications. This role partners closely with organizational leaders to advance Harvesters' people strategy while fostering employee engagement, talent development, compliance, and a strong workplace culture. This role is eligible for a hybrid work schedule (3 days in office, 2 days remote)
 
Responsibilities:
HR Leadership & Strategy

• Partner with the CHRO to operationalize and execute HR strategies aligned with organizational goals, workforce needs, and cultural and strategic priorities.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and performance oversight to HR team members to build capacity, accountability, and consistency.
• Ensure consistent implementation of HR initiatives across the organization.
• Contribute to departmental and organizational planning, budgeting, and continuous improvement efforts. 

• Serve as a senior HR resource for employee relations, providing consultation, guidance, and escalation support.
• Ensure consistent and equitable application of HR policies, employment practices, and disciplinary processes.
• Partner with the Senior HR Manager on investigations, corrective actions, and employment decisions.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and organizational risk mitigation efforts.

• Collaborate with the Internal Communications Manager to ensure communications support employee engagement, cultural alignment, and transparency.
• Champion initiatives that strengthen employee experience, recognition, and organizational connection.
• Support organization-wide engagement initiatives, employee recognition efforts, and employee feedback mechanisms.
• Support leaders in communicating organizational priorities, change initiatives, and people-related updates.

• Partner with the Senior Human Resources Manager to guide and align talent acquisition, onboarding, performance management, employee development, retention, and succession planning efforts.
• Support leadership capability development through coaching, tools, and training strategies.
• Review workforce metrics, trends, and engagement indicators to inform talent and development priorities.

• Provide strategic oversight of Harvesters’ total rewards program, including compensation structures, benefits offerings, and wellness initiatives.
• Partner with the Senior Human Resources Manager to ensure effective administration, compliance, accuracy, and continuous improvement of payroll and benefits programs.
• Analyze market data, internal equity, and workforce trends to inform compensation and benefits recommendations to the CHRO.
• Support annual benefits renewals, contribution strategy development, and vendor relationships.
• Ensure compensation and benefits practices align with organizational values, budget parameters, and employee engagement goals.
• Serve as a fiduciary and administrative leader for Harvesters' 403(b) retirement plan, ensuring compliance with ERISA, IRS regulations, plan governance requirements, fiduciary oversight responsibilities, and ongoing coordination with plan advisors, vendors, and internal stakeholders.

• Oversee HR systems, data integrity, reporting, and workflows to ensure effectiveness, compliance, and informed decision-making.
• Review HR metrics related to engagement, turnover, workforce trends, and compliance.
• Drive continuous improvement of HR programs, processes, procedures, service delivery, and internal controls.

• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including leadership and strategic HR responsibilities. Previous experience in a mission-driven or nonprofit organization is preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in employee relations, compensation and benefits strategy, workforce planning, and employment law compliance.
• Proven ability to lead and develop HR professionals while building strong partnerships across all levels of an organization.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills with the ability to effectively influence and advise leaders.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational execution.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems and the ability to leverage workforce data and metrics to inform decisions.
• Experience supporting a blended workforce that includes both office-based and frontline employees preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field. Master’s degree and SHRM or HRCI certification preferred.