Senior Director of Talent & Operations

Job Title: Senior Director of Talent & Operations

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Education Requirement: Bachelors’ degree and/or HR certification (PHR, SHRM-CP, SPHR)

Experience Requirement: 7+ years of leadership experience across HR, operations, or organizational management, with at least 3 years in a senior role.

Position is: Exempt, Full-time  

Pay Rate: $120,000 - $140,000 per year, based on experience

Supervises: Operations Manager

About Families Forward

Families Forward is a leading nonprofit dedicated to ending family homelessness and creating pathways to housing stability in Orange County. Our team is united by a shared commitment to equity, innovation, and data-driven decision-making. Every role directly contributes to transforming lives — and the Senior Director of Talent & Operations ensures that our people, processes, and systems are optimized to deliver measurable, sustainable impact. This role is pivotal in fostering a high-performing, mission-driven culture while driving operational excellence that supports continuous improvement across the organization.

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Talent & Operations provides executive leadership across workforce strategy, organizational culture, regulatory compliance, and internal infrastructure. This role oversees all human resources functions and operational systems that support agency programs serving families experiencing homelessness. Working closely with the CEO and Leadership Team, this position strengthens organizational capacity, ensures workforce compliance with government-funded contracts, and builds scalable systems to support growth.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a people-centered operational leader who combines strong HR expertise with hands-on nonprofit operations experience.

You bring:

• Proven success leading teams in compliance-driven environments (nonprofit, housing, healthcare, behavioral health, social services, or public sector).
• Deep working knowledge of employment law, recruiting, performance management, employee relations, and benefits administration.
• Experience managing HRIS/payroll systems, vendor contracts, administrative workflows, and facilities operations.
• Ability to operate with confidence across staff coaching, investigations, audits, compliance reporting, and executive leadership collaboration.
• Strong understanding of employment law, HR compliance, and staff development best practices.
• Exceptional interpersonal, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to build systems, lead through change, and manage teams with

empathy and accountability.

You are:

• A calm, credible leader trusted by both frontline staff and executives.
• Highly organized and systems-oriented, bringing structure and follow-through.
• Action-focused — capable of translating strategy into practical tools and processes.
• Collaborative and equity-driven, with a strong people-first leadership approach.

Key Responsibilities:

Talent & Culture Leadership – 40%

• Lead all human resources strategy and execution including recruitment, onboarding, benefits administration, employee relations, performance management, training, and offboarding.
• Build equitable workplace practices promoting staff wellbeing, professional growth, and leadership development.
• Lead learning initiatives including supervision training, performance coaching models, and compliance trainings.
• Ensure compliant handling of staff grievances or workplace concerns in coordination with external HR counsel.
• Partner with CEO and Leadership team on workforce planning and organization development.

Operations & Infrastructure Oversight – 25%

• Direct internal operations including administrative systems, facilities oversight, office safety planning, IT coordination, procurement, and vendor management.
• Oversee all systems, security, and equipment for the organization and staff.
• Support cross-program staffing models that align with service delivery and funding requirements.
• Lead implementation and continuous improvement of internal policies, procedures, and workflows.
• Monitor organizational risk systems related to facilities safety, maintenance insurance, business continuity, and data security protocols.
• Develop, implement, and monitor day-to-day operational systems and processes that provide visibility into goals, progress, and obstacles for our key initiatives.
• Provide direction and oversight of the Program Center Facilities, seasonal programs, and Community Market operations.

Compliance & Governance – 15%

• Maintain workforce compliance related to labor law, licensure, employee credentialing, mandated trainings, and government contracts.
• Provide tracking and documentation systems supporting audits and funder reviews.
• Support grant compliance coordination related to staffing, capacity plans, certifications, and workforce utilization.
• Prepare workforce-related materials for CEO and/or Board oversight and policy approvals.

Financial & Resource Management – 10%

• Collaborate with Finance leadership on payroll processing systems, benefit renewals, vendor contract management, and budgeting.
• Prepare staffing projections to support grant submissions, program expansions, and capitalization planning.
• Lead negotiations with HRIS, benefits brokers, PEOs, and facilities vendors.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings, process improvements, and efficiency gains.
• Support audits, grant compliance, and contract reporting from an operations prospective.
• Manage HR vendors and consultants as needed (e.g benefits, payroll, legal counsel)

Leadership & Strategy – 10%

• Serve as a Senior Leadership team member contributing to agency strategic planning and leadership development.
• Lead organization-wide change initiatives that strengthen internal efficiency and service delivery capacity.
• Serve as organizational lead for workforce risk management and succession planning.
• Develop and manage budgets related to HR and program departments.
• Represent the organization in stakeholder meetings and public forums as needed.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We encourage you to apply anyway. At Families Forward, we value diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. If you’re excited about this role and our mission to end homelessness, we want to hear from you—even if your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification.

Benefits

• Families Forward is committed to offering competitive compensation, full benefits, and professional development opportunities for our employees. Our benefits package includes medical, dental, and vision; flexible spending account; life insurance; 403B retirement plan; generous time off including paid holidays, vacation, sick time; phone or phone stipend; and a variety of other benefits to support our employees.

Note: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Management reserves the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Pay: $120,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person