POSITION SUMMARY:

The Vice President of Human Resources is the enterprise HR Leader responsible for designing and executing the people strategy that enables growth while protecting clinical quality, regulatory compliance, workforce stability, and culture. This leader will operate as a strategic advisor to the hospital president and executive team, ensuring HR programs and operations deliver measurable outcomes across staffing capacity, retention, leadership effectiveness, employee relations, and workforce compliance. This role is ideal for a hands-on, high-impact executive who can build scalable HR infrastructure, lead through change, and partner deeply with operations and clinical leadership.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required (HR, Business, Public Administration, Organizational Psychology, or related).
• 10 - 15+ years progressive HR leadership, including enterprise-level responsibility.
• Demonstrated success scaling HR in a complex organization (preferably healthcare, provider networks, hospitals, community health, or similarly regulated settings).
• Proven experience leading multiple HR functions: HRBP/employee relations, TA, total rewards, HR operations, L&D, HRIS.
• Strong working knowledge of employment law, ER best practices, investigations, and risk mitigation.
• Track record building high-performing teams and influencing senior leaders.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, MPA, MS HR/OD) and/or SPHR/SHRM-SCP.
• Experience implementing HRIS/ATS modernization and analytics-driven HR operating models.

COMPETENCIES:

• Strategic Enterprise Operator: Defines a clear people and labor vision, builds scalable systems and governance, and delivers measurable outcomes aligned to organizational growth, financial discipline, and patient care priorities.
• Culture, Change, & Transformation Leader: Leads confidently through enterprise transformation; builds alignment across executives, clinicians, unions, and managers through disciplined communication and change execution.
• Clinical & Operations Partner: Understands the realities of frontline care delivery, staffing models, and 24/7 operations; partners with clinical and operational leaders to balance workforce stability, quality, and productivity.
• Data-Driven: Uses metrics and insights to prioritize and drive performance.
• Trusted Coach: Develops leaders at all levels—especially frontline and middle managers—while modeling integrity, fairness, sound judgment, and accountability in highstakes environments.
• Employee Experience Architect: Builds a consistent, respectful, and compliant employee experience across sites and departments; reinforces culture through systems, leader behavior, clear expectations, and equitable people practices.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

Disclaimer: Job descriptions are not intended, nor should they be construed to be, exhaustive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. They are intended to be accurate reflections of the principal duties and responsibilities of this position. These responsibilities and competencies listed below may change from time to time.

1. Leadership & Enterprise People Strategy

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Hospital President, Board, and executive team on workforce strategy, labor risk, organizational design, and culture.
• Lead the development and execution of Waterbury’s people and labor strategy aligned to growth and care delivery models.
• Act as the senior escalation point for workforce risk, labor disputes, and sensitive employee relations matters.

2. Labor Relations & Union Strategy

• Own and lead enterprise labor relations strategy across multiple unions, contracts, and bargaining units.
• Serve as chief spokesperson or executive sponsor for collective bargaining negotiations, in partnership with legal counsel.
• Ensure consistent contract interpretation, grievance handling, arbitration preparation, and labor risk mitigation.
• Partner with Operations and Finance to balance staffing flexibility, productivity, and contract compliance.
• Build labor relations capability across HRBPs and operational leaders.

3. HR Operating Model & Organizational Scale

• Design and lead a scalable HR operating model (HRBPs, Centers of Excellence, Shared Services).
• Establish clear governance for:
  • Job architecture and titles
  • Policy and labor contract interpretation
  • Decision rights and approvals across sites
• Standardize HR service delivery to ensure consistency across union and non-union populations.

4. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Build enterprise workforce plans aligned to growth, acquisitions, and service line expansion.
• Lead recruiting strategy for high-demand clinical and operational roles, including:
  • Pipeline partnerships
  • Union-aware hiring practices
  • Contingent labor and agency strategy
• Improve predictability of hiring outcomes (time-to-fill, offer acceptance, early turnover).

5. Total Rewards & Pay Equity

• Lead compensation and benefits strategy in a unionized environment, balancing:
  • Market competitiveness
  • Contractual obligations
  • Internal equity and affordability
• Oversee job architecture, salary structures, incentive programs, and recognition.
• Ensure compliance with pay equity, wage and hour laws, and contract provisions.

6. HR Technology & Oracle HCM Implementation

• Executive sponsor for the enterprise Oracle HCM implementation, including:
  • Core HR
  • Payroll
  • Benefits modules
  • Talent modules

7. Employee Relations, Compliance & Risk Management

• Oversee enterprise employee relations, investigations, and corrective action frameworks.
• Partner with Legal and Compliance on employment law, labor law, and regulatory risk.
• Ensure consistent, fair, and defensible HR practices across all sites.

8. Leadership Development, Culture & Change Management

• Build leadership capability at all levels, with emphasis on frontline supervisors in a union environment.
• Reinforce a culture of respect, accountability, and patient-centered care.

Disclaimer

Waterbury Hospital reserves the right to change or assign other duties and responsibilities to this position

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