Director of Human Resources in Draper, Utah at The Living Planet Aquarium

Position: Director of Human Resources

Reports To: Chief Financial Officer

Compensation: DOE

Why Utah?

Utah is home to five national parks, world-class skiing and snowboarding, hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails, and stunning deserts, mountains, and lakes, all within easy driving distance. Outdoor adventure is part of everyday life. The Salt Lake Valley consistently ranks high for safety, clean communities, short commute times, and family-friendly amenities. Draper offers a balance of suburban comfort and urban access, with downtown Salt Lake City just 15 minutes away. Enjoy all four seasons without extremes—sunny summers, colorful falls, snowy winters, and mild springs, perfect for both outdoor recreation and city living. Utah’s communities are known for being engaged, supportive, and service-oriented, making it easy for newcomers to feel at home.

About Loveland Living Planet Aquarium:

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium (LLPA) is a mission-driven institution dedicated to inspiring people to explore, discover, and learn about Earth’s diverse ecosystems. Founded in 1997, the Aquarium provides impactful educational experiences for guests of all ages and backgrounds.

Since opening its Draper, Utah facility in 2014, LLPA has welcomed more than 10 million visitors and delivered over 650,000 educational experiences to students. Home to over 4,000 animals representing 650 species, the Aquarium features immersive habitats from around the world, including coral reefs, kelp forests, the deep ocean, Antarctic waters, tropical rainforests, Asian cloud forests, and Utah’s freshwater ecosystems.

Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) since 2019, LLPA is in an exciting phase of growth. With the opening of the Sam and Aline Skaggs Science Learning Center, the Aquarium became the largest in the Mountain West and the fifth largest aquarium in the continental United States, offering expanded opportunities for education, research, and professional impact.

Position Summary:

The Director of Human Resources serves as the strategic leader responsible for building and sustaining a high-performing, values-driven workforce aligned with the Aquarium's mission, vision, and strategic objectives. This position leads talent acquisition, organizational culture, leadership development, workforce planning, employee engagement, performance management, succession planning, compliance, and organizational effectiveness.

The Director ensures the Aquarium consistently places the Right People in the Right Seats by developing robust recruiting, selection, onboarding, performance management, and talent development systems. The role is responsible for fostering a culture of accountability, self-management, continuous learning, and operational excellence while ensuring organizational policies, procedures, and workforce practices support long-term growth and sustainability.

The Director oversees all Human Resources functions, volunteer services, leadership development programs, employee engagement initiatives, and organizational documentation systems including employee handbooks, operational manuals, and workforce-related standard operating procedures.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, or related field preferred
• 8+ years of HR experience, including department management
• SHRM-CP or PHR certification preferred
• Experience in mission-driven, nonprofit, hospitality, attraction, cultural institution, or guest-service environments preferred
• High level of business acumen, including developing and managing HR Budgets

Critical Skills/Competencies:

• Strategic Talent Acquisition – Ability to attract, assess, select, and develop high-performing employees aligned with organizational values and performance expectations
• Organizational Development & Change Leadership – Proven ability to improve organizational effectiveness through workforce planning, culture development, succession planning, and change management
• Leadership Coaching & Development – Ability to coach leaders, build leadership capability, and develop future organizational talent
• Culture & Employee Engagement – Demonstrated ability to create a high-accountability, values-driven culture that fosters engagement, ownership, and retention
• Performance Management & Accountability – Experience designing and implementing systems that establish clear expectations, measurable outcomes, and continuous improvement
• Workforce Analytics & Business Acumen – Ability to utilize workforce data, KPIs, and organizational metrics to drive strategic decision-making and improve results
• Process Improvement & Operational Excellence – Ability to build scalable systems, policies, procedures, and documentation that improve consistency, efficiency, and organizational effectiveness
• Human Resources Compliance & Risk Management – Strong knowledge of employment law, policy governance, and compliance practices that protect the organization and its employees.
• Project Management & Execution – Proven ability to lead complex initiatives, manage competing priorities, and achieve measurable outcomes
• Communication & Relationship Building – Exceptional interpersonal, facilitation, conflict resolution, and communication skills with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Employee Relationship – Use fairness, empathy, and accountability to facilitate conflict resolution and guide on employee relations issues

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Organizational Effectiveness & Culture Leadership:

• Lead implementation of the Right People Right Seats framework across all departments.
• Develop and maintain talent assessment processes to ensure employees meet both performance and cultural expectations
• Partner with executive leadership to build a culture of accountability, ownership, self-management, and continuous improvement
• Design and facilitate employee engagement initiatives that strengthen alignment with organizational values and improve retention
• Establish systems to regularly measure employee engagement, organizational health, leadership effectiveness, and cultural alignment
• Develop workforce planning strategies to ensure future staffing needs are proactively identified and addressed
• Serve as a strategic coach to leaders on performance management, employee
• development, team effectiveness, and organizational culture

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning:

• Design and lead a best-in-class talent acquisition strategy focused on attracting, assessing, and selecting high-performing individuals aligned with organizational values and culture
• Establish structured hiring processes including behavioral interviewing, assessment tools, candidate scorecards, and selection criteria
• Develop recruiting pipelines and community partnerships to create sustainable talent pools for critical positions
• Monitor hiring quality, retention of new hires, and time-to-fill metrics and implement continuous improvements
• Ensure every hiring decision aligns with the Right People Right Seats framework
• Strengthen the Aquarium's employer brand and reputation as an employer of choice
• Oversee onboarding systems that accelerate employee integration, performance, and cultural alignment

Human Resources Compliance:

• Responsible for compliance with federal, state, and local laws by enforcing adherence to requirements; advising management on needed actions; and being knowledgeable of existing and new legislation
• Update job knowledge by participating in conferences and educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional organizations
• Responsible for conducting employee surveys, facilitating conflict resolution, and guide on employee relations issues
• Lead and mentor the HR Team, fostering professional development and enhancing team performance

Performance Management:

• Drive the performance management and review process to include the facilitation, development and monitoring of employee performance evaluations to make certain they are completed and submitted on a scheduled basis
• Provide performance management guidance and feedback to people managers and monitor progress
• Maintain and continuously improve the Employee Handbook
• Develop and maintain workforce-related policies and procedures
• Partner with departments to create and maintain organizational SOPs
• Implement document governance standards including version control, review schedules, and approval processes
• Ensure all organizational policies and procedures are accessible, current, and aligned with operational needs
• Conduct annual reviews of all workforce-related policies and organizational standards
• Support development of operational manuals that ensure consistency and scalability across the organization

Physical Demands of the Job:

• This job requires extended periods of standing and walking as well as periods of sitting with data entry
• Work outside of regular business hours including on weekends and holidays will be expected on occasion
• Work may be performed at off-site locations on occasion

Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees including:
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus optional FSA/HSA accounts
  • Paid time off & 12 paid holidays per year
  • Paid bereavement leave and paid new child leave (birth, adoption, or placement)
  • Employer-paid short-term disability; optional long-term disability coverage
  • Convenient onsite childcare (employees pay approximately 20% of the cost)
• 401(k) with match up to 4% - fully vested from day 1 of contribution
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Free Aquarium membership
• Discounts on tickets, gift shop, and café purchases
• Free and discounted animal encounters
• Pet insurance and discounts
• Footwear discounts
• Entertainment, travel, and retail savings through Tickets at Work

While this job description attempts to describe the essential functions of the position, it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. It does not restrict management’s right to assign or reassign duties or responsibilities to this job at any time. The overall work environment while performing this job includes exposure to weather conditions and the noise level is usually moderate. The employee is expected to adhere to all policies and to act as a role model in the adherence to the policies.

The Living Planet Aquarium is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or military status. The Living Planet Aquarium is committed to ensuring individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application and interview process. Should you require accommodations, please contact accommodation@livingplanetaquarium.org.