Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services Incorporated – Somerville, Massachusetts

JOB TITLE: Chief Human Resources Officer

REPORTS TO: President and Chief Executive Officer

DEPARTMENT: People and Culture

FLSA STATUS: X Exempt or Non-Exempt

Union or Non-Union

Position Summary: The Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) is responsible for leading and advancing the Human Resources function at Somerville Cambridge Elder Services, with a focus on operational excellence, regulatory compliance, and workforce effectiveness. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the CHRO ensures that HR systems, policies, and processes are well-structured, consistently implemented, and aligned with organizational and regulatory requirements. As a member of the senior leadership team, the CHRO provides strategic and operational leadership across all core HR functions, including workforce management, labor relations, performance management, and HR compliance. This role is accountable for establishing a disciplined HR infrastructure, strengthening accountability, and ensuring the organization has the systems and practices in place to support a stable, high-performing workforce. The CHRO is expected to be a hands-on leader who drives execution, enforces standards, and builds sustainable processes that enhance organizational effectiveness and reduce operational risk.

Goals and Objectives

• Establish a disciplined, compliant, and well-structured HR function.
• Improve workforce stability through effective staffing and retention strategies.
• Strengthen HR policy enforcement, documentation, and accountability practices.
• Ensure consistent application of labor agreements and HR processes.
• Enhance data integrity and reporting capabilities to support operational decision-making.
• Reduce organizational risk through improved compliance and oversight.

Job Responsibilities:

HR Operations & Compliance

• Lead and oversee all HR operations, including employee relations, benefits administration,
• compensation, HRIS, and compliance.
• Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and regulatory requirements, including labor laws
• and audit readiness.
• Develop, standardize, and enforce HR policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Strengthen documentation practices and ensure consistency across all HR functions.
• Oversee HR systems (e.g., Paylocity, ATS) to ensure accurate data management and reporting integrity.

Workforce Management & Labor Relations

• Provide leadership in labor relations, including union engagement, negotiations, and contract
• administration.
• Ensure consistent application of collective bargaining agreements across the organization.
• Address workforce challenges related to staffing, scheduling, and operational alignment.
• Partner with leadership to ensure workforce structures support service delivery and compliance.

Talent Acquisition & Staffing Operations

• Oversee full-cycle recruitment operations, ensuring timely hiring and alignment with workforce
• needs.
• Establish standardized recruitment processes, metrics, and accountability for hiring outcomes.
• Ensure effective candidate pipeline development and consistent hiring practices across
• departments.
• Support hiring managers with clear guidance, expectations, and process discipline.

Performance Management & Accountability

• Establish and enforce consistent performance management processes across the organization.
• Ensure timely completion of evaluations, documentation, and corrective actions.
• Partner with leadership to address underperformance and implement accountability
• frameworks.
• Strengthen documentation and HR involvement in disciplinary processes and employee relations
• matters.

Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards

• Design and implement structured and equitable compensation frameworks.
• Oversee benefits administration and evaluate plans for cost-effectiveness and competitiveness.
• Ensure alignment between compensation practices and organizational sustainability.
• Data, Reporting & HR Analytics
• Develop and implement HR reporting structures and dashboards to support decision-making.
• Ensure data accuracy, validation, and consistency across HR systems.
• Monitor key workforce metrics, including turnover, vacancies, time-to-fill, and compliance indicators.
• Support leadership with actionable insights to improve workforce performance and planning.

Team Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing HR team with clear roles, expectations, and accountability.
• Provide direct oversight of recruitment, training, and benefits functions.
• Ensure strong execution, responsiveness, and service delivery across HR operations.
• Closely collaborate with CEO and the Executive Team on new initiatives that integrate with HR operations and priorities.

Additional Expectations

• Active participation in executive leadership and board-related discussions as needed.
• Visible leadership presence to reinforce accountability and operational discipline.
• Commitment to supporting SCES's mission through effective workforce management and compliance.

Professional Standards and Conduct:

• Collaborative and Responsive:
• A team player who enjoys building, creating, and executing new strategies. Regularly communicates, follows up, and uses a team-driven approach.
• Responds thoughtfully and promptly to agency needs, requests, and inquiries;
• Identifies and builds partnerships with key stakeholders. Has excellent organizational and time management skills to meet various deadlines, ensuring closed-loop communication, multi-tasking, and flexibility to adapt and adjust workload assignments based on various needs.
• Communication:
• Exceptional communication, proactive in establishing strong partnerships and engendering trust across the agency. Trustworthy in managing sensitive situations and
• information; you are discrete, professional, and possess excellent judgment.
• Skilled in verbal and written communication, demonstrating the ability to communicate information in various ways to meet diverse styles and cultural backgrounds.
• Analytical:
• Critical thinking skills, using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and opportunities of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Quickly identifies new opportunities. Detail-oriented and compliance-minded,
• Attendance and Punctuality: Dependable, punctual, showing flexibility when needed. Attends meetings as needed, is fully present, and participates during those meetings.
• Commitment: shows great integrity, accountability, and professionalism in all interactions. Aids

Qualifications

Education & Certification

• Bachelor SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification required.

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Strong operational HR experience, including compliance, labor relations, and workforce management.
• Experience in unionized environments strongly preferred.
• Experience in healthcare, human services, or nonprofit sectors preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong operational and execution-focused leadership style.
• Expertise in HR compliance, labor relations, and performance management. Ability to implement structure, standardization, and accountability.
• Data-driven decision-making and analytical capability.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills. High level of discretion, integrity, and professionalism.

Physical Environment

• Physical surroundings are comfortable with minimal exposure to injury or hazards.

Social/Psychological Conditions

• Occasional stress due to periodic or cyclical workload pressures and deadlines. Some interruptions involved.

Physical Effort

• Frequently sits, stands, walks, bends, reaches, and stoops throughout the day. Frequently lifts, pulls, pushes, and carries up to 20 lbs.
• Periodic eye strain and light ear strain.