About the HR Director role
An HR Director owns the people strategy of the organization. They translate business goals into workforce plans, set policies on hiring, compensation, and performance, and lead the HR team that executes them day to day. Unlike an HR Manager, who runs ongoing operations, a director shapes the systems those operations run on, owns the department budget, and sits at the table where major business decisions are made.
The scope is broad: talent acquisition, employee relations, compensation and benefits, learning and development, compliance, and HR technology all report into this role in most mid-sized companies. A strong HR Director balances advocacy for employees with the commercial realities of the business, and backs every recommendation with data such as turnover, engagement, and cost per hire rather than relying on instinct or HR tradition alone.
In your posting, state the size of the HR team and employee population, whether the role reports to the CEO or a CHRO, and the biggest people challenges ahead, such as rapid scaling, a culture reset, or international expansion. Senior candidates choose roles based on the mandate and the authority that comes with it, so be specific about both in the description.
HR Director job description template
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Job brief
We are hiring an HR Director to own how this company hires, develops, pays, and keeps its people. You will turn business plans into workforce plans, set the policies the organization runs on, lead the HR team, and bring evidence rather than tradition to the decisions we make about people.
This is a fit if you can hold employee advocacy and commercial reality at the same time without pretending the tension does not exist, and if you would rather show a leadership team the turnover data than argue from principle.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute an HR strategy that supports company goals and growth plans
- Lead, mentor, and develop the HR team across recruiting, operations, and people development
- Advise executives on organizational design, workforce planning, and succession
- Oversee compensation and benefits programs and approve major policy changes
- Own employee relations, including complex cases, investigations, and terminations
- Ensure compliance with employment law and keep policies and handbooks current
- Track and report people metrics such as turnover, engagement, and hiring performance
- Drive performance management, talent reviews, and leadership development programs
- Select and oversee HR systems, vendors, and the department budget
- Champion company culture and lead change management during periods of growth or restructuring
Requirements and skills
- Has led a people function, as a director, head of people, or senior human resources manager
- Has built or scaled the function itself, not only run it
- Deep on employment law and the compliance obligations that come with it
- Hands-on across recruiting, compensation, employee relations, and development
- Makes decisions from people data and can defend them with it
- Holds credibility with an executive team and influences without instructing
- Has managed budgets, vendors, and human resources technology choices
- A relevant degree; a postgraduate qualification is welcome, not required
Nice to have
- SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent senior HR certification
- Experience in a fast-growing or multi-site organization
- Experience leading HR through mergers, restructuring, or international expansion
- Background in your industry or a similarly regulated environment
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