[Hiring] Director, Human Resources @Smart Electric Power Alliance

Role Description

The Director, Human Resources is the hands-on leader of SEPA’s Human Resources function, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO). The Director drives success through the full HR portfolio—talent acquisition, total rewards, employee relations, performance management, compliance, HRIS, and employee experience—and translates SEPA’s strategic plan and organizational values into people programs that attract, develop, and retain a high-performing, distributed workforce.

The Director supervises SEPA’s two HR Managers, ensuring seamless coordination across benefits, HRIS, compliance, recruitment, learning and development, and engagement. This role serves as a trusted advisor to the COO and the broader executive team on workforce strategy, organizational design, and culture, while ensuring HR operates with the rigor, consistency, and care expected of a mission-driven organization.

The Director champions SEPA’s organizational values embedding them into every stage of the employee lifecycle, from recruiting through offboarding.

Key Responsibilities

• HR Strategy & Organizational Leadership
  • Serve as a strategic partner to the COO on workforce planning, organizational design, and enterprise-wide people strategy.
  • Lead the HR function’s contribution to SEPA’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, ensuring people programs advance organizational priorities.
  • Supervise, coach, and develop SEPA’s two HR Managers, setting clear goals and fostering a high-performing, collaborative HR team.
  • Own and manage the HR department budget in partnership with the COO.
  • Embed SEPA’s values into HR policy, programming, and daily practice.
  • Provide HR-related insight and reporting to the COO for Board and executive-level discussions on organizational health.
• Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning
  • Lead and personally execute full-cycle recruitment across the organization.
  • Conduct searches for open positions at all levels, serving as a hands-on interviewer and evaluator throughout the hiring process.
  • Facilitate hiring manager training to build interviewing skill and consistency across the organization.
  • Build and manage hiring workflows that keep searches moving efficiently.
  • Partner with the COO on recruitment strategy and search-firm engagement for director-level and executive roles.
  • Guide workforce planning and organizational design in response to SEPA's growth and evolving strategic needs.
  • Ensure a consistent, high-quality candidate and new-hire experience that reflects SEPA's culture and values.
• Total Rewards, Compensation & Benefits
  • Partner with the COO to shape and steward SEPA's compensation philosophy and total rewards strategy.
  • Provide leadership and oversight of benefits strategy, plan design, and vendor relationships.
  • Partner with the COO on annual budget planning for compensation and benefits.
  • Serve as a thought partner and escalation point for complex benefits, compensation, and total rewards matters.
• Employee Relations, Performance & Culture
  • Serve as the internal HR advisor for complex employee relations matters, investigations, and performance management escalations.
  • Own SEPA’s performance management framework, including goal-setting cycles, mid-year and annual reviews, and manager coaching.
  • Guide managers in building psychologically safe, high-performing, and inclusive teams.
  • Champion employee engagement, recognition, and retention strategies.
  • Direct and implement organizational culture initiatives.
• HR Compliance & Risk Management
  • Ensure SEPA’s compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
  • Provide executive oversight of leave administration, workers’ compensation, unemployment claims, and related risk matters.
  • Own the development, maintenance, and annual review of HR policies and the Employee Handbook.
  • Partner with Legal and the COO on employment-related risk, disputes, and regulatory matters.
  • Maintain current knowledge of evolving employment law and ensure timely policy and practice updates.
• HRIS, People Analytics & Reporting
  • Provide executive oversight of SEPA’s HRIS and related people-data systems.
  • Leverage people analytics and workforce data to inform decision-making, engagement strategy, and Board-level reporting.
  • Ensure HR data integrity and alignment across HR, Benefits, Finance, and payroll systems.
• Employee Experience & Communications
  • Provide strategic direction for SEPA’s employee communications.
  • Guide learning and development strategy, ensuring managers and employees have the tools and resources to grow.
  • Oversee planning and programming for organization-wide retreats and staff convenings.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, including people management experience; nonprofit or association experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading full-cycle HR functions, including talent acquisition, total rewards, employee relations, and compliance.
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and multi-state employment law and regulatory requirements.
• Training as a certified mediator is highly desired.
• Experience with HRIS platforms (UKG preferred) and using data to inform HR strategy.
• Proven ability to translate strategic priorities into HR programs with measurable outcomes.
• Experience managing a fully remote, distributed workforce.
• SHRM-CP/SCP or PHR/SPHR certification preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or HR certification preferred.
• Exceptional judgment and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive matters.
• Clear, empathetic communicator able to build trust and collaboration across all levels of the organization.

Company Description

The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to accelerating the transformation of the electric power system so that it delivers clean, affordable, and resilient energy for all. We work at the intersection of technology, policy, and programs, convening utilities, regulators, policymakers, technology providers, and advocates around the hardest questions of the energy transition.

• Nearly 1,000 member organizations turn to SEPA for trusted analysis, thought leadership, and the kind of neutral, collaborative space that is hard to find anywhere else in this industry.
• Guided by our 2025 to 2030 Strategic Plan, our work centers on three priorities:
  • Grid: Strengthening and modernizing the distribution grid so that it is more flexible, resilient, and equitable.
  • Growth: Enabling utilities and partners to meet rising demand cleanly, efficiently, and affordably.
  • Globe: Sharing best practices and innovations from across the country and around the world so that progress moves faster everywhere.