About Historic Hudson Valley (HHV)

Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) is the largest nonprofit cultural organization in Westchester County, welcoming more than 250,000 visitors annually to its historic sites for tours, curriculum-based school programs, Legendary Experiences that engage the local community, and large-scale public events, including The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze—the largest ticketed Halloween-season event in the country. The organization is both a major driver of economic development through tourism and a treasured resource for Westchester communities.

Historic Hudson Valley's major areas of historical focus include women’s history, the history of slavery in the Colonial and New Nation periods, the legacy of the Rockefeller Family (Historic Hudson Valley was founded by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1951), and Washington Irving’s contributions to American culture. HHV owns and operates four historic sites: Philipsburg Manor, Van Cortlandt Manor, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, and the Union Church of Pocantico Hills. It has produced nationally recognized, award-winning digital educational programs that reach international audiences. HHV maintains a research library of approximately 20,000 books, manuscripts, and other documents; operates a Women’s History Institute; maintains a collection of nearly 8,000 artifacts; and offers fellowships, teacher training opportunities, and an annual roster of festivals and experiences celebrating regional history and culture.

Historic Hudson Valley employees work across diverse departments, including education, curatorial & library, event production, food & beverage, retail, hospitality, facilities, horticulture, security, development, marketing & communications, finance, and IT. Its workforce includes a core of some 40 full-time, year-round employees, as well as some 160 part-time and seasonal employees, expanding significantly in the fall when Sleepy Hollow becomes one of the nation’s premier tourist destinations. Historic Hudson Valley has an annual operating budget of approximately $14M.

Historic Hudson Valley offers employees the opportunity to contribute their expertise, creativity, and passion to a mission that combines education, historic preservation, entertainment, and community engagement. As the organization continues to evolve and grow, it is committed to fostering a workplace that is inclusive, collaborative, high- performing, and grounded in its mission and values.

About the Role

The Director of Human Resources is responsible for developing, implementing, and following up on HR programs, policies, and systems that support Historic Hudson Valley’s (HHV’s) mission and strategic objectives. The Director works closely with HHV colleagues on setting workplace expectations, monitoring staff performance, and holding accountable supervisors and staff in the complex dynamics of productivity and rewarding work. The Director routinely provides guidance to managers regarding effective employee supervision, documentation, coaching, accountability, discipline, and workplace practices.

The Director provides hands-on, operational leadership across various HR functions in the remarkably diverse settings of HHV, including: workforce planning, recruiting, employee relations, compensation, benefits, performance management, learning and development, HR technology, data analytics, compliance, and employee engagement.

The Director plays a key role in promoting values of hospitality and collegiality that are crucial to HHV’s success in attracting new and repeat visitors to its sites, programs, events, and experiences. The Director serves as a trusted advisor to directors, managers, and employees, balancing organizational priorities, employee needs, legal and regulatory requirements, and HR best practices to foster an engaged, inclusive, compliant, and high-performing workplace.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic HR Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness

·   Develop and implement HR strategies aligned with HHV’s mission, strategic priorities, operational needs, and organizational culture.

·   Support workforce planning, organizational change, succession planning, restructuring, and other initiatives affecting employees and organizational effectiveness.

·   Develop and monitor HR metrics and workforce trends to identify risks, opportunities, and recommendations for leadership.

Talent Acquisition and Management:

·   Lead workforce planning and oversee the full recruitment lifecycle, including position development, sourcing, selection, offers, pre-employment processes, and onboarding.

·   Guide hiring managers to develop effective, equitable, and legally compliant recruitment and selection strategies.

·   Analyze hiring and workforce trends to improve recruitment efficiency, candidate quality, retention, and workforce readiness.

·   Scan local communities (nearby and north) for pipelines for the types of talent HHV needs, and manage relationships with staffing agencies, recruitment firms, temporary staffing providers, and other external talent partners.

·   Work closely with supervisors to identify exceptional incumbents, recognize and reward outstanding service, and focus managerial attention on steps needed to retain top talent.

Learning and Development:

·   Develop employee learning, leadership development, cross-training, and professional development capabilities based on organizational and departmental needs.

·   Direct and implement organization-wide annual (January through April) performance evaluation system and guide managers on goal setting, feedback, coaching, corrective action, performance improvement, and linking pay with performance.

·   Partner with department leaders to identify training needs and develop appropriate learning and development solutions.

·   Source and manage external training providers and evaluate the effectiveness of learning and performance-management initiatives.

Employee Relations & Engagement:

·   Serve as a trusted resource to employees and managers regarding workplace concerns, policies, performance, conflict resolution, and employee relations matters.

·   Engage hands-on in resolving complex and sensitive employee relations matters.

·   Conduct or oversee workplace investigations and work with managers to implement appropriate corrective or remedial actions.

·   Develop, interpret, implement, and communicate HR policies and procedures to promote consistency, clarity, fairness, and legal compliance.

·   Partner with leadership to strengthen organizational culture, employee engagement, communication, retention, and the overall employee experience.

·   Mount the annual all-staff meeting day in May to showcase organizational accomplishments, set forth challenges and goals, and kick off the new season with enthusiasm, common purpose, and high spirit.

Compensation:

·   Develop and administer HHV’s compensation strategy, salary structures, pay ranges, job classifications, and related practices in light of pay scales inherent in diverse fields of employment from which HHV hires (e.g., retail, security, fund-raising, IT).

·   Conduct local-market and internal equity analyses and provide recommendations regarding starting salaries, promotions, adjustments, and other compensation decisions.

·   Coordinate annual compensation planning linked with performance and HHV budget, including salary review, and employee status and compensation-change processes.

·   Monitor applicable wage-and-hour, pay transparency, and pay equity requirements.

Employee Benefits:

·   Source and implement HHV’s health, welfare, retirement, and ancillary benefit programs (annual renewals on Sept. 1 and Jan. 1) in partnership with brokers, carriers, administrators, and other vendors.

·   Evaluate benefit offerings for competitiveness, pertinence to employee needs, cost effectiveness, administrative efficiency, and regulatory compliance.

·   Lead benefit renewals, open enrollment, employee education, and retirement plan administration, including audit and compliance requirements.

·   Coordinate with payroll, finance, and external partners to ensure accurate eligibility, enrollment, deductions, records, and benefit administration.

Compliance, Risk Management, HR Administration, and DEIA:

·   Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws while monitoring regulatory developments and maintaining accurate, confidential, and legally compliant employee records, policies, and HR documentation.

·   Fulfill complete and timely governmental reporting, regulatory submissions, compliance audits, employment-related claims, workplace safety initiatives, and agency inquiries in consultation with leadership and legal counsel as appropriate.

·   Maintain and regularly update the employee handbook, HR policies, procedures, and administrative practices, coordinating with payroll, finance, and other stakeholders to support accurate and compliant HR operations.

·   Integrate the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging principles into HR policies, recruitment, employee development, engagement, and organizational practices, while identifying and addressing potential barriers to fairness and inclusion.

Requirements, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

·   Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field.

·   Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in Human Resources management.

·   A familiarity with the non-profit cultural or museum sector.

·   Experience with employment law, compensation management, organizational development, employee relations, and benefits administration.

·   Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with judgment and discretion.

·   Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving capabilities.

·   Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and HRIS platforms (e.g., ADP Workforow).

·   Outstanding collegiality, customer service, and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across all organizational levels.

·   Demonstrated capability to perform effectively under pressure and adapt to rapidly changing priorities.

·   Strong, personal ethic about responding within the day to all calls, e-communications, and notifications; and about keeping employee databases updated daily and responding to employee and family concerns about health and other benefits and claims issues as an expression of HHV’s care for its employees.

·   Eagerness to employ technology, including AI where safe and applicable, to improve personal efficiency and effectiveness.

More about this job

·   Office and historic-site environments, involving diverse employment settings that include onsite tour delivery, school programs, retail sales, food & beverage service delivery, fabrication and carpentry shops, groundskeeping, and security guarding.

·   Seasonal weekend, evening, and holiday hours during HHV public events, chiefly between September and November.

Compensation:$120,000 plus a generous benefits package.

Benefits for this position include

·   Employer-sponsored medical benefits, with HHV contributing a significant portion towards premiums.

·   401(k) with Employer-paid contributions.

·   Paid time off, family and parental leaves.

·   Employer-sponsored life and AD&D insurance at $0 cost to employees.

·   Other voluntary insurances, including: Pet insurance, Hospital indemnity, accident, and critical illness.

·   This position offers a hybrid schedule, with the option to work remotely one day per week. During HHV’s Fall season, candidates should expect to work onsite more frequently to support increased operational needs.

Employees of Historic Hudson Valley enjoy additional benefits such as a generous discount in the Museum Shop, opportunities to participate in enrichment activities, and free or discounted admission to a variety of museums and historic houses in the area.

Historic Hudson Valley values representation and is committed to a workforce that exemplifies acceptance across race, gender, age, ability, religion, and identity. A sense of belonging in our workforce is an integral part of our history and culture; honoring all voices of the past and present is central to our mission and impact.

To apply to the position, please visit:www.hudsonvalley.org/employment and submit a resume and cover letter. Applications with cover letters will be prioritized.

Disclaimer: Applicants are expected to submit application materials that are truthful, accurate, and reflective of their own experience, qualifications, and communication abilities. Misrepresentations or fabricated information may result in disqualification from consideration or withdrawal of an offer.