Garten · 1 month ago
HR Director
Salem, OR
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$100K/yr - $120K/yrGarten Services is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality services and meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. The HR Director will lead the HR function, setting objectives, ensuring compliance, and delivering HR initiatives that strengthen recruiting, retention, and governance. This role involves strategic planning, talent acquisition, performance management, and employee relations to support the organization's mission and growth.
Information TechnologyWellness
Responsibilities
Set clear annual and multi-year strategic objectives and KPIs for the HR team aligned with Garten’s mission, strategic plan, and financial goals
Develop and execute an HR roadmap that supports meaningful employment for individuals with disabilities and sustainable growth of Garten’s programs and contracts
Design and maintain an HR organizational structure that clearly assigns ownership for talent acquisition, HR generalist/employee relations, and benefits/HR operations across three direct reports
Clarify HR vs. line-leadership responsibilities (e.g., recruiting, onboarding, performance, corrective action, leaves) and document standard Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for HR services
Partner with the Executive Team to design, pilot, and scale HR programs and initiatives (e.g., manager capability, engagement, performance, recognition) based on organizational needs and HR data
Provide clear, technically sound guidance to executives and managers on people, culture, and organizational design, including reorganization, succession planning, and leadership development
Build HR’s credibility by ensuring responses to managers and employees are timely, accurate, and grounded in strong technical HR and compliance knowledge
Own the strategy and execution for recruiting and onboarding, with emphasis on: Direct labor roles (e.g., janitorial, production, landscaping) Maintaining required disability ratios (e.g., AbilityOne, Oregon Forward) in partnership with Operations and Contract Management Improving time-to-fill and candidate experience for both Salem and Eugene operations
Move from primarily passive to more proactive recruiting approaches, including outreach to communities of individuals with disabilities and community partners
Standardize requisition, screening, interview, and selection processes, including defined hand-offs between hiring managers and HR
Ensure that every new hire has a structured and consistent onboarding experience, including HR-led orientation and documented 30/60/90-day check-ins to reinforce mission, vision, values, and role expectations
Implement and monitor Talent Acquisition KPIs such as: Time-to-fill by role/site Offer acceptance rate New hire 30/60/90-day retention Percentage of hires who self-identify as having a qualifying disability (where legally permissible) Manager and candidate satisfaction scores with the hiring process
Design and implement a consistent performance management framework, including: Annual review cycle and calibration Clear rating scales and documentation standards Integration of job descriptions and KPIs into goal-setting
Ensure that performance reviews and development conversations are completed on time for all employees, with completion rates tracked and reported as a key HR KPI
Provide policy, tools, and training to managers for progressive discipline, Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs), and documentation of corrective actions
Partner with senior leaders to implement succession planning and development plans for key roles, especially for emerging managers and critical operational positions
Coordinate with internal and external learning resources to align training offerings with identified skill and compliance gaps (e.g., supervision fundamentals, disability awareness, safety, harassment prevention)
Oversee employee relations (ER) intake, investigation, documentation, and resolution processes; ensure consistent application of policies, timely case closure, and appropriate escalation
Maintain and update HR policies, procedures, and the Employee Handbook in partnership with the CFO and legal counsel as needed
Ensure ongoing compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, including but not limited to: ADA, FMLA/OFLA, Paid Leave Oregon, wage & hour requirements, EEO, and recordkeeping
Partner closely with Payroll and Finance to ensure clean handoffs for leaves of absence, status changes, terminations, and other actions that impact pay
Provide leadership and governance for compensation and benefits consistent with Garten’s financial capacity, regulatory obligations, and pay equity requirements
Maintain job architecture and pay ranges; partner with Finance to ensure ranges are market-informed and periodically refreshed; guide managers on hiring and promotion decisions within ranges
Oversee benefits administration, including health & welfare, retirement plans, and leave programs (e.g., Paid Leave Oregon, short-term and long-term disability), ensuring employees understand available benefits and eligibility
Improve the clarity and communication of leave processes, including roles of employee, manager, HR, Payroll, and any third-party administrators
Own the integrity of HR data and workflows in the HRIS (currently Paycom) and related systems; reduce reliance on manual and paper processes where automation is possible
In partnership with IT, support a secure, organized digital repository for HR documents with appropriate access controls and retention practices
Standardize and streamline forms, templates, and workflows (e.g., pay and status changes, terminations, I-9 and E-Verify processes, leave documentation)
Ensure timely and accurate completion of HR compliance reporting (e.g., ACA, EEO, OSHA logs, disability certifications and ratios)
Design, implement, and continuously refine an HR KPI and dashboard framework that is reviewed regularly with the Executive Team and Board. At minimum, this framework should include: Talent Acquisition & Onboarding - Time-to-fill by role/site - Offer acceptance rate - 30/60/90-day new hire retention - Disability ratio performance against contract requirements (where applicable and lawful) Workforce Stability & Experience - Annualized turnover and voluntary/involuntary turnover - Turnover by tenure band and location - Engagement/experience indicators (e.g., survey results, exit interview themes once implemented) Performance & Accountability - On-time completion rate for performance reviews - Number and type of corrective actions/PIPs (trend-based, not punitive) HR Service & Operations - HR email/Teams ticket response and closure times - Accuracy/timeliness of HRIS data entries and changes - Number of payroll or benefits corrections attributable to HR process gaps Compliance & Risk - Completion rates for required trainings - Leave administration timeliness/accuracy metrics
Translate HR data into clear narratives and recommendations for executives and the Board; identify leading indicators (not just lagging measures) to inform proactive decision-making
Build HR staff capability in data literacy so KPIs, reports, and dashboards are consistently understood and used to make improvements
Qualification
Required
Experience in leading HR functions in a not-for-profit organization
Strong understanding of disability employment ratios and compliance requirements
Proven ability to set strategic objectives and KPIs for HR teams
Experience in talent acquisition, onboarding, and workforce planning
Ability to design and implement performance management frameworks
Knowledge of employee relations, compliance, and risk management
Experience in total rewards, benefits administration, and leave management
Proficiency in HR operations, systems, and data integrity
Strong analytical skills to design and implement HR KPIs and reporting
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build trust with employees and leaders
Preferred
Experience working with individuals with disabilities
Familiarity with HRIS systems, particularly Paycom
Experience in designing HR programs based on organizational needs and data
Knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws
Experience in managing compensation and benefits programs
Benefits
FREE Kaiser Permanente Health Insurance
FREE Dental Insurance
FREE Vision Insurance
FREE Life Insurance
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Garten Retirement Plan
Paid time off
Paid holidays and one paid floating holiday
Company
Garten
Garten is a technology wellness company that has partnered with the most innovative companies like Apple, Google, Amazon and more
Founded in 2014
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$70MKey Investors
Talis Capital
2025-04-14Acquired
2019-05-01Series A· $50M
2018-10-17Seed· $20M
Leadership Team
John Pharr
Chief Financial Officer
Alicia Mandel
(Consulting) Chief People Officer
Recent News
FundersClub
2026-01-12
2025-07-16
Company data provided by crunchbase