Vice President of Human Resources, Metropolitan Family Services
United States
Full Time
Manager/Supervisor
Our Mission
To provide and mobilize the services needed to strengthen families and communities.
Our VisionTo be widely acknowledged as a major catalyst and resource for promoting family and community strengths.
BACKGROUND
Since 1857, Metropolitan Family Services (“MFS”) has empowered families to learn, to earn, to heal and to thrive. Founded as the Chicago Relief and Aid Society, the organization has helped families get through the devastating hardships of poverty, world wars, epidemics and natural disasters.
MFS serves people of all ages and backgrounds - from longtime residents to new immigrants facing economic hardship, relationship challenges, educational gaps, or mental health concerns. While they provide direct assistance through financial aid, counseling, education, and legal services, using a holistic approach, the core mission is empowering individuals and families to build better lives and restore their sense of purpose.
Today Metropolitan Family Services assists more than 122,970 families and individuals annually through ten community centers throughout Chicagoland, from southwest Cook and DuPage counties to Evanston and Skokie. Those served are as diverse as the communities in which they live, with 81% being part of the working poor or lower-middle class.
Programs and Services
Metropolitan Family Services provides a wide variety of programs and services designed to strengthen families and help them realize their potential. Programs focus on economic stability, emotional wellness, education and empowerment. MFS is agile, responsive to complex and emerging social challenges. They are equally agile in their operations and management functions, while maintaining the integrity of these functions.
MFS is governed by a 70-person Board of Directors. The operating budget is $210M comprised of public and private fundings. It is a matrixed organization with administrative, strategic and programmatic functions based in the corporate office and programs and services designed to meet the unique needs of their respective communities based in the community centers.
TRANSFORMATION OPPORTUNITY
Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) has experienced significant growth over the past six years, tripling the number of individuals served (from 60,000 to 183,000), staff has grown from 400 to approximately 1600 and the operating budget increasing to over $210 million. Today, MFS operates 10 community centers and more than 60 satellite sites across Chicagoland, ensuring impactful community service delivery. To support this expansion, the HR department has grown from 5 to 25 professionals and has been restructured for greater efficiency. The department is now organized into key functional areas, including Compensation & Benefits, HRIS, Recruitment, Organizational Development & Training, and HR Business Partners, all reporting to the Vice President of Human Resources.
The growth in operating revenue, employee count, and HR department size presents an extraordinary opportunity for a strategic HR leader to provide organizational development and change management leadership. The next Vice President of Human Resources will join MFS at a pivotal moment, guiding the organization to Best Place to Work status.
The Vice President of Human Resources will play a crucial role in shaping the future of HR at MFS. This leader will:
- Strengthen HR Systems & Accountability: Implement tools and processes to improve efficiency and service delivery.
- Drive Organizational Excellence: Develop best-in-class HR practices, positioning MFS as a Best Place to Work.
- Foster Talent & Inclusion: Champion professional growth, career pathways, and a culture of equity and inclusion.
- Lead Change Management: Align HR strategy with MFS’s mission, ensuring a strong, stable workforce.
Immediate Strategic Goals:
- Recruitment & Staffing: Implement a data-driven framework for efficient hiring, credentialing, diverse talent acquisition, and seamless candidate experience.
- Racial Equity Inclusion & Justice: Strengthen a culture of REIJ through fair hiring and retention practices.
- Workplace Evaluation: Assess employee experience, organizational culture, and HR effectiveness across all MFS locations.
- Operational Efficiency: Develop streamlined HR workflows, systems, and protocols for high-impact service delivery.
- HRIS Optimization: Ensure effective HRIS system utilization and training for improved HR operations.
THE POSITION
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the next Vice President of Human Resources will be an experienced, people-centric, and mission-driven leader with an authentic commitment to Chicagoland's communities.
The successful candidate will be a proven leader with a strong HR generalist background, capable of managing and directing all aspects of an innovative human resources department. They will bring substantial experience in HR operations, systems design, compensation and benefits, organizational development, culture building, employee relations, and workforce planning/recruitment. Additionally, they will have a track record of developing HR frameworks and people philosophies that emphasize cultural competency, supporting the organization’s commitment to REIJ.
The Vice President will be expected to institute best practices from within the field of human resources and organizational development. Providing strategic leadership and tactical execution for all facets of human resource management, this leader will be a key participant in decisions pertaining to strategic initiatives, operating models, and operational execution and helps lead major change initiatives within the organization.
This position has broad responsibilities for developing human resources guidelines, policies, and strategies for recommendation to the Leadership team. In addition, they will ensure legal compliance by monitoring and implementing applicable human resources federal and state requirements, training employees on compliance matters, conducting investigations, and maintaining records.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Develop and implement HR Strategies that support the overall MFS mission, short-term and long-term goals.
- Continuous leadership and development of the HR team members and their respective functional areas. Provides mentorship and coaching to HR leadership fostering their growth individually and as a team.
- Oversee recruitment, staffing and talent efforts to attract, retain, and develop high performing staff and teams across the agency.
- Oversee the development and design of competitive, equitable and sustainable compensation and benefit programs within nonprofit budget constraints.
- Determines and recommends employee relations practices necessary to establish a positive employer-employee relationship and promote a high level of employee morale.
- Ensures performance management principles, tools, training offerings are in place and aligned with the culture and MFS goals with focus on cultivating a positive work environment and driving high performance outcomes.
- Ensures credentialing of qualified educators, clinicians, advocates, providers, and MFS sites in accordance with contract terms, and federal and state standards and guidelines.
- Works with other administrative departments, i.e., Finance/Accounting, to ensure continuous process improvements and optimal efficiencies and effectiveness to agency processes related to administrative systems.
- Uses data, facts, figures and analysis to recommend, persuade and conclude on decisions and direction of the HR programs and policies.
- Promotes and implements an inclusive workplace culture including REIJ initiatives in collaboration with the REIJ team, to ensure equitable treatment for all employees. Ensures the continuous improvement of the overall workplace culture and perception to ensure it is a top choice employer for the location and industry.
- Oversees the development of the HR Systems and data to ensure overall HR operations are running seamlessly and according to defined process, workflows and timelines. Ensures the HR system is being leveraged to its fullest capacity for more efficient work with a holistic and end to end HR focus.
- Ensures performance management principles, tools, training offerings are in place and aligned with the culture and MFS goals with focus on cultivating a positive work environment and driving high performance outcomes.
Metropolitan Family Services seeks a strategic, forward-thinking HR leader to serve as Vice President of Human Resources. This individual will bring outstanding problem-solving, analytical, project management, and influencing skills, with a deep understanding of HR strategy and its alignment with nonprofit organizational goals.
The ideal candidate is a change agent with exceptional self-awareness, fostering open discussions, strong relationships, and effective communication at all levels of the organization. They must navigate complex challenges, make difficult decisions balancing compliance and compassion, and deliver persuasive presentations on HR strategies and sensitive matters to senior leadership and staff.
This role requires a leader who is:
- Mission-driven – Deeply committed to MFS’s work in strengthening communities.
- Strategic & Operational – Capable of aligning HR initiatives with business objectives while ensuring best-in-class HR service delivery.
- A Culture Champion – Experienced in organizational change, employee engagement, and workforce strategy, with a strong focus on REIJ.
- Collaborative & Influential – Skilled at building consensus, driving engagement, and shaping HR programs that support MFS’s diverse and growing workforce.
- Experienced in HR Excellence – A seasoned HR executive with expertise in talent acquisition, compensation & benefits, employee relations, organizational development, and HR technology.
Qualifications & Experience
- 10+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role and 7+ years managing senior HR professionals.
- Proven ability to lead a high-performing HR team in a dynamic, fast-paced, and mission-driven environment.
- Expertise in labor laws, compliance, and employment regulations, with experience working alongside legal counsel.
- Hands-on, solutions-oriented approach, balancing strategic vision with operational execution.
- Experience implementing HR systems (UKG knowledge is a plus).
- Strong project management skills with the ability to drive change, improve HR processes, and enhance employee experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field required; master’s degree preferred. HR certifications (SHRM-SCP, SPHR) and DEI training are desirable.
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