Director of Human Resources

Foothills Animal Shelter - Golden, CO 80401

Start Date 10/29/2026

End Date 11/12/2026

• Salary Range: $80,000.00 - $100,000.00 Salary
• Position Type: Full Time
• Education Level: 4 Year Degree
• Category: Human Resources

Foothills Animal Shelter seeks a Director of Human Resources who believes great HR happens both at the leadership table and in the everyday details. This role brings together strategy, sound judgment, and a genuine commitment to people to foster a workplace where employees are treated fairly, supported in their work, and recognized for their contributions.

Who We Are

As an open admissions shelter, we are committed to being here for families and their pets in Jefferson County, Colorado. We identify as a socially conscious shelter, caring for over 9,000 dogs, cats, and small animals every year with a compassionate team of staff and volunteers who are committed to the physical and emotional wellbeing of every pet we serve.

What You Bring

• You move easily between the big picture and the details. You’re as comfortable shaping long-range plans with the leadership team as you are answering a payroll question or processing a benefits change, and you can shift between the two several times a day without losing track of either.
• You exercise sound judgment. You handle performance concerns, employee relations matters, and ADA accommodation requests with care and consistency. You know when to act, when to gather more information, and when to bring in counsel.
• You enjoy helping others become stronger leaders. You're a patient, practical coach who helps managers navigate employee concerns, deliver constructive feedback, and approach performance management with professionalism and consistency.
• You are generous with recognition and appreciation. You naturally notice people's contributions, enjoy celebrating their successes, and find thoughtful ways to help employees feel valued and connected to their work.
• You build trust. Employees at every level see you as fair, approachable, and discreet, even when the answer isn’t the one they hoped for.
• You own the whole picture. You're organized, self-directed, and comfortable as a department of one, maintaining strong HR programs and practices while identifying opportunities to make them even better.
• You believe in our mission. You're excited to help build a community where pets and people can thrive together.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the Shelter’s full human resources function, including recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, compensation, payroll, benefits, safety, and compliance.
• Serve as the primary advisor to the Executive Director and leadership team on employment matters and organizational risk.
• Coach and support supervisors and managers in employee relations, performance management, communication, and effective people leadership.
• Maintain and strengthen established HR programs, including hiring, onboarding, employee safety, and benefits administration.
• Manage the annual benefits renewal and open enrollment in partnership with our broker.
• Champion employee appreciation and engagement, helping the organization recognize contributions, celebrate successes, and foster a positive workplace culture that keeps staff connected and valued.
• Supervise the Volunteer Program Manager, who leads our team of approximately 300 volunteers.
• Administer Paycom HCM and keep HR policies, practices, and records current with federal, Colorado, and public employer requirements.

What We Offer

• Let’s start with the obvious: we offer truly meaningful work that positively impacts the lives of thousands of animals each year.
• You will work with a team of animal welfare professionals who work hard, care deeply, and are 100% dedicated to the well-being of our shelter animals.
• We strive for a healthy work-life balance, and we offer generous time off including six paid holidays, additional floating holidays (awarded annually on your employment anniversary), three weeks of accrued vacation (increasing with tenure), and paid sick leave.
• We offer a full spectrum of employee benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, and a retirement plan with up to 4% employer match and immediate vesting. Currently, two of our medical plans and our dental and vision plans are offered at no cost for employee-only coverage.
• The salary range for this position is $80,000 - $100,000 annually, commensurate with experience.
• Foothills Animal Shelter is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer.

Schedule

40 hours per week, with flexibility to respond to urgent employee matters as needed. This position is hybrid, with a minimum of three days per week onsite and up to two days remote.

For a full list of duties and qualifications, see the complete job description.

Qualifications

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Qualified candidates will have a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience, and at least three years of progressively responsible human resources generalist experience, including benefits administration, payroll, and employee relations. Qualified candidates must hold a current PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification.

The following additional qualifications are preferred:

• Experience as a sole or lead human resources practitioner
• Human resources experience with a local government, public sector employer, or nonprofit organization
• Experience administering Paycom or a comparable human capital management system
• Experience in animal welfare or veterinary industry

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Thorough working knowledge of federal and Colorado employment law and the ability to apply it to day-to-day decisions
• Sound judgment and the ability to make independent decisions on complex and sensitive employment matters
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing, with employees, supervisors, leadership, and outside partners
• Ability to maintain the highest levels of confidentiality when dealing with personnel information and sensitive situations
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing deadlines across payroll, benefits, and compliance calendars
• Data management, analysis, and reporting experience
• Advanced proficiency with HCM and payroll systems; computer proficiency in Microsoft Office including word processing, spreadsheets, meeting software, and email
• Fear Free Shelter certified or ability to become Fear Free Shelter certified within 60 days of employment.
• Must be able to manage the emotional aspect of end-of-life services and humane euthanasia, and support employees in high-emotion circumstances.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Primarily office-based work in an animal shelter environment.
• Noise, odors, chemical fumes, animal hair/dander are encountered due to equipment and animals.
• Exposure to common allergens including animal dander, feathers, hay/straw, latex, peanut butter, dairy products, and other food items used for animal enrichment
• Exposure to zoonotic diseases and infectious agents through contact with animals and their bodily fluids (urine, feces, vomit, blood, saliva)
• Exposure to cleaning chemicals, disinfectants, and sanitizing agents used in animal care and facility maintenance
• Subject to animal bites and scratches.
• Must maintain flexibility in work schedule to respond to urgent employee matters, investigations, or emergencies as needed.

EQUIPMENT USED

• Basic office equipment: telephone, computer, projector, printer, copier
• Cloud-based human capital management, payroll, and data management software
• Vehicle use (company provided and personal)