Director of Talent and Human Resources

Position: Director of Talent and Human Resources 

Reports to: Head of School

FLSA Classification: Exempt (Salary)

Job Type: Full-Time (12-month)

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8AM to 4PM, occasional evening and/or weekends

Start Date: Immediately

About McGehee School

Founded in 1912, the Louise S. McGehee School is the only independent, secular, all-girls Pre-K–12 school in New Orleans. McGehee’s mission is to foster the individual potential of each student, preparing her to think critically, act with high character, and lead with confidence. In McGehee’s dynamic, inclusive community, academic excellence and personal growth go hand-in-hand. Girls learn to embrace curiosity, pursue discovery, and engage in their community as thoughtful citizens.

From the earliest grades through senior year, McGehee girls are immersed in a curriculum that is both challenging and inspiring, and designed to spark intellectual curiosity. With every leadership role, every opportunity on the field or stage, and every classroom discussion, students learn to lead with confidence. Our expert faculty set high standards of excellence, cultivating deep learning and preparing graduates to excel in college and beyond while remaining true to their individuality and passions.

McGehee occupies a one-of-a-kind city-block campus in the Garden District of New Orleans, where beautifully restored 19th-century residences stand alongside modern facilities. Our location offers unmatched opportunities for meaningful service, internships, and partnerships with the broader community. Students experience the city as both a classroom and a catalyst for change, engaging with its people, culture, and challenges in ways that foster connection, independence, and real-world impact.

McGehee is more than a school, it is a community that nurtures lasting friendships and personal connections. Our 2,200+ alumnae worldwide remain engaged and loyal, united by shared experiences and the enduring spirit of sisterhood that defines McGehee. Rooted in tradition yet forward-looking, the McGehee experience builds a legacy of growth, achievement, and a lifelong commitment to excellence.

About This Position

The Director of Talent and Human Resources is responsible for guiding all aspects of the Talent and Human Resources functions at McGehee. Reporting directly to the Head of School with a dotted line to our Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Director of Talent and Human Resources will develop organizational strategy, goals, and tactics in order to ensure a collaborative and engaged experience for all employees at McGehee.

Primary Responsibilities:

Develop and implement schoolwide talent strategy, systems, and processes:

• Design overall talent strategy and goals, ensuring that systems and resources are continually working together to support achievement of plans
• Collaborate as a Business Partner with Division Heads to ensure the implementation of best practices in educator recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and retention
• In partnership with the COO, create a compensation system that honors employee contributions while remaining rooted in organizational values and financial sustainability
• Unlock employee potential through structures that enable strong performance, continual growth, and long-term career satisfaction
• Support the ongoing management of systems to codify best practices
• Manage offboarding

Lead staff culture efforts, ensuring strong organizational identity, morale, and retention:

• Define McGehee’s current Employee Value Proposition
• Set an aspirational vision for staff culture at McGehee and build the plan to ensure all teammates buy into and live out the vision
• Determine and implement measures for assessing staff morale and engagement, analyzing the data, and responding
• Support schoolwide employee communications planning
• Revamp the Employee Handbook to ensure policies reflect the vision, current best practices, and legal requirements and lead ongoing annual audits of the handbook thereafter
• Develop processes and organizational skill to address breaches in culture and/or policy

Design and oversee an updated Human Resources service line, ensuring McGehee employees benefit from caring and competitive offerings while maximizing organizational resources. Our Director of Talent and Human Resources will maintain excellence in the following areas:

• Benefits administration, communication, and compliance
• Payroll administration
• Compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws and regulations
• Processing of employment claims and paperwork, such as disability, worker’s compensation, and FMLA
• Onboarding and overseeing the ongoing alignment of outside contractors operating on McGehee’s campus

Who Should Apply for this Role?

The successful candidate will be an accomplished leader who is passionate about and an expert in the Talent and Human Resources function.

We are most likely to hire a candidate with the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and mindsets:

• Strong knowledge of Talent and Human Resources best practices within the education sector, including educator compensation, teacher recruitment and retention research and best practices, and/or legal requirements
• Experience working and succeeding in collaborative leadership environments and comfort with completely owning an initiative as well as leading through others and/or influence
• Expertise in systems that enable Talent and HR to run effectively and to support organizational mission and goals
• Comfort embracing new opportunities and/or solving problems, determining where to prioritize efforts to lead to the greatest impact.
• Adept at visioning and leading organizational culture and operating in a way that is emblematic of the aspirational vision
• Skilled in coaching others to independently manage specific components of Talent and HR goals, systems and practices
• Knowledge of communications best practices and experience leading strong internal communications relevant to Talent and HR
• Is invested in McGehee’s vision and goals and excited to be a part of the work we are doing.

In addition, the following qualifications are a bonus:

• Experience working at independent or all-girls’ schools
• Knowledge of and appreciation for the cultural richness of New Orleans
• Experience with Human Capital Management systems (Paylocity, Workday, etc.) or PEOs (JustWorks, ADP, etc.)
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
• Strong organizational and time management abilities
• Strong attention to detail
• A positive outlook, and a sense of humor

Salary and Benefits

• Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and internal equity at McGehee
• McGehee offers a benefits package that includes comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance; employer-paid life and AD&D insurance; voluntary life and AD&D; long-term disability; critical illness and accident insurance; identity protection services; and access to an Employee Assistance Program
• Additional benefits include participation in a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions after one year of service
• All employees have access to a full-service, free lunch daily in our cafeteria
• The Director of Talent and Human Resources will receive 10 days of paid time off, 20 days of annual vacation, and paid holidays
• The McGehee team places a high value on the day-to-day experiences of our students and staff, and as a member of this team, you will join a warm, caring, collaborative, joyful team
• The Director of Talent and Human Resources will join our team at a dynamic time for our organization and will be able to play a significant role in shaping its future

Interview Process and How to Apply for This Role

The priority deadline to apply for this position is Thursday, October 30.

The search for this process is being led by Sara-Kate Roberts. Interested applicants should email the following materials to ms.sk.roberts@gmail.com:

• Resume
• A single document with answers to the following questions (the combined responses for all three questions should not exceed two pages): ○ Why are you interested in working at McGehee? In this role specifically?

• Describe the most positive culture you have worked in to-date. What would you say are/were two to three hallmark traits/defining characteristics of that culture? How did you contribute to it?
• Tell us about a time that you led a significant change effort in order to support your organization in more effectively meeting its vision and/or goals.

• If you are a McGehee alumna or a current or past parent of a McGehee student, please note that relationship in the body of your email.

If your resume and responses are in strong alignment with our hiring criteria, we will reach out to you to begin the interview process, which will include several rounds of interviews, culminating in an on-campus interview at McGehee. During the process, applicants may be asked to submit additional materials, including references. The final candidate will be required to complete a background check prior to starting work with McGehee.

McGehee is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is open to all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, or other applicable protected classification.

All job requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.