The Vice President of Human Resources (VP HR) for Community Hospitals (Lowell General Hospital and MelroseWakefield Hospital) serves as the senior-most HR executive on site and a key member of the Community Hospitals’ executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer of Tufts Medicine, with a matrixed relationship to the Presidents of the community hospitals, the VP HR provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all human resources activities. The role is responsible for shaping and executing a comprehensive human resources strategy that supports both the local priorities of the Community Hospitals and the broader objectives of the Tufts Medicine system.

The VP HR leads the design, development, and implementation of human capital programs and policies across core HR functions, including talent acquisition, organizational development, leadership and workforce planning, compensation and benefits, diversity and inclusion, employee relations, and labor relations. Working through a team of HR leaders and partners, the VP HR ensures alignment between human resources strategy and the operational and clinical goals of the organization while fostering a high-performing, engaged workforce.

As the strategic HR leader for the site, the VP HR oversees the HR Business Partner(s) for the Community Hospitals and works in close partnership with the Director of Employee and Labor Relations to ensure coordinated management of employee and labor relations matters. The role also collaborates closely with Tufts Medicine’s HR Centers of Excellence (COEs) to deliver integrated, system-aligned HR solutions. In addition to directing day-to-day HR operations, the VP HR plays a central role in long-term organizational planning, workforce strategy, and change management initiatives that support growth, transformation, and cultural alignment across the community hospitals.

Through both direct and matrixed leadership, the VP HR is accountable for developing and executing short- to mid-term strategies that strengthen organizational effectiveness, advance leadership capability, and promote a people-first culture consistent with the mission and values of Tufts Medicine.

Lowell General Hospital

For more than 125 years, Lowell General has served the Greater Lowell community proudly. Lowell General offers 390 staffed beds, a Level III trauma center, a Cancer Center, a Heart and Vascular Center, 4 urgent care locations, affiliated physicians and outpatient facilities. Lowell General is proud to be a three-time Magnet-recognized hospital (as named by the American Nurses Credentialing Center) and is a Center of Excellence for Minimally Invasive Surgery, Minimally Invasive Urology, Minimally Invasive Gynecology and Robotic Surgery (as named by the Surgical Review Corporation).

MelroseWakefield Hospital

Originally founded in 1893, MelroseWakefield Hospital is a 234-bed general hospital offering a wide range of services, including expert cardiac care, 24-hour emergency care and Level III trauma care, wound care management and maternity services with an on-site Level II Special Care Nursery. We are the only hospital in the area offering an emergency cardiac catheterization lab. MelroseWakefield focuses on reducing community health disparities and offers 40+ programs to help improve wellness, safety and vibrancy in the local region. In 2024, U.S. News & World Report named MelroseWakefield Hospital a High Performing hospital for Maternity Care, the highest award a hospital can earn in this distinction.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field.

2. Ten (10) years of progressive human resources leadership experience, including at least five years in a senior HR leadership role within a community hospital or a complex health system.

3. Experience with large-scale transformation, including cultural change, mergers and acquisitions or system integration with a focus on building a positive, engaged workplace culture.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related field.

2. Advanced HR certifications (e.g., SHRM-SCP, SPHR) strongly preferred.

Duties and Responsibilities: The duties and responsibilities listed below are intended to describe the general nature of work and are not intended to be an all-inclusive list.  Other duties and responsibilities may be assigned.

1. Provides executive HR leadership, strategic direction, and day-to-day oversight of site-specific HR operations.

2. Acts as a trusted advisor to the Community Hospital Presidents and senior leadership team on all human capital matters, contributing to organizational planning and strategic execution.

3. Leads and directs the HRBP work across the entity to ensure alignment of HR strategy with operational and clinical goals at the site.

4. Responsible for successfully onboarding and assimilating senior leaders into complex organizations, including providing strategic guidance on culture, stakeholder relationships, and team integration.

5. Provides matrixed oversight of the local Employee & Labor Relations and Leave Administration functions, ensuring best practices, legal compliance, and consistency across the site.

6. Drives collaboration and matrixed alignment with Corporate HR COEs (Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Compensation, Benefits, etc.) to execute integrated, best-in-class HR solutions.

7. Builds strong working relationships with other Tufts Medicine site executives and COEs to promote a consistent, high-performing organizational culture across the system.

8. Champions engagement and belonging initiatives in partnership with HR partners.

9. Fosters talent development and succession planning at the site, in coordination with the Talent Management COE.

10. Partners with the Talent Acquisition COE to support local workforce planning and recruitment efforts.

11. Uses workforce analytics and data to inform strategic decisions, operational results, measure HR effectiveness, and drive continuous improvement.

12. Maintains strong knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as collective bargaining agreements, and ensure compliance in all aspects of HR.

13. Acts as a key leader in change management initiatives, including restructuring, integration, and cultural transformation efforts.

14. Models and promotes the values of Tufts Medicine, reinforcing a culture of respect, accountability, and excellence.

15. Leads and advises on organizational design and restructuring efforts, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, operational efficiency, and scalability.

16. Plays a key role in mergers, acquisitions, and affiliations, partnering with system and local leadership to support due diligence, workforce integration, cultural alignment, and change management to ensure successful transitions.

Physical Requirements:

1. Professional office environment with typical office requirements such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, etc. 

2. This is largely a sedentary role, which involves sitting most of the time, but may involve movements such as walking, standing, reaching, ascending / descending stairs and operating office equipment. 

3. Frequently required to speak, hear, communicate, and exchange information. 

4. Ability to see and read computer displays, read fine print, and/or normal type size print and distinguish letters, numbers, and symbols. 

5. Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. 

Skills & Abilities:

1. Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the executive presence required to influence and collaborate effectively with senior operational and physician leaders and clinicians across the organization.

2. Experience working in unionized environments and partnering closely with employee and labor relations leaders to address workforce issues, collective bargaining considerations, and regulatory compliance is a plus.

3. Experience leading HR strategy and operations in a highly matrixed organization, with a strong understanding of how to effectively leverage and partner with HR Centers of Excellence (e.g., Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Compensation, Benefits) to deliver integrated and high-impact HR solutions.

4. Demonstrated success serving as a strategic HR advisor to executive leadership, with the ability to align system human capital strategies with organizational priorities, operational goals, and clinical performance.

5. Strategic thinker with a data-informed approach to solving organizational challenges.

6.  Strong business acumen with the ability to connect HR strategy to operational success.

7. Adept at managing through ambiguity, complexity, and organizational change.

8.Experience driving engagement, belonging, and leadership development initiatives.

9. Commitment to service excellence and continuous improvement in the employee experience.

10. Proven track record of driving organizational transformation initiatives in a rapidly changing, high energy environment, including cultural change, workforce integration, restructuring, or system-wide alignment in complex environments.

11. Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing HR teams while building strong partnerships with business leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.

12. Strong analytical, business, and financial acumen, including the ability to interpret financial data, understand cost drivers, and leverage workforce analytics to inform strategy, optimize resource allocation, and support data-driven decision-making.

13. Demonstrated ability to align human capital strategy with financial objectives, including experience managing HR-related cost structures, supporting budget planning processes, and contributing to enterprise efforts to improve efficiency and financial performance.