Summary

Description

Human Resources Manager

The Position

The Human Resources Manager is responsible for leading and advancing the organization’s people strategy, employee experience, and HR operations. This role serves as a trusted partner to leadership and staff, driving initiatives related to team development, employee engagement, performance management, benefits, compliance, and HR systems. The HR Manager ensures that HR practices align with organizational values, support a positive workplace culture, and enable staff to thrive.

Responsibilities 

People Strategy, Culture & Engagement

• Act as the primary HR partner and advisor to staff and leadership on all people-related matters.

• Champion a positive, inclusive, and values-aligned workplace culture.

• Design, administer, and analyze employee engagement and satisfaction surveys.

• Translate engagement data into actionable insights, recommendations, and initiatives.

• Lead organization-wide efforts to strengthen retention, morale, and employee well-being.

• Develop and maintain structured team development, learning, and mentorship programs.

• Partner with leadership on workforce planning and organizational effectiveness.

• Collaborate with staff members to have quarterly all-staff engagement opportunities and help plan recurring all-staff meetings.

Talent Acquisition, Development & Performance

• Manage and continuously improve recruitment and hiring processes in partnership with hiring managers.

• Ensure equitable, consistent, and efficient candidate screening, interview and offer processes.

• Oversee onboarding and orientation programs that support early engagement, role clarity, and cultural integration.

• Lead the performance management process, including goal-setting frameworks, evaluation cycles and documentation.

• Coach managers on performance management, employee development, and effective people leadership.

• Support internal growth, succession planning and professional development initiatives.

HR Operations & Compliance

• Serve as the first point of contact for HR policies, procedures, and employee relations matters.

• Process accurate and timely semi-monthly payroll for approximately 60 employees (PT and FT).

• Maintain employee records, HR documentation, and record retention practices.

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

• Lead regular review and updates of the Employee Handbook.

• Maintain required labor law postings and support audits or compliance reviews as needed.

• Properly address and document employee relations issues with professionalism, discretion and consistency.

• Support compensation benchmarking and pay equity analysis and partner with leadership on salary bands, role leveling, and internal equity.

• Support workplace investigations and documentation, partnering with legal counsel as appropriate.

• Create and maintain staff member user accounts, email aliases, workstation set up, contact lists, and organizational charts.

Benefits, HR Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Assess and manage employee benefits programs, including benchmarking and vendor evaluation.

• Research and recommend new benefits offerings and external partners to enhance total rewards.

• Serve as the strategic owner and administrator of HR systems and software (e.g. payroll, performance tools).

• Identify opportunities to streamline and improve HR processes through technology and automation.

• Partner with external consultants and vendors to support HR initiatives and system implementations.

• Develop HR metrics, reports, and documentation to support data-informed decision-making.

Collaboration & Leadership Partnership

• Collaborate cross-functionally to support the full employee lifecycle from hire through separation.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on HR strategy, employee engagement trends, and organizational risks.

• Support change management and organization-wide initiatives impacting staff.

• Promote equitable, transparent, and consistent HR practices across the organization.

• Partner with leadership on staff communications related to people initiatives, policy changes, and organizational updates.

Key Skills & Competencies

• HR generalist experience across employee relations, talent management, performance management, compliance, payroll, and benefits.

• Ability to think strategically and translate organizational goals into effective people practices.

• High emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and discretion in handling sensitive matters.

• Experience designing and implementing employee engagement, development, and retention initiatives.

• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

• Proficiency with HR systems and tools, including payroll and performance management platforms.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data and feedback to inform decisions.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build trust across all levels of the organization.

• Demonstrated commitment to equitable, inclusive, and consistent HR practices.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

Other Duties/Responsibilities: Other assistance, as designated by the COO, to support the overall goals of the department and organization. Management retains the right to add or change duties and/or responsibilities at any time.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None.

Budgetary/Fiscal Responsibilities: Collaborate on and adhere to annual staff development and office management budgets.

Responsibility for Confidentiality: The nature of this position requires safeguarding against the release of confidential and proprietary information of MCA.

Contact with Others: This position will interact with managers at all levels and staff members across the organization, in addition to members of external organizations and the public.  

JOB REQUIREMENTS/EXPERIENCE

Education: College degree in human resources field preferred or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience.    

Experience: Requires minimum of 5 years’ experience in HR. Experience in career learning and development strategy is strongly preferred.  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:   

Proven computer skills including Microsoft Office, G Suite. Payroll and HR Database proficiency is necessary. Paychex experience is preferred. 

Requires excellent organizational skills, written and oral communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize work and tasks. Requires adaptability to produce and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, multi-task and changing environment, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team. Must have the ability to handle sensitive information with diplomacy.  Excellent analytical and decision-making abilities.

Experience applying an equitable analysis to all duties to achieve organizational goals and demonstrate MCA Denver’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and anti-racism preferred.

Schedule Availability: Weekdays, in person

Licenses/Certifications: SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP), (PHR) or similar certification preferred. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a staff member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made upon request to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to speak, understand, and communicate in English effectively, in person and in writing. Ability to hear adequately in person and by phone, in personal and group settings.

Ability to work with, and process information from, a variety of individuals and media (e.g. computers, projected images, printed materials), and sitting and/or standing up to 6 hours per day. 

Mobility necessary to access various offices and a wide variety of meeting and museum settings. Mobility necessary to perform a variety of tasks that involve standing, walking, sitting, stooping, kneeling, bending and twisting, occasionally climbing stairs or using an elevator, possibly reaching chest high and overhead for materials.

Ability to reach for, move and/or lift up to 15 pounds and the use of hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

About Us

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA Denver) is a nonprofit organization providing an innovative forum for contemporary art that inspires and challenges, creating understanding and dialogue about the art of our time. MCA Denver is paving a new path for a 21st century museum that is Both/​And: We are both advancing the field of contemporary art and providing a platform for creative expression, in the broadest sense of the term.  We present both world-class exhibitions and quirky events, serious lectures and epic parties.  We are both sophisticated and unpretentious. We welcome all audiences, celebrate all voices, and share all stories to provide one-of-a-kind experiences for our community.

Our Core Values

We are: 

Adventurous – We are risk-takers. We are creative, open, curious, and sometimes weird.

Excellent – We strive to be the best in our field, we have high expectations, we believe in being resilient, creative problem-solvers, and professionals.

Human Centric – We are collaborative. We strive for emotional intelligence, and we value relationships.

Inclusive – We are welcoming to all audiences, voices, and stories. We believe in being authentic and inclusive.  We actively seek and engage with diverse perspectives.

MCA Denver is committed in policy, principle, and practice to maintaining an environment that prohibits discriminatory behavior and provides equal opportunity for all persons. MCA Denver affirms its commitment to provide a welcoming and respectful work and educational environment, in which all individuals within the museum community may benefit from each other’s experiences and foster mutual respect and appreciation of divergent views. 

All employment decisions at MCA Denver are based on business needs, job requirements and individual applicant qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, or belief, ancestry, age, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), family or parental status, or any other status protected by law. MCA Denver will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Our History

MCA Denver was founded in 1996 by philanthropist Sue Cannon and a group of committed volunteers and artists who responded to the community’s need for a contemporary art museum in Denver. In 2007, we opened our 27,000-square foot, environmentally sustainable facility in the Riverfront neighborhood of LoDo Denver. Our building has five galleries on two floors as well as dedicated education spaces, a gift shop, an innovative art lending library, and a rooftop bar and café.  In 2021, MCA Denver opened a satellite location at the Holiday Theater in Denver’s Northside. This 380-seat auditorium is the site of some of the museum’s programming and events.

Application Process

• This is an exempt, salaried position. 

• The salary range is $60,000-$70,000 and includes our standard benefits package, including a medical plan, dental plan, basic term life insurance, 403b retirement, holiday pay and paid time off.

• Applications will be accepted until January 23, 2026.