Director of Human Resources

Washington, D.C.

$175,000 – $205,000

A global law firm is seeking a Director of Human Resources to shape and advance its workforce strategy. This position is suited for a strategic leader who operates at the nexus of business operations and organizational culture. As a trusted advisor to firm leadership, you will influence how talent is attracted, developed, and retained across a global footprint. This role offers the opportunity to modernize HR functions and drive long-term organizational effectiveness within a highly collaborative, partnership-oriented environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Act as the internal strategist, providing actionable insights on workforce planning, organizational structure, and high-level talent initiatives.
Develop, audit and implement hiring strategies for staff and collaborate with leadership on hiring processes.
Lead the design and continuous evolution of performance management, professional development, talent pipeline development.
Partner on compensation and benefits strategy, ensuring programs remain competitive and aligned with industry competitive data.
Serve as a trusted advisor on employee relations, workplace culture, and sensitive personnel matters, ensuring consistency and alignment with firm values.
Oversee HR operations, including systems integration, reporting, and policy development, using data to inform decision-making.
Ensure compliance with employment laws and regulations across all jurisdictions, proactively managing organizational risk.
Guide organizational change initiatives, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance.

Why You’ll Love Working Here:

The attorneys and staff are all welcoming and are enjoyable to work with day to day.
The firm loves to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and special employee events.
Offers a competitive salary, medical, vision and dental insurance, and retirement package and the opportunity to help define the future of a global professional services organization.

What We’re Looking For:

The Strategist. You have 12–15+ years of progressive HR experience, with a proven track record in a senior leadership capacity within a professional services or law firm environment.
Influencer. You possess the executive presence to command credibility with partners and leadership, guiding them through complex personnel and organizational decisions.
Diplomatic Advisor. You navigate sensitive workplace matters with discretion, professionalism, and sound judgment.
Operations-driven. You are committed to data-driven decision-making, process efficiency, and maintaining rigorous compliance standards.
Future-focused. You are tech-forward, comfortable utilizing HR systems, and experienced with or interested in leveraging AI to improve operational efficiency.
Relationship-builder. You excel at building trust across diverse professional groups from lawyers to business operations staff, ensuring HR programs support the broader business objectives.

To apply, please send a resume to legal@hawthornelane.com.

Essential to Hawthorne Lane’s success is our ability to attract talent from a range of backgrounds. Our network reflects the diverse community around us, and we believe in a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered to succeed. Applicants will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.