HR Compliance & Regulatory Program Director

The Program Director, HR Compliance, Regulatory & Effectiveness serves as the enterprise leader for HR and employment regulatory compliance at Children's National Hospital, ensuring that employment practices align with federal, state, and local laws, healthcare accreditation standards, and the mission of a leading children's hospital. This role provides strategic enterprise oversight, governance, and operational leadership for HR policy management, regulatory readiness, audits, and employment practice effectiveness.Reporting to the Vice President of HR & Employment Practices, the Program Director will be responsible for overseeing a team responsible for maintaining organizational employment compliance, regulatory, audits and effectiveness programs. The Program Director acts as a subject-matter expert and trusted advisor, balancing legal/regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, operational practicality, and a culture of equity, safety, and inclusion for a high performing pediatric healthcare workforce.Qualifications:Minimum EducationBachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Labor & Employment Law, or a related field. (Required)Master's Degree (Preferred) OrJuris Doctorate (J.D.) (Preferred)Minimum Work Experience7 years of progressive HR or legal experience, with extensive experience designing and implementing organizational HR compliance, regulatory and effectiveness programs including a minimum of 5 years experience leading teams, managing large-scale projects, and ensuring program effectiveness at an organizational level. (Required)Required Skills/KnowledgeDemonstrated experience in healthcare, academic medical centers, or similarly regulated environments.Deep working knowledge of federal and state employment laws, including but not limited to ADA, FMLA, Title VII, PWFA, wage and hour laws, and I-9 requirements.Proven experience leading audits, regulatory readiness, and compliance programs.Familiarity with Joint Commission standards as they relate to HR and employment practices in hospital/healthcare or pediatrics healthcare setting.Required Licenses and CertificationsHR certification (SHRM-CP/SCP, S/PHR etc.) (Preferred)Functional AccountabilitiesHR & Employment Policy Ownership and GovernanceDevelop, implement and maintain governance of the HR and employment policy framework for Children's National Hospital.Lead the audit, revision, and ongoing maintenance of HR policies in partnership with subject matter owners including, but not limited to, Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Learning & Development, Employee Relations, Legal, Corporate Compliance.Ensure policies are legally compliant, operationally effective, and aligned with healthcare regulatory expectations and pediatric workforce considerations.Support the VP, HR & Employment Practices with the development, oversight, coordination, and governance of the Children's National Employment Policy Oversight Committee, including agenda development, policy review cycles, and approvals.Ensure policy transparency, accessibility, version control, and consistent enterprise-wide application.HR Compliance & Regulatory OversightProvides enterprise-wide oversight of workforce reporting and HR compliance, ensuring adherence to EEO-1 requirements and, as applicable, Section 503, VEVRAA, and VETS-4212 obligations, while maintaining alignment with evolving federal, state and local employment and anti-discrimination laws.Partner with internal and external legal counsel to monitor and interpret evolving federal, state, and local employment laws, regulations, and healthcare accreditation standards impacting Children's National.Lead HR compliance initiatives related to Joint Commission standards, regulatory surveys, audits, and survey readiness as they relate to employment practices.Partner with internal stakeholders including but not limited to, HR, Legal, Compliance, Risk Management, and Internal Audit to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate employment-related risks.Serve as key point of contact and maintain readiness for federal, state, or local audits and partner with stakeholders in responding to inquiries from regulatory agencies including but not limited to EEOC, OFCCP, DOL, CMS, TJC and local labor/employment offices.Employment Practices Programs OversightProvide strategic oversight and operational guidance for employment practices programs, including but not limited to:Oversee unemployment claims processes, vendor relationships, audits, and cost-containment strategies.Lead audits of employment cases to ensure consistency, compliance, documentation integrity, and adherence to policy and legal standards.Lead team to oversee programs supporting team member accessibility and accommodations, including but not limited to compliance with: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), Title VII religious accommodations as well as state and local accommodation requirements.Ensure timely, equitable, and well-documented interactive processes.Promote inclusive practices in alignment with Children's National's mission and values.HR Audit & Risk ManagementLead and oversee the HR audit function, ensuring consistent review and improvement of employment compliance controls.Oversee I-9, EEO/OFCCP, FLSA, independent contractor, employment records retention compliance processes, audits, remediation efforts, and readiness for government/regulatory inspection.Audit and support the standardization of processes for evaluating team member and contingent workforce performance in compliance with regulatory (CMS, TJC, DNV, OCR, DOL, OSHA, USCIS, Professional licensing boards etc.) requirements, pre-employment clearance requirements, pay practices, systems access controls, competency assessments and training standards.Provide governance and oversight for candidate and team member background check processes, ensuring legal compliance, fairness, and alignment with healthcare standards.Serve as the escalation leader for pre-employment screening adjudications, partnering with Legal and HR leadership as needed.Develop corrective action plans and ensure timely resolution of identified compliance gaps.Data, Metrics & Transparency ReportingDevelop, analyze, and deliver periodic and ad hoc reporting on key employment practice and compliance metrics to the VP of HR & Employment Practices.Lead the design and development of the Annual Employment Practices Transparency Report, highlighting trends, risks, outcomes, and improvement initiatives.Use data and insights to inform policy decisions, compliance strategies, and workforce effectiveness improvements.Ensure reporting supports internal governance, leadership decision-making, and external regulatory expectations where applicable.Leadership & CollaborationAct as a strategic advisor to HR leaders, people managers, and executive leadership on employment compliance matters providing influence across a complex healthcare environment, balancing regulatory rigor with compassionate employment practices.Lead education and awareness initiatives related to HR compliance and employment practices across the organization.Champion ethical employment practices consistent with Children's National Hospital's mission in service of children and families.

Created: 2026-04-02