HR director job description template: team and budget, headcount laws, certifications and exempt status
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An HR director job description should say what the person runs: the HR team they lead, the budget and vendors they own, the employees, states and countries in scope, who they report to and which decisions are theirs. As of October 2026, BLS counts HR directors in its human resources managers occupation, which typically requires a bachelor's degree and five years or more of related experience, and whose national median wage was $149,280 in May 2025. Certifications such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR and GPHR are voluntary, so list them as preferred and screen for decisions made.
Below are the five common HR director seats, a copy-ready template, the headcount thresholds, certification and overtime lines with sources, screening questions and scorecard rows, and the mistakes that attract the wrong candidates. If the seat is the senior HR person working mostly hands-on, with no HR staff and no budget, start from the HR manager job description template instead.
Not legal advice. The threshold, certification and overtime points below were checked against the Department of Labor, the IRS, the EEOC, 20 CFR 639.3, SHRM, HRCI and BLS as of October 2026. State laws add their own thresholds and salary levels; confirm coverage with employment counsel.
Name the seat: which HR director are you hiring?
| Seat | What the year looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| First HR director at a growing company | Building the function: HRIS and benefits vendors, the first pay structure, hiring the first HR staff | Has built an HR function or a major program from little and owned its budget |
| Director over an established HR team | Leading HR managers and generalists, the operating model, service levels, executive reporting | Has led HR managers, not only individual contributors, and changed how a team works |
| Business-unit or regional HR director | Partnering with a division leader on workforce plans and talent reviews, reporting to a CHRO | Has advised a senior leader and changed an organization or talent decision with evidence |
| Operations-heavy HR director (plants, hospitals, distribution) | Large hourly workforce, attendance and shift policy, safety, labor relations, several sites | Has led HR for a multi-site hourly workforce; union experience where you have contracts |
| International HR director | Employees in several countries, local entities or employers of record, global policies | Has run HR across countries with local advisers and payroll |
Then write the facts down with the hiring executive: employees by state or country and the hourly share, HR team size and roles, the HR budget and the main vendors (HRIS, payroll, benefits broker), the reporting line, and what the director decides alone, such as hiring HR staff, approving vendor contracts up to a set amount or setting pay ranges with finance. Those numbers set the level far better than "10 years of progressive HR experience."
The HR director job description template
HR Director, [Company / Division / Region]
[Company], [city] — [On-site / Hybrid: days / Remote within: states]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per year, plus [bonus target N% with how it is
decided, equity, if any]. [Benefits summary, if required.]
[Exempt, after review.]
SUMMARY
You will lead HR for about [N] employees in [N states / countries],
[N]% of them hourly, across [N] sites. You will lead an HR team of
[N] ([roles]) and an HR budget of about $[N], and report to [CEO /
COO / CFO / CHRO]. Your first-year priorities are [e.g. an HR
operating model, the [month] benefits renewal, pay ranges for every
role, a workforce plan with finance]. You decide [HR team hiring,
HR vendor contracts up to $N, HR policy] and recommend [pay
structure changes, restructurings] to [title / the board].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Lead and develop the HR team; decide who supports which leaders.
- Own the HR budget and vendors: [HRIS], [payroll], [benefits
broker], [recruiting tools].
- Build the annual workforce plan with finance and report people
measures to the executive team [and board].
- Set compensation and benefits strategy with [finance / broker],
including the pay ranges used in job postings.
- Keep the compliance calendar for [EEO-1, ACA forms, Form 5500,
state filings] with a named owner for each item.
- Oversee employee relations, investigations and [labor
relations], and advise executives on high-risk decisions.
- [Lead restructurings, acquisitions or expansion into new states.]
YOU MUST HAVE
- Led an HR team, including at least one people manager, for a
workforce of comparable size and type.
- Owned an HR budget and vendor contracts, including a benefits
renewal.
- Built a headcount plan or workforce budget with finance.
- Advised executives on terminations, restructurings or
investigations that held up to review.
- [Multi-state / multi-country / union] experience, if the seat
needs it.
NICE TO HAVE
- SHRM-SCP or SPHR; GPHR for international seats.
- Experience with [HRIS], [industry], [acquisition integration].
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
FIXED CONDITIONS
- Travel: about [N]% between [sites / countries].
- Mostly office-based work, with site visits [and early or late
meetings with shift teams].
HOW WE HIRE
[Recruiter screen; conversation with [title]; a case discussion
about a people decision; meeting the HR team and two executives;
a 30-60-90 day plan presented to [title].]
[EEO STATEMENT]
For adjustments in the application or interviews, contact [address].Headcount thresholds, certifications and classification
Thresholds that tell a candidate what they will own. Several federal duties start at a headcount, so the number in your summary tells an experienced director which programs come with the job:
| Duty | Who it applies to, as of October 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| FMLA leave | Private employers with 50 or more employees in 20 or more workweeks in the current or previous calendar year | DOL |
| ACA employer reporting (Forms 1094-C and 1095-C) | Applicable large employers: at least 50 full-time employees, including full-time equivalents, on average during the prior year | IRS |
| EEO-1 Component 1 report | Private employers with 100 or more employees, and federal contractors with 50 or more that meet certain criteria | EEOC |
| WARN Act notice | Employers with 100 or more employees excluding part-time staff, or 100 or more including part-time staff who together work at least 4,000 hours a week | 20 CFR 639.3 |
A company about to cross 50 or 100 employees needs a director who has run these programs, so ask about them in the screen.
Certifications. SHRM-SCP requires at least three years of strategic-level HR or HR-related work, with at least 1,000 hours in each counted calendar year, or three years holding the SHRM-CP while working in or moving into a strategic role (SHRM eligibility). HRCI aims the SPHR at leaders who shape HR strategy and policy; it requires four years of professional-level HR experience with a master's degree, five with a bachelor's or seven without, and is renewed every three years with 60 recertification credits (HRCI SPHR). For international seats, HRCI's GPHR is for HR leaders with international responsibilities and requires two, three or four years of professional HR experience depending on education (HRCI GPHR). BLS calls certification voluntary for human resources managers (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026). Write "SHRM-SCP, SPHR or equivalent experience" as a preferred line.
Exempt or nonexempt. The executive exemption needs a salary at no less than the standard level, management as the primary duty, customarily and regularly directing two or more full-time employees or their equivalent, and authority to hire or fire, or recommendations given particular weight (DOL Fact Sheet 17B). The Department of Labor lists the standard salary level as $684 a week (DOL salary levels). A director who leads an HR team usually fits; an "HR director" with no staff is reviewed under the administrative exemption instead. Several states set higher salary levels.
Physical requirements. The work is mostly office-based. State the travel percentage and any site visits, early or late shift meetings, or international travel, and add "with or without reasonable accommodation."
Pay. BLS's occupation for HR leaders is human resources managers (SOC 11-3121), whose direct-match titles include personnel director and labor relations director. Its national median annual wage was $149,280 in May 2025; the lowest 10 percent earned less than $88,200 and the highest 10 percent more than $267,810 (BLS pay tab). These are national medians, not a range for your seat. Post the approved range and the bonus terms, and check pay transparency laws by state; an HR director posting that misses one is an awkward start.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Led an HR team | "How was your HR team organized, and what did you change about who supports whom?" | HR team leadership | Names roles and managers, a structural change and its effect on service |
| Budget and vendors | "Walk me through the last benefits renewal you led. What options did you take to the executives?" | Financial and vendor judgment | A timeline, plan design options, cost trade-offs, a decision and how it was communicated |
| Workforce planning | "How did you build last year's headcount plan with finance, and how did you track it?" | Business partnership | Shared definitions, monthly reconciliation, variances explained |
| Executive advice | "Tell me about a time you advised the CEO against a people decision." | Influence and judgment | The risk named, evidence, an alternative offered and what happened |
| Compliance ownership | "Which federal filings did your last company owe, and who owned each one?" | Compliance management | Names the filings that applied, a calendar and an owner for each |
The first call is covered in HR manager screening questions, which include questions on leading an HR team, layoffs and WARN, and the later rounds are in the interview guide for HR roles. For the final round, ask finalists for a short plan and score it with how to evaluate a 30-60-90 day plan in an interview; the 30-60-90 day plan for HR directors shows what a strong one covers, from the filing calendar to the day-90 people review.
Common mistakes in HR director job descriptions
A manager's job with a director's title
If the person leads no HR staff and owns no budget, experienced directors will see a step down and HR managers may not apply. Title the seat for the work.
No team size, budget or reporting line
"Lead the HR function" means one thing with a team of two reporting to the CFO and another with a team of fifteen reporting to a CHRO. Put the numbers and the reporting line in the summary.
Every HR function, no priorities
A list of twelve functions hides what the first year is about. Name two or three priorities, such as a benefits renewal or a pay structure.
Requiring a credential instead of experience
A required SPHR or SHRM-SCP screens out capable leaders who never sat the exam. Prefer it; screen for decisions made.
Hiding the hard parts
Pending claims, a recent layoff, a union campaign or a failed HRIS project will come out in the interviews. Say so in the first conversation, if not the posting.
Before you publish
- Employees, states or countries, the hourly share, HR team size and the budget are in the summary.
- The reporting line, decision rights and first-year priorities are stated.
- Certifications are preferred, with GPHR for international seats.
- Classification has been reviewed against the executive and administrative tests and state salary levels.
- The approved pay range, bonus terms, EEO statement and accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What should an HR director job description include?
It should name what the director runs rather than list every HR function: the number of employees and the states or countries they work in, the size and roles of the HR team, the HR budget and main vendors, the reporting line, the decisions the director makes alone, and two or three first-year priorities. Add the pay range, exempt status after review, travel, and an EEO statement with an accommodation contact.
What is the difference between an HR director and an HR manager?
An HR manager usually runs cases, policies and programs, and may supervise a few HR staff. An HR director runs the HR function itself: the team's structure, the HR budget and vendors, compensation and benefits strategy, workforce planning with finance and reporting to the executive team. If the person will not lead other HR staff or own a budget, the role is usually an HR manager seat with a bigger title.
Do HR directors need SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification?
No. BLS describes certification for human resources managers as voluntary, so most postings list it as preferred. As of October 2026, SHRM-SCP requires at least three years of strategic-level HR work or three years holding the SHRM-CP, and HRCI's SPHR requires four to seven years of professional HR experience depending on education. For a seat with employees in several countries, HRCI's GPHR is the closer match.
Is an HR director exempt from overtime?
Usually, when the duties fit. Under the federal executive exemption the director must be paid a salary of at least $684 a week, have management as the primary duty, regularly direct two or more full-time employees or the equivalent, and have authority to hire or fire, or recommendations that carry particular weight. A director with no staff is reviewed under the administrative exemption instead. State rules can set higher salary levels.
How much do HR directors make?
BLS counts HR directors in its human resources managers occupation, whose national median annual wage was $149,280 in May 2025; the lowest 10 percent earned less than $88,200 and the highest 10 percent more than $267,810. Pay varies by company size, industry and location, so post the approved range for your seat rather than a national figure.