Director of HRBP - Field Operations

At Heartland Veterinary Partners, our mission is centered around elevating the lives of veterinarians and their teams. By partnering with Heartland, practice owners unlock a world of operational advantages and economies of scale, all while retaining their clinical autonomy. At Heartland, we go beyond the ordinary to foster an environment that nurtures growth, invests in our employees, and creates pathways for professional development.

The Heartland promise doesn't stop at operational brilliance; it extends to encompass non-clinical facets like recruiting & human resources, marketing, procurement, payables management, accounting & finance, and information technology. In essence, we've got every corner covered, so our partners can focus on what truly matters - providing optimal care for their patients. As a dedicated member of our Support Center, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of what makes that happen. Your role will be pivotal in helping our partners deliver unparalleled patient care.

The Heartland philosophy rests firmly on the pillars of Servant Leadership. This ethos defines our Support Center team, where every member embraces the ethos of selfless service and approaches every challenge with an unwavering commitment to support. If this resonates with your personal and professional values, then we'd like to get to know you better!

Position Purpose

The Director, HR Business Partner – Field Operations serves as key HR partner supporting Heartland’s Operations teams. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, this role partners closely with the Vice Presidents of Operations, other key operations executives, and Regional Directors of Operations to align people strategies with business priorities across the practice network.

In addition to serving as a strategic advisor to operations leadership, the Director partners closely with HR Operations and the Director of HR & Employee Relations to ensure consistent, effective HR support across the company. This role collaborates with HR leaders to address complex employee relations matters and strengthen leadership capability across the portfolio of practices.

The position drives organizational effectiveness through strategic workforce planning, leadership development, talent management, team member engagement, and change leadership. Acting as a trusted advisor to operations leaders, the Director provides guidance on organizational design, leadership capability, and complex people matters while ensuring HR strategies support operational performance and growth.

In partnership with HR Centers of Excellence - including Recruiting, Organization Growth & Development, and Benefits and Wellness - this role supports the execution of companywide HR initiatives that strengthen leadership, enhance team member experience, and support the continued growth and integration of practices across the Heartland network.

The Director plays a key role in fostering a high-performing culture by translating business needs into effective people strategies and partnering with HR leaders to ensure leaders and team members across the company are supported effectively.

Finally, this role will play a key role in helping to evolve and scale Heartland’s HR partnership model by modeling HR leadership in a traditional HR Business Partner structure that supports operations leaders with proactive, strategic talent support across the company. This is a full-time remote role with a significant travel requirement (~50-70%).

At Heartland, all of our team members embody the spirit of Servant Leadership.

• Authentic Listening - Continually listening with an open mind and heart to what is said and unsaid.
• Building Community –Bringing team members together and mobilizing them around our collective purpose and commitment to our communities.
• Commitment to the Growth of the People – Dedicated to the personal and professional growth and development of our team members.
• Conceptualization -Forward thinking and approaching work and challenges with an end-to-end view.
• Empathy – Demonstrating empathy and understanding with others, approaching everything assuming positive intentions.
• Foresight – Taking the past, the present, and the future decision-making process.
• Healing – Focusing on the emotional and physical health of our team members.  Offering support and solutions to ensure our team members have balance.
• Persuasion – Building group consensus and buy-in.
• Self-Awareness – Conscious knowledge of personal character, emotions, intentions, and leadership impact.
• Stewardship - Concern for our team members, customers, communities, and the organization as a whole and making good use of all that is available to provide appropriate support.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Supports the continued development of Heartland’s HR Business Partner model by strengthening HR partnership with operations leaders and helping implement HR programs and processes across the practice network.
• Serves as the primary HR partner to operations leadership, including Vice Presidents of Operations and Regional Directors of Operations; aligns people strategies with operational priorities across the practice network, ensuring HR initiatives support business growth, operational performance, and team member engagement; partners with operations leadership to drive initiatives related to workforce planning, leadership development, talent management, and succession planning.
• Provides coaching and HR guidance to operations leaders on team effectiveness, workforce planning, and people-related challenges; participates in operations leadership meetings and strategic planning discussions to ensure alignment between HR strategy and operational objectives.
• Ensures effective collaboration between HR Business Partners and HR Centers of Excellence to deliver coordinated, high-impact HR services; acts as a conduit for continuous improvement feedback flowing through the operations teams and HR Centers of Excellence.
• Supports operations leaders in strengthening team performance, building leadership capability, and fostering high-performing teams across the practice network; promotes learning and development opportunities and partners with Learning & Development to support leadership development and compliance training initiatives.
• Leads efforts to monitor and improve team member engagement across operations, including reviewing engagement survey results and partnering with leaders on action planning; designs custom team interventions to support operations leader continuous improvement goals; champions initiatives that strengthen team member experience, retention, and organizational culture.
• Leverages people analytics and operational data to generate thematic insights, identify trends, inform HR strategies, and support leadership decision-making.
• Monitors key HR scorecard metrics including engagement, retention, turnover, and leadership effectiveness within the portfolio; maintains accountability for achieving HR scorecard goals within the operations portfolio.
• Partners with the Integrations team to support the onboarding and cultural integration of newly affiliated practices.
• Supports operations leadership during periods of organizational growth, operational change, or transformation initiatives.
• Partners with the CHRO and HR Centers of Excellence—including Recruiting, Learning & Development, and Benefits & Wellness—to implement companywide HR programs and initiatives.
• Ensures HR strategies and initiatives drive measurable improvements in leadership capability, team member engagement, retention, and organizational performance.

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Ability to travel up to 50-70%.
• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field required; advanced degree or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR) appreciated.
• 8+ years of progressive human resources experience, including experience in an HR Business Partner or HR leadership role supporting operational leaders; experience supporting multi-site field-based operations environments preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing HR teams, including HR Business Partners and/or Employee Relations professionals; experience partnering with senior or executive leaders to align talent strategies with business objectives; demonstrated ability to design and implement HR programs that support organizational growth, leadership development, and team member engagement.
• Strong background in employee relations, including guiding leaders through complex team member issues, investigations, and performance management situations.
• Experience using people analytics and workforce data to inform HR strategies and organizational decisions.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate operational priorities into effective people strategies.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and relationship-building skills with the ability to influence leaders at multiple levels of the organization.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Benefits Offered:

• Physical wellness: Health, dental, vision, voluntary life and disability programs, and discounted access to gym memberships
• Mental wellness: Paid time off, flexible work schedules, and EAP
• Financial wellness: Bonus incentives, retirement accounts, retail discounts, and access to financial planning tools
• Professional wellness: Learning and career development solutions

Pay Range: