Ascend Learning
Director HR
🇺🇸
Hybrid - Burlington, MA
🕑
Full-Time
💰
TBD
💻
Human Resources
🗓️
June 3rd, 2026
Edtech.com's Summary
Ascend Learning is hiring a Director Human Resources. The Director will serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, aligning people strategy with business goals to enhance organizational effectiveness and leadership capabilities. This role involves workforce planning, change management, and driving data-informed decisions to support complex operations and promote a strong corporate culture.
Highlights
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior operations leaders, translating business strategy into integrated people strategies
- Use data analytics to diagnose organizational challenges and support sustainable performance
- Lead organization design, workforce planning, and change initiatives including restructures and transformations
- Provide expert guidance on employee relations, performance management, succession planning, and leadership development
- Collaborate with HR Centers of Excellence to deliver scalable enterprise solutions and contribute to HR initiatives
- Requires 10+ years of progressive HR experience, with strong strategic thinking, coaching skills, and business acumen
- Experience in complex, matrixed environments and merger & acquisition integrations is essential
- Bachelor's degree preferred; high school diploma or GED required
- Benefits include flexible paid time off, competitive medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k) matching, parental leave, and tuition reimbursement
- Focus on cultivating an inclusive culture that values diversity and fosters belonging
Director HR Full Description
Director HR
Category: Human Resources
Req ID: 1060
Date: May 7, 2026
Location: Burlington, MA, US, 01803 Remote, US Leawood, KS, US, 66211
We Impact Lives Through Purpose-Driven Work in A People First Culture
Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is the connection between a powerful portfolio of brands serving students, educators, and employers with outcomes-based, data-driven solutions across the lifecycle of learning. From testing to certification, Ascend Learning products are used by physicians, emergency medical professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, certified personal trainers, financial advisors, skilled trades professionals and insurance brokers.
Headquartered in Burlington, MA, with additional office locations and hybrid and remote workers in cities across the U.S., Ascend Learning was recognized by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group as one of America’s 2025 Greatest Workplaces as well as America’s Best Places to work for Mental Well-Being for 2025.
We're always looking for talented, passionate professionals to join us in our mission to help change lives. If this sounds like an environment where you'd thrive, read on to learn more.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
The Director Human Resources serves as a strategic advisor and thought partner to senior leaders across key corporate operations functions. This role aligns people strategy with business priorities to drive organizational effectiveness, leadership capability, and scalable performance in complex, fast paced environments. Operating with a strong enterprise mindset, the Director balances immediate business needs with long term workforce and organizational health. As a member of the HRBP team, this role influences outcomes at scale through trusted leadership partnership and data driven insight. Your leadership will be pivotal in nurturing our culture and guiding our talent to new heights of success.
WHERE YOU’LL WORK
This position will work a hybrid schedule from our Burlington, MA office location preferred. Hybrid work from our Leawood, Kansas office location or remote will be considered within the United States. Working Eastern and/or Central time zone hours is required.
HOW YOU’LL SPEND YOUR TIME
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior operations leaders, translating business strategy into integrated people strategies
- Diagnose organizational challenges and opportunities using data informed insights to drive sustainable performance
- Partner with leaders on workforce planning, capability needs, and operating rhythm to support current and future business demands
- Lead organization design and operating model evolution, including role clarity, spans of control, and team effectiveness
- Guide leaders through change initiatives such as restructures, growth, integration, and transformation
- Guide organization through performance management, succession planning, leadership development, and internal mobility
- Provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, investigations, performance issues, and workplace concerns
- Collaborate with HR Center of Excellence (COEs) to deliver cohesive, scalable enterprise solutions and contribute to enterprise wide HR initiatives
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including significant experience in HR Business Partner roles supporting complex operations
- Proven ability to influence, coach, and advise senior leaders through ambiguity and change
- Strong strategic thinking and business acumen with an enterprise mindset
- Strong ability to utilize data analytics to drive decision-making and measure effectiveness
- Experience supporting corporate operations or similarly complex, matrixed environments
- Expertise in organization effectiveness, change leadership, and workforce planning
- Executive presence with strong judgment and decision making capability
- High emotional intelligence and advanced coaching skills
- Solid knowledge of employment law, employee relations, and HR best practices
- Proven experience in merger and acquisition due diligence and integrations
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and complex initiatives in a fast paced, matrixed organization
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or other areas combined with relevant work experience is preferred. High school diploma or GED required
BENEFITS
- Flexible and generous paid time off
- Competitive medical, dental, vision and life insurance
- 401(k) employer matching program
- Parental leave
- Wellness resources
- Charitable matching program
- On-site workout facilities (Leawood, Gilbert, Burlington)
- Community outreach groups
- Tuition reimbursement
Fostering A Sense of Belonging
Our values-driven culture unifies our teams and inspires a mindset of action, innovation, and collaboration, with a relentless focus on customers. We seek out and celebrate all people and perspectives and cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and be authentic. Our culture is firmly rooted in the belief that by embracing our differences and drawing on diverse perspectives, we are a stronger, more innovative, and more successful organization where employees experience a sense of belonging.
Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S.-based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
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