How To Become A Senior Director Human Resources: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior director human resources and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Sandi Dornhecker

The primary role of the senior director of human resources is to develop and lead HR strategies across the organization. These strategies will cover workforce planning, talent management, employee development and relations, organization development, compensation and benefits administration, and regulatory compliance. He/She serves as an advisor to the management on key organizational, management, and human capital issues and develops, implements, and tracks the performance management processes and systems of the organization. Plus, he/she leads training and development efforts throughout the organization.

For this role, you need a bachelor's degree in business, human resources, or a related field. You must have a minimum of five years of related experience and optional relevant HR certifications. To succeed in this position, you need leadership, interpersonal, organization, presentation, and computer skills. Also, you must be conversant with related laws and regulations. These professionals make $226,355 annually. Their salary varies between $183,000 and $280,000.

What general advice would you give to a senior director human resources?

Sandi Dornhecker

Vice President of Human Resources, Chicago Zoological Society

To always remain positive. The job market has been flooded with unemployed workers, so the competition may be much steeper than usual, although I've read some articles that say this may not be the case as the number of quality applicants in the workforce remains the same. If you haven't found a position in your desired career yet, take positions and work when and where you can. Give it your all while you are working, strive to excel in your performance, no matter what your job is, and be a dedicated worker while you are there. If one is looking for employment, take your time to review the job(s) and requirements of the positions you are applying for to make sure you meet the minimum qualifications and/or are able to speak to how your skills are transferable; don't just take a shotgun approach. Write a customized cover letter for each position you apply for that reflects how your knowledge, background, and skills apply to the position and why you are interested. Answer all on-line application questions honestly and thoroughly. Write a thank-you note, if you are granted an interview. When you start a new job, be a sponge. Learn as much as you can and be willing to go the extra mile. This is a unique year to start one's career, and a graduate can learn unique lessons in both positive and challenging experiences.

ScoreSenior Director Human ResourcesUS Average

Salary

8.9

Avg. Salary $148,930

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.6

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.40%

Asian 5.71%

Black or African American 7.65%

Hispanic or Latino 11.14%

Unknown 5.09%

White 70.01%

Gender

female 54.87%

male 45.13%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.3

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior director human resources

Explore senior director human resources education requirements

Most common senior director human resources degrees

Bachelor's

74.7 %

Master's

18.3 %

Associate

4.0 %

Start to develop specific senior director human resources skills

Skills	Percentages
Performance Management	10.50%
Employee Engagement	6.09%
SR	5.19%
HRIS	5.10%
Workforce Planning	4.94%

Research senior director human resources duties and responsibilities

Lead the complex migration to a new HRIS system to house policies, forms, and benefit information.
Manage and publish several cost-savings models for Sr. level management.
Ensure compliance with legislate requirements such as EEO, FLSA, FMLA and ADA.
Implement an HRIS system that meet all applicable labor and employment requirements at the federal and state levels.

Get senior director human resources experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior director human resources. The most common roles before becoming a senior director human resources include director of human resources, human resources manager team lead and human resources vice president.

Prepare your senior director human resources resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior director human resources resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior director human resources resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable senior director human resources resume templates

Build a professional senior director human resources resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior director human resources resume.

Apply for senior director human resources jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a senior director human resources job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

Average senior director human resources salary

The average senior director human resources salary in the United States is $148,930 per year or $72 per hour. Senior director human resources salaries range between $106,000 and $207,000 per year.

Average senior director human resources salary

$148,930 Yearly

$71.60 hourly

How do senior directors human resources rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Senior director human resources reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2021

Pros

Making a difference in the lives of the people and the community where I am employed.

Cons

Decline in business levels and employee layoffs.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Helping people throughout the organization

Cons

Lack of control over certain areas of HR

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Pros

Autonomy to address HR issues as I see fit. Ability to work with people in all areas of the company, in all roles and at all levels.

Cons

I'm the only HR person, so I don't have a team.

What is a senior director human resources and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a senior director human resources?

Senior director human resources career paths

Key steps to become a senior director human resources

Explore senior director human resources education requirements

Most common senior director human resources degrees

Start to develop specific senior director human resources skills

Research senior director human resources duties and responsibilities

Get senior director human resources experience

Prepare your senior director human resources resume

Choose from 10+ customizable senior director human resources resume templates

Apply for senior director human resources jobs

How did you land your first senior director human resources job

Average senior director human resources salary

How do senior directors human resources rate their job?

Senior director human resources reviews