DCH Health System (DCH) seeks a strategic, collaborative, and innovative human resources leader to serve as its next Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). This exciting opportunity is available due to the future retirement of a long‑tenured and respected HR leader. The CHRO serves as the senior leader responsible for the strategic direction, development, and execution of human capital initiatives across the system, partnering closely with the Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer and the executive leadership team to ensure DCH’s workforce strategy supports its mission of delivering high‑quality care to the communities of West Alabama.
DCH is a community-owned, independent health system with more than 4,700 employees and three hospitals serving a population of nearly 400,000 in its service area. DCH provides crucial access to its patient population through an array of service lines and care settings. Headquartered in Tuscaloosa, AL, and founded in 1923, the system has evolved into a regional health system integral to the area. This is a unique opportunity to join the organization at a pivotal and energizing moment in its transformation. Over the last three years, the system has achieved a significant financial turnaround and is poised for meaningful modernization and cultural advancement. This role offers an opportunity to shape the future of a health system that serves as the primary provider for West Alabama and is deeply important to its community.
The CHRO will step into an environment where HR is expected to play a central, strategic, and collaborative role. With the retirement of a long‑tenured and respected HR leader, the incoming CHRO will inherit foundational relationships, strong community goodwill, and an HR team with considerable institutional knowledge, while also having the mandate and support to elevate the HR organization to a more contemporary, proactive, and strategic level. The CHRO will provide leadership across all HR functions, including workforce planning, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, employee relations, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, and compliance, ensuring DCH remains competitive in attracting, developing, and retaining a high‑performing workforce.
Reporting to the Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, this is a high‑impact opportunity for an innovative and collaborative HR executive to partner directly with a senior leadership team primed for change. The CHRO will build trust, clarify roles, modernize processes, and establish HR as a visible, influential, and forward‑thinking leader in shaping DCH’s culture. Success will include creating structure for employee relations, succession planning, leadership development, and workforce strategy; areas where significant opportunities exist to strengthen consistency, transparency, and alignment.
Strategically, the CHRO will play a key role in advancing DCH’s recruitment and retention capabilities, reducing reliance on agency staffing, and cultivating partnerships that bolster the regional workforce pipeline. As the only major health system serving West Alabama, DCH offers the CHRO a powerful platform to collaborate with the University of Alabama, local colleges, community organizations, and West Alabama Works to build the next generation of healthcare talent.
With a nearly entirely new executive team, DCH is embracing a culture focused on collaboration, accountability, innovation, and breaking down silos across departments and professions. The CHRO will be central to this cultural evolution, helping to bridge differences between clinical and nonclinical teams and ensuring that all employees feel heard, supported, and engaged. The ability to bring people together, encourage open‑mindedness, and lead with confidence and humility will be essential.
The successful candidate will be a transformative, people‑centered human resources leader who brings an appetite for influencing organizational strategy, culture, workforce development, and community impact. The next CHRO will help build the future of DCH and shape a workplace where employees at all levels feel supported, respected, and inspired to deliver exceptional care.
Please direct all nominations and applications to the search team through the office of Charlotte Harris via email at [email protected] or apply for this position using the buttons at the top of this page.