OPT HR Director Jobs
HR Director roles are available to F-1 OPT students with degrees in human resources, organizational behavior, business administration, or industrial-organizational psychology. Most positions require several years of progressive HR experience, making this a realistic target for students who have built leadership experience through internships, graduate programs, or prior roles.
See All OPT HR Director JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 633+ HR Director jobs
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
Have you applied for this role?
See all 633+ HR Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new HR Director roles.
Get Access To All JobsPosition Summary
The Market HR Director operates across a high-complexity market environment. This role functions as a senior strategic advisor to the Market President, Market Team, and General Managers and is expected to shape talent and organizational health decisions — not just respond to them. The Director diagnoses systemic workforce challenges, brings a disciplined point of view to senior business conversations, and manages the full market HR portfolio with the sophistication and business credibility expected of a senior HR Business Partner.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Talent Selection
- Own the talent selection standard for the market — the Market President looks to the Director to define what a disciplined hiring process looks like and hold it
- Lead GM-level interview processes in close partnership with the Market President; provide a structured, evidence-based talent assessment with a clear recommendation
- Conduct market-wide staffing reviews on a regular cadence; anticipate critical role vacancies 60–90 days before they become crises
- Analyze early turnover patterns across the full market portfolio — distinguish root causes at the hiring, onboarding, and leader effectiveness levels and route corrective action accordingly
- Serve as the strategic partner to the Talent Acquisition COE on market-level workforce planning; bring demand forecasts, brand-level talent trends, and local market intelligence
- Identify systemic gaps in GM and Department Manager pipeline depth and bring a recommendation to the Market President and VP, Human Resources
Talent Development
- Maintain a sophisticated, current talent map of every GM and key Department Manager in the market — strengths, gaps, development needs, succession readiness, and flight risk
- Operate with a coaching-first philosophy at all times: build GM and leader capability, do not substitute for it
- Drive the internal succession agenda with discipline — present succession bench depth to the Market President quarterly and close identified gaps through COE partnership
- Lead and facilitate quarterly talent calibration reviews with the Market President and VP, Human Resources; own the narrative, the data, and the recommended actions
- Partner with the Talent Development COE to co-design market-specific capability solutions — bring field intelligence the COE cannot see from the center
- Identify high-potential associates across the market, advocate for their development, and track progress against development commitments
Listening Strategy
- Own the organizational health narrative for the market — synthesize listening data, ER case patterns, turnover, and business performance into an integrated market health assessment
- Arrive at every listening debrief with the Market President prepared with an interpretive point of view, a root cause hypothesis, and a recommended response — not a data summary
- Coach GMs to own their team's listening response; the Director's role is to equip and hold accountable, not to step in
- Identify cross-store patterns and systemic themes; escalate market-level organizational health risks to the VP, Human Resources with a recommendation and a sense of urgency
- Serve as the market-level point of contact for the ER Team on case trends; surface emerging systemic ER risk proactively before it is visible in formal reporting
Business Performance
- Operate as a genuine strategic partner to the Market President — attend P&L reviews, understand the business deeply, and bring an independent people-strategy perspective to every business conversation
- Connect market-level workforce data to financial outcomes with specificity: identify which people trends are costing the market the most and prioritize accordingly
- Redirect the Market President's focus when people decisions are being driven by urgency rather than strategy; push back with data, offer alternatives, and hold the HR perspective without deferring
- Develop and present the market's Organizational Health Score and people analytics to senior leadership on a regular cadence
- Frame all HR work — across all four pillars — in the language of business outcomes; every recommendation connects to a market or store-level result
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SCOPE
All HRBPs handle Green-tier ER cases independently and may handle lower-acuity Yellow-tier cases with appropriate judgment. Higher-acuity Yellow, Orange, and Red-tier cases are escalated to and managed by the centralized ER Team, with the HRBP serving as the market-level partner — providing context, maintaining associate relationships, and ensuring continuity throughout the investigation process. HRBPs do not conduct formal investigations on elevated-tier matters; they are the bridge between the associate, the store, and the ER Team.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required
- 6–9 years of progressive HR experience with meaningful business partner exposure at the market or regional level
- PHR or SHRM-CP required; SPHR or SHRM-SCP strongly preferred
- Workday or comparable HRIS proficiency required; experience with HR reporting tools or dashboards preferred
- Solid command of multi-state employment law; comfortable advising leaders on workforce risk without Legal present
- Retail, automotive, or high-volume multi-site experience a plus
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Business Acumen — Fluently connects workforce strategy to market P&L performance; is a credible voice in business reviews and brings an independent point of view to the Market President
- Coaching Over Doing — Models and enforces the coaching-over-doing standard across the market; pushes back when leaders look to HR to do the work that belongs to them
- Diagnostic Thinking — Synthesizes signals across multiple data streams — listening data, ER trends, turnover, performance — into a coherent market health narrative with a specific point of view
- COE Partnership — Leverages Talent Development, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, and Total Rewards as expert partners; routes work to the right COE rather than working around them
- Execution & Follow-Through — Manages a high-complexity, high-volume portfolio without dropping detail; builds systems to stay ahead of the work rather than reacting to it
- Integrity & Discretion — Handles sensitive associate information with unwavering confidentiality; never compromises associate trust or the integrity of the HR function
Exciting Benefits and Perks Await You:
- Competitive compensation and 401k matching
- Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with insurance plans (health, dental, vision) and maternity benefits
- Associate purchase and discount programs for new and pre-owned vehicles, services, parts, collision, accessories, and AutoGear
- Access amazing deals and discounts through YouDecide, a website with offers from top providers and retailers
- Join our DRVPNK mission to raise and donate millions of dollars to cancer research and treatment, partnering with cancer charities nationwide
AutoNation is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States, offering innovative products, exceptional services, and comprehensive solutions, empowering our customers to make the best decisions for their needs. With a network of dealerships nationwide strengthened by a recognized brand, we offer a wide variety of new and used vehicles, customer financing, parts, and provide expert maintenance and repair services. Through DRV PNK, we have raised over $40 million for cancer-related causes, demonstrating our commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of our Associates, Customers, and the communities we serve.
AutoNation is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in our workplace and the services we provide. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who are passionate about making a positive impact. Even if you do not meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. Join our team and help us foster a culture of belonging while contributing to our revolutionary work in the automotive industry. We value innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world.
Position Summary
The Market HR Director operates across a high-complexity market environment. This role functions as a senior strategic advisor to the Market President, Market Team, and General Managers and is expected to shape talent and organizational health decisions — not just respond to them. The Director diagnoses systemic workforce challenges, brings a disciplined point of view to senior business conversations, and manages the full market HR portfolio with the sophistication and business credibility expected of a senior HR Business Partner.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
Talent Selection
- Own the talent selection standard for the market — the Market President looks to the Director to define what a disciplined hiring process looks like and hold it
- Lead GM-level interview processes in close partnership with the Market President; provide a structured, evidence-based talent assessment with a clear recommendation
- Conduct market-wide staffing reviews on a regular cadence; anticipate critical role vacancies 60–90 days before they become crises
- Analyze early turnover patterns across the full market portfolio — distinguish root causes at the hiring, onboarding, and leader effectiveness levels and route corrective action accordingly
- Serve as the strategic partner to the Talent Acquisition COE on market-level workforce planning; bring demand forecasts, brand-level talent trends, and local market intelligence
- Identify systemic gaps in GM and Department Manager pipeline depth and bring a recommendation to the Market President and VP, Human Resources
Talent Development
- Maintain a sophisticated, current talent map of every GM and key Department Manager in the market — strengths, gaps, development needs, succession readiness, and flight risk
- Operate with a coaching-first philosophy at all times: build GM and leader capability, do not substitute for it
- Drive the internal succession agenda with discipline — present succession bench depth to the Market President quarterly and close identified gaps through COE partnership
- Lead and facilitate quarterly talent calibration reviews with the Market President and VP, Human Resources; own the narrative, the data, and the recommended actions
- Partner with the Talent Development COE to co-design market-specific capability solutions — bring field intelligence the COE cannot see from the center
- Identify high-potential associates across the market, advocate for their development, and track progress against development commitments
Listening Strategy
- Own the organizational health narrative for the market — synthesize listening data, ER case patterns, turnover, and business performance into an integrated market health assessment
- Arrive at every listening debrief with the Market President prepared with an interpretive point of view, a root cause hypothesis, and a recommended response — not a data summary
- Coach GMs to own their team's listening response; the Director's role is to equip and hold accountable, not to step in
- Identify cross-store patterns and systemic themes; escalate market-level organizational health risks to the VP, Human Resources with a recommendation and a sense of urgency
- Serve as the market-level point of contact for the ER Team on case trends; surface emerging systemic ER risk proactively before it is visible in formal reporting
Business Performance
- Operate as a genuine strategic partner to the Market President — attend P&L reviews, understand the business deeply, and bring an independent people-strategy perspective to every business conversation
- Connect market-level workforce data to financial outcomes with specificity: identify which people trends are costing the market the most and prioritize accordingly
- Redirect the Market President's focus when people decisions are being driven by urgency rather than strategy; push back with data, offer alternatives, and hold the HR perspective without deferring
- Develop and present the market's Organizational Health Score and people analytics to senior leadership on a regular cadence
- Frame all HR work — across all four pillars — in the language of business outcomes; every recommendation connects to a market or store-level result
EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SCOPE
All HRBPs handle Green-tier ER cases independently and may handle lower-acuity Yellow-tier cases with appropriate judgment. Higher-acuity Yellow, Orange, and Red-tier cases are escalated to and managed by the centralized ER Team, with the HRBP serving as the market-level partner — providing context, maintaining associate relationships, and ensuring continuity throughout the investigation process. HRBPs do not conduct formal investigations on elevated-tier matters; they are the bridge between the associate, the store, and the ER Team.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field required
- 6–9 years of progressive HR experience with meaningful business partner exposure at the market or regional level
- PHR or SHRM-CP required; SPHR or SHRM-SCP strongly preferred
- Workday or comparable HRIS proficiency required; experience with HR reporting tools or dashboards preferred
- Solid command of multi-state employment law; comfortable advising leaders on workforce risk without Legal present
- Retail, automotive, or high-volume multi-site experience a plus
CORE COMPETENCIES
- Business Acumen — Fluently connects workforce strategy to market P&L performance; is a credible voice in business reviews and brings an independent point of view to the Market President
- Coaching Over Doing — Models and enforces the coaching-over-doing standard across the market; pushes back when leaders look to HR to do the work that belongs to them
- Diagnostic Thinking — Synthesizes signals across multiple data streams — listening data, ER trends, turnover, performance — into a coherent market health narrative with a specific point of view
- COE Partnership — Leverages Talent Development, Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, and Total Rewards as expert partners; routes work to the right COE rather than working around them
- Execution & Follow-Through — Manages a high-complexity, high-volume portfolio without dropping detail; builds systems to stay ahead of the work rather than reacting to it
- Integrity & Discretion — Handles sensitive associate information with unwavering confidentiality; never compromises associate trust or the integrity of the HR function
Exciting Benefits and Perks Await You:
- Competitive compensation and 401k matching
- Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with insurance plans (health, dental, vision) and maternity benefits
- Associate purchase and discount programs for new and pre-owned vehicles, services, parts, collision, accessories, and AutoGear
- Access amazing deals and discounts through YouDecide, a website with offers from top providers and retailers
- Join our DRVPNK mission to raise and donate millions of dollars to cancer research and treatment, partnering with cancer charities nationwide
AutoNation is one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States, offering innovative products, exceptional services, and comprehensive solutions, empowering our customers to make the best decisions for their needs. With a network of dealerships nationwide strengthened by a recognized brand, we offer a wide variety of new and used vehicles, customer financing, parts, and provide expert maintenance and repair services. Through DRV PNK, we have raised over $40 million for cancer-related causes, demonstrating our commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of our Associates, Customers, and the communities we serve.
AutoNation is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in our workplace and the services we provide. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds who are passionate about making a positive impact. Even if you do not meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. Join our team and help us foster a culture of belonging while contributing to our revolutionary work in the automotive industry. We value innovation, teamwork, and a commitment to making a positive impact in the world.
See all 633+ OPT HR Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT HR Director Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in HR Director
Target mid-size and large employers
Companies with 500 or more employees typically have dedicated HR infrastructure and are more comfortable navigating OPT authorization. Smaller firms often lack the HR bandwidth to manage work authorization paperwork alongside a new hire's onboarding.
Lead with your SHRM certification
SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP credentials signal professional commitment and partially offset concerns about your OPT timeline. Hiring managers in HR understand what those certifications require, which works in your favor when they review your application.
Frame OPT as a low-risk trial
HR Directors often evaluate risk themselves. Make it easy by explaining that OPT requires no employer filing, no fees, and no lottery. Many hiring managers at this level simply do not know how straightforward OPT authorization actually is.
Apply before your 90-day unemployment clock becomes an issue
F-1 OPT students accrue unauthorized unemployment days. Start your HR Director job search early, before that window tightens. A gap approaching 90 days limits your negotiating position and adds unnecessary urgency to every application.
Quantify your HR impact in applications
Hiring committees for director-level roles want evidence of business outcomes. Cite retention rate improvements, recruiting efficiency gains, or compliance wins from prior experience. Concrete results make a stronger case than describing responsibilities alone.
Use Migrate Mate to filter for OPT-friendly employers
Migrate Mate surfaces companies with a documented history of sponsoring international talent. Focusing your applications there saves significant time and avoids submitting to employers who will screen you out at the authorization question.
HR Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as an HR Director on F-1 OPT?
Yes. F-1 OPT authorizes full-time employment in a role directly related to your degree field. HR Director positions qualify if your degree is in human resources, business administration, organizational behavior, or a closely related discipline. Your employer does not file any petition on your behalf during the OPT period, which makes the authorization process straightforward for both sides.
Will employers at the director level hire someone on OPT?
Many will, particularly at larger organizations where HR and legal teams are already familiar with work authorization. The most common hesitation is uncertainty about timelines, not unwillingness to sponsor. Addressing the OPT authorization process directly in your interviews, and clarifying that it requires no employer action, resolves most objections before they become obstacles.
How does STEM OPT extension affect my HR Director job search?
If your degree is in a STEM-designated field such as industrial-organizational psychology or management information systems, you may qualify for a 24-month STEM OPT extension after your initial 12-month period. That gives you up to three years of OPT work authorization total. Employers who are interested but concerned about timeline gaps often respond positively when they understand the extension is available.
What happens to my OPT status if the HR Director role falls through after I accept?
Your OPT authorization remains valid. You can continue job searching within your authorized period. However, unemployment days accumulate, and F-1 students are limited to 90 cumulative days of unemployment on post-completion OPT. Reporting a job loss to your DSO promptly keeps your SEVIS record accurate and protects your status while you search for a replacement role.
Where can I find HR Director jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international students on OPT and visa holders, so the employers listed there are already open to work-authorized candidates. Browsing HR Director listings on Migrate Mate filters out the significant share of postings where sponsorship is not available, which makes your search meaningfully more efficient than general job boards.