Full-Time

Senior Director of Human Resources and Employee Relations

Human Resources, Employee Relations

Posted on 9/27/2025

Cotulla Education

Cotulla Education

51-200 employees

Career-focused vocational education with hands-on training

Compensation Overview

$125k - $150k/yr

Virginia Beach, VA, USA

Hybrid

Hybrid work model requiring 2-3 days in-office per week.

Category
People & HR (1)
Requirements
  • Strong background in employee relations
  • Conflict resolution skills
  • Workplace culture development experience
  • Strategic HR leadership skills
  • SHRM CP/SCP or CPTD (preferred, but not required)
Responsibilities
  • Serve as the company’s senior-level advisor on employee relations
  • Develop, implement, and continuously improve employee relations strategies, policies, and tools
  • Partner with leaders to foster a workplace culture rooted in trust, accountability, and respect
  • Provide coaching and training to regional HR teams and managers on conflict resolution, investigations, progressive discipline, and performance improvement planning
  • Monitor regional compliance with federal, state, and local labor laws
  • Lead, mentor, and develop Regional HR Managers
  • Translate corporate HR initiatives into employee-focused regional strategies
  • Champion a culture of collaboration, transparency, and continuous improvement across the HR function
  • Establish performance metrics for HR and ER effectiveness
  • Ensure Regional HR Managers provide effective HR cross-functional support to the Talent Acquisition and Onboarding teams
  • Oversee how Regional HR Managers support recruitment- and onboarding-related HR activities
  • Guide regional HR Managers in implementing effective performance management processes, talent development initiatives, leadership pipeline, career growth frameworks, and succession planning
  • Collaborate with benefits, payroll, and HRIS teams to ensure employee relations cases and outcomes are documented and reflected with accuracy and sensitivity
  • Ensure compliance in employment transactions
  • Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with regional leadership, corporate departments, and C-level executives
  • Act as a key liaison between corporate and regional HR teams
  • Lead or contribute to special initiatives focused on workplace culture, employee engagement, and organizational effectiveness

Cotulla Education runs a network of career-focused schools and training centers that prepare students for in-demand trades and technical careers. Its brands include the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College, Tidewater Tech, and the American Lineman College, spanning about 20 campus locations in the United States. Courses blend hands-on training with online study, backed by a Career Services team to help with job placement, and tuition and fees generate revenue. The company partners with employers to create employment pathways and maintains digital platforms for student support; its goal is to reduce labor shortages by equipping graduates with market-ready skills and helping them find work in fields like aviation, healthcare, IT, and electrical line-work.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Virginia Beach, Virginia

Founded

2024

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Addresses aviation shortage with platforms generating 750,000 social views.
  • Diversifies into HVAC, healthcare, and automotive programs across 20 campuses.
  • Emphasizes hands-on training and job placement for high-demand trades.

What critics are saying

  • AIM network fails to scale against tens of thousands unfilled positions.
  • Accreditation loss at campuses cascades enrollment drops in 6-18 months.
  • American Lineman integration fails, causing write-downs in 12-24 months.

What makes Cotulla Education unique

  • Cotulla Education operates largest FAA-certified aviation maintenance school system since 1970s.
  • Acquired American Lineman College in October 2025 for powerline training.
  • Launched Aviation.edu and Aviation.co platforms with Big Human in March 2026.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Parental Leave

Paid Time Off

Employee Assistance Program

Tuition Reimbursement

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

0%
PR Newswire
Mar 3rd, 2026
Big Human and Cotulla Education launch dual aviation platforms to address workforce shortage

Big Human has partnered with Cotulla Education to launch two digital platforms addressing aviation workforce shortages. Aviation.edu focuses on career discovery and educational support, whilst Aviation.co serves as an industry-wide community platform for mentorship and knowledge-sharing. The initiative responds to projected shortfalls of tens of thousands of aviation maintenance professionals in the US over the next decade, driven by retirements outpacing new training programme entrants. The platforms aim to expand career awareness and provide sustained digital support throughout professionals' careers. Since launching, Aviation.co has generated over 750,000 social views, 20,000 organic impressions and 3,000 qualified waitlist sign-ups within six months. Big Human provided strategy, design, development and growth marketing for the partnership.

INACTIVE