Director, People and Operations

Summary

Join American Oversight, a nonpartisan nonprofit watchdog, as the Director of People and Operations. Lead HR strategy and operations, ensuring organizational effectiveness, compliance, and a positive workplace culture. Oversee the full employee lifecycle, from talent acquisition to employee relations. Partner with the Executive Director to develop and implement initiatives to attract, develop, and retain top talent, embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) principles. Optimize operations, resource management, and process efficiency, ensuring seamless financial processes and compliance. Drive initiatives that enhance efficiency, equity, and employee engagement, aligning HR and operational policies with American Oversight’s mission and values. This role requires strategic planning, employee relations, performance management, talent acquisition, compliance, benefits administration, and operational oversight. The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of HR generalist experience and a proven track record of success in a non-profit or start-up environment.

Requirements

• 10+ years of HR generalist experience, including experience: Serving as a strategic business partner; Leading HR strategies aligned with organizational goals; Advising senior leadership; Working in a non-profit or start up environment; and Managing and developing direct reports
• Experience developing and applying DEIB best practices to People programs, policies, processes, tools, and resources
• Experience with interactive processes, leave management, and employment law compliance
• Excellent confidentiality, judgment, discretion, professionalism, integrity, diplomacy, and ethics
• Exceptional skills in the following areas: Strategic Thinking and Planning : Thinks strategically and tactically to advance American Oversight’s mission and priorities while effectively executing detailed HR and operations plans; anticipates and adapts to challenges, proactively identifies opportunities for organizational efficiency and effectiveness
• Project Management : Plans, organizes, and executes multifaceted HR and operations initiatives from concept to completion; manages timelines and resources while ensuring alignment with strategic goals; coordinates with cross-functional teams, manages stakeholder expectations, and delivers high-quality results under tight deadlines
• Communication : Oral : Translates complex organizational changes into clear, actionable messages to ensure alignment and engagement; provides guidance to leadership and staff through effective feedback, active listening, and tailored communication approaches; leads engaging training sessions, workshops, and meetings to support learning and development initiatives
• Written : Crafts clear, concise, and legally compliant policies and internal communications; ensures written content is free from grammatical and spelling errors; adapts language or style to target audiences
• Judgment and Decision Making : Carefully assesses information and weighs competing priorities before making sound decisions that lead to effective outcomes; predicts likely results based on patterns, experiences, and logical inferences; considers potential consequences and ensures alignment with American Oversight’s values and objectives
• Relationship Building : Builds and strengthens relationships with internal and external audiences that establish and reinforce American Oversight’s brand
• People Management : sets clear goals and expectations; leads, motivates, and develops team to achieve organizational goals; tracks progress towards those goals and provides timely and constructive feedback; builds an inclusive team environment, and invests in the development and growth of staff members; resolves conflicts, manages diverse perspectives, and aligns individual contributions with broader team objectives
• Initiative :  Proactively identifies challenges and opportunities, takes ownership of solutions, and drives improvements. Comfortable working in ambiguity, problem-solving creatively, and taking decisive action to enhance HR and operational effectiveness
• Collaboration : Comfortable working in a fast-paced, agile, and collaborative environment; is an inclusive, highly engaged team player who recognizes cross-organizational opportunities to help achieve shared goals
• Strong technology skills with an aptitude to learn quickly to ramp up including: Demonstrated working knowledge of HR information system , as well as an understanding of the interface between HR and financial systems; Experience with applicant tracking systems (e.g., JazzHR), performance management platforms (e.g., CultureAmp), systems that administer payroll benefits (e.g., Paychex), and other functions, as well as other HR technologies (e.g., Employee Navigator), or a comparable enterprise HR software; Proficiency in business applications (e.g., spreadsheets, presentations, databases) to streamline processes and provide data-driven recommendations to the Executive Director
• Ability to design, implement, and train employees on HR policies and programs
• Availability for East Coast hours and occasional travel to Washington, D.C

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement short- and long-term HR strategies aligned with American Oversight’s mission and goals
• Serve as the primary resource for employees on all HR-related matters
• Provide thought partnership to the Executive Director using data-driven insights on HR strategies and practices and organizational design and development
• Collaborate with leadership to shape and execute HR strategies, ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging principles are embedded across policies and programs
• Collaborate with leadership to conceptualize, build, project manage staff retreats, and other activities or events
• Cultivate a supportive, inclusive, and equitable workplace culture
• Act as a liaison between leadership, management, and employees, addressing concerns and grievances
• Oversee the planning and implementation of employee engagement initiatives
• Lead performance management programs, ensuring continual alignment with organizational goals
• Provide training and support to managers and staff on performance management processes
• Use performance data to lead and drive learning and development programs, including the professional development stipend program
• Identify learning and development opportunities that support employees’ learning desires and needs
• Manage full-cycle recruitment and implement best practices to attract top talent
• Monitor hiring trends and optimize and implement forward-thinking recruitment strategies
• Develop employer branding strategies to attract a diverse talent pool
• Ensure compliance with all employment laws and regulations in coordination with outside employment counsel, and maintain up-to-date HR policies and practices
• Stay abreast of new and emerging employment laws and People compliance and ensure the timely integration of applicable requirements as appropriate throughout all People practices
• Oversee payroll and benefits administration and collaborate with providers to streamline processes
• Identify opportunities to enhance workplace culture and strengthen employee experience
• Serve as a key advisor to leadership on operational planning, risk management, and infrastructure needs
• Manage contracts, vendor relationships, and procurement processes to optimize spending
• Monitor resource allocation and ensure the organization operates within financial constraints
• Support risk management efforts, ensuring compliance with operational policies and best practices
• Identify opportunities for operational improvements and implement streamlined processes
• Develop and manage systems, policies, and workflows to enhance organizational effectiveness
• Work closely with the external accounting firm to ensure timely bill payments and credit card transaction tracking
• Support financial processes, audits, and compliance efforts
• Manage business insurance, business licenses, and compliance requirements
• Assist the Executive Director in preparing materials for funder and board meetings, as needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience  scaling operations and leading change management initiatives to drive efficiency, growth, and adaptability
• Expertise in organizational design and development, implementing strategies that enhance structure, workflow, and team effectiveness
• Locally based with the ability to work in-office one day a week

Benefits

• 80% of health, dental, and vision premiums paid by the organization
• A retirement plan with a matching contribution
• Remote office reimbursements for personal devices and wireless connectivity