Senior Director, People And Culture

Summary

Join Teaching Lab as their Senior Director, People and Culture! This remote, full-time position offers a competitive salary range of $125,000-$189,074 annually and the opportunity to lead and develop the People & Culture department for a growing non-profit. You will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining HR systems and strategies across the employee lifecycle, including talent acquisition, performance development, and employee relations. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's degree, 10+ years of director-level HR experience, and relevant certifications. This role requires strong leadership skills, expertise in employment law, and a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). The position offers the chance to make a significant impact on a mission-driven organization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Organizational Psychology, or relevant field
• Ten (10) or more years of successful director-level experience managing and leading Human Resources operations and employee programs throughout the employee lifecycle
• Over five (5) years of successful Human Resources experience aligning and supporting business operations for a geographically dispersed workforce
• Over five (5) years of successful experience advising leaders on employee relation matters related to conduct and/or performance
• Professional HR certifications (i.e., PHR or SHRM-CP)
• Demonstrated ability to lead diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) initiatives, including equitable hiring practices, pay equity audits, and employee inclusion programs, leveraging metrics to track and measure success
• Experience managing people and leading teams with three or more direct reports in a remote or hybrid work environment
• Skilled at balancing team dynamics, managing diverse perspectives, and guiding teams with emotional intelligence to navigate challenges, maintain morale, and achieve collective goals effectively
• Advanced knowledge of and experience applying Federal and State employment laws in the workplace
• Experience collecting and compiling data into reports for distribution to senior leaders
• Experience sharing and presenting information through various communication avenues to employees and senior leaders
• Proven experience managing HR systems (i.e., HRIS/HRM, etc.) and overseeing HR systems integrations
• Proficient with Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite

Responsibilities

• Set, evolve, and execute on a comprehensive vision and strategy for the People and Culture department in alignment with strategic priorities and values to ensure that Teaching Lab’s workforce of 130+ employees and 200+ annual contractors are effectively meeting their role-based goals, satisfied with their working experience and environment, actively contribute to an equitable work environment, and strategically retained
• With the COO, translate long-term strategies into strategic and operational People and Culture plans that drive positive employee experiences and organizational impact in improving student learning in school system partner
• Promote a culture of continuous learning and accountability within the People and Culture department, encouraging innovative solutions and improvements
• Provide vision, direction, and oversight of staff to ensure excellent internal operations in the following areas: people administration and operations, talent acquisition, and learning and development
• Provide coaching and support to direct reports on their projects and/or assignments, including identifying and addressing development needs and supports
• Monitor workloads and capacity to ensure effectiveness and productivity while promoting time management and prioritization of assignments
• Provide frequent values-based feedback and recognition to direct reports
• Ensure the successful completion of direct reports’ goals as well as those of their direct reports
• Conduct annual evaluations for direct reports
• Complete internal tasks related to people management in a timely manner
• Source, recruit, and hire for open People and Culture department roles
• Coordinate total rewards strategy and program by collaborating with the Executive Team to design a direct and indirect compensation program that fairly pays employees and contractors for their work
• Review day-to-day People and Culture department processes, and make recommendations for improvements as well as service changes/enhancements
• Ensure management and oversight of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the People and Culture department
• Ensure accessibility of the People and Culture department to staff members through the design and implementation of venues such as open office hours, trainings, and service requests to ensure appropriate and responsive services. Ensure monitoring of designated feedback platforms, and respond to, partner with stakeholders for resilient solution-finding, and recommend follow-up actions
• Lead efforts to manage organizational risk and comply with federal, state, and local legal requirements for a multi-state workforce of employees and contractors. Includes: studying existing and new legislations, collaborating with legal counsel to identify, assess, and mitigate personnel or policy risks, advising the Executive Team on needed actions, and enforcing adherence to legal requirements
• Guide management and employee actions by researching, developing, writing, and updating legally compliant policies, procedures, guidelines, and documents (e.g., handbooks, contracts, offer letters, etc.) to communicate and enforce organizational values
• Alongside the COO and with support from the People Services team, design and oversee the implementation of an efficient, effective, and equitable employee life cycle, including communications to the team, with the goals of acclimating new employees and contractors to the organization’s mission, work, and culture; develop an understanding of their role, responsibilities, and goal; enter the organization’s equity and racial equity journey
• Oversee HR systems, data entry, auditing, and reporting related to total rewards, leave, workers’ compensation and workplace compliance
• Design and manage the implementation of an offboarding process for employees, including communications to the team, which honor contributions and continue to build community
• In consultation with the COO, use good judgment aligned with Teaching Lab’s policies and practices and employment law to provide support to employees for work conditions and safety concerns, and accommodations
• Support the People Services team to engage in user-centered design feedback and iteration approaches to ensure that people administration and operation practices are aligned with best practices and meet the evolving needs of employees, contractors, home managers, project leaders, and senior leaders
• Alongside the COO and with the support of the Talent Acquisition team, lead the implementation of equitable and inclusive processes in talent acquisition
• In collaboration with the Director, Talent Acquisition & Employer Branding, oversee the design, training, and implementation of an efficient, effective, and equitable hiring process, including platforms and tools used
• Support the Talent Acquisition team to engage in user-centered design feedback and iteration approaches to ensure that talent acquisition practices are aligned with best practices and meet the evolving needs of applicants as well as hiring managers and hiring teams
• Review and approve job postings and job descriptions to ensure they are aligned with titles and organizational mission
• Support employer branding efforts by partnering with the Talent Acquisition team and Marketing department to create employer and culture content, including content for the website’s careers page, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc
• Alongside the COO, the Managing Director, Strategy & Communications, and with the support of the Learning and Development team, lead the implementation of the employee performance development system (PDS) and various performance management procedures
• Support the Managing Director, Strategy & Communications and the Director, Workforce Education and Performance Development to create and implement a vision for leadership development at Teaching Lab that is aligned to the PDS
• Support the Learning and Development team to design, revise, and implement PDS aligned to Teaching Lab’s vision for leadership and career development
• In collaboration with the Director, Workforce Education and Performance Development, provide resources, training, and support to all team members on the PDS
• Support the Learning and Development team to engage in user-centered design feedback and iteration approaches to ensure that the performance development system and practices are aligned with best practices and meet the evolving needs of employees, home managers, and project leaders
• Support home managers and project leads to craft, implement, monitor PIP, and act on the data equitably
• In consultation with the COO, Executive Team, consultants, and/or legal counsel, use good judgment that is aligned with Teaching Lab’s policies and practices and employment law to provide support to employees and contractors related to conduct and/or performance concerns
• Train team members on workplace codes of conduct as well as on protocols for allegations of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation
• Train team members on procedures for escalating performance or conduct concerns through and including employment actions
• Intake and listen to employee concerns that negatively impact their work experience or performance and provide direction, including encouraging employees to have direct and open conversations with each other, which can be facilitated by the Senior Director, People & Culture
• Partner with the Executive Team and people managers to address escalated HR operational issues such as employee relations, compensation reviews, and performance management; provide insightful crisis management advice, when required
• Review, create, reiterate, and enforce people policies that are fair and consistent, in alignment with Teaching Lab values and employment law
• Act as a liaison between employees and managers to prevent and resolve issues
• Offer solutions and compromises when employee performance or behavioral issues arise
• Settle workplace disputes through interpreting organizational policies and employment and labor laws
• Quickly respond to conflict to ensure that the rights of employees and contractors are not violated; Determine the appropriate disciplinary action, if necessary
• When there is an allegation of misconduct, hold responsibility for investigating the claim, establishing its validity, and interpreting equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws to see if the employer is in compliance, and communicating with the person with the allegation, others involved, legal counsel, and the Executive Team
• Collaborate with the Executive Team, with department leaders, and with team members at every level of the organization to generate ideas, strategies, and systems to meet organizational goals related to people and culture
• Provide People and Culture written updates through various avenues of reporting (e.g  internal newsletter, quarterly progress monitoring, Executive Team reports)
• Serve as the primary point of contact for HR matters relating to organizational initiatives, policies, practices and procedures, employee relations issues
• Supports racial equity initiatives by ensuring that diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) is embedded in all offered activities and events
• Provide leadership for the Racial Equity Coalition alongside other People and Culture leaders
• Through informal and formal structures and opportunities, “keep an ear on the ground” to proactively and strategically analyze trends to identify and clarify HR issues and priorities
• Participate in organization-wide working groups, committees, and meetings to further personal and organizational growth and learning, specifically engaging in the organization-wide arc of learning with respect to becoming an anti-racist organization
• Seek and respond to feedback from staff and adjust People and Culture processes accordingly
• Engage in additional work as needed to meet organizational business needs and priorities
• Engage in continuous learning
• Stay abreast of key research and guidance in the field, attend learning experiences to build skills and competencies in people operations and services, talent acquisition, learning and development, and employee relations
• Continuously update job knowledge by participating in conferences and educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks, and participating in professional organizations
• Engage in personal and organized learning opportunities as a team member at an organization that aspires to be anti-racist and champions racial equity
• Create and deliver training to other team members on core skills or competencies within the Senior Director, People and Culture role which is also transferable and critical for other roles
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Operating Officer and/or Executive Team

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related field
• Senior level professional HR certifications and/or credentials
• Multi-state HR experience, with knowledge of compliance across varied jurisdictions
• Experience with Paylocity or similar HRIS platforms

Benefits

• $125,000 - $189,074 a year
• Remote/home office anywhere in the continental United States
• Ability to work a flexible schedule to support operational needs