Chief People & Talent Officer

ABOUT GREAT OAKS LEGACY CHARTER SCHOOL

The Great Oaks Legacy Charter School is a high-performing innovative charter public school in Newark NJ serving students from Pre-K to 12th grade on campuses across the city of Newark. Our mission is to prepare Newarks students for success in college and beyond. Currently the historical college matriculation rate for GOLCS is 79% - nearly twice the national average for economically underrepresented students.

Our model is based on the following guiding principles that guide our work daily

1. Creating a community that is built upon genuine and meaningful relationships.
2. Being surgical in our approach to differentiation of instruction and support for all students and team members.
3. Setting and exceeding high expectations for academic growth and character development for all students in preparation for success in college and beyond.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Great Oaks Legacy is seeking a dynamic leader to drive the work that touches every adult in our buildings so that they can do their best work for kids. The Chief People & Talent Officer (CPTO) will lead GOL through a critical and exciting moment of self reflection and reimagining of organizational culture talent management and organizational health.

The leader we are seeking has a deep well of experience in complex organization-wide change management; organizational development; strategic talent management and capacity building; and HR leadership grounded in operational depth. Preference will be given to leaders with experience in a charter school or K-12 environment.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer the CPTO serves in a dual role: as the strategic leader of our people and culture work and as a key member of the senior leadership team helping to steward the organizations mission and impact. This leader is responsible for advancing a people-centered values-driven and growth-oriented approach to how we attract support and retain talent across the organization. At the same time the CPTO contributes beyond their functional areabringing systems thinking collaboration and shared accountability to the overall health effectiveness and long-term success of the organization. The ideal candidate will be deeply committed to fostering a thriving equitable workplace while actively shaping the strategic direction of our work understanding that culture and talent systems are brought to life not by one individual but by an aligned empowered team.

The CPTO oversees a department of six human resources and talent teammates with direct management of three.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Complex Organization-Wide Change Management

• Demonstrated ability to lead enterprise-level change initiatives across diverse teams functions and rolesespecially in environments where cultural norms or historical practices require thoughtful inclusive engagement.
• Skilled at recognizing organizational dynamics creating space for honest dialogue and crafting change strategies that are both emotionally intelligent and operationally sound
• Experienced in using inclusive design approaches such as listening tours focus groups or participatory feedback loops to build buy-in before rollout.
• Fosters psychological safety and openness while helping teams move toward clear decisions and aligned outcomes
• Proven success in implementing change in mission-driven fast-paced environments such as K12 education nonprofits or public systems where resource constraints and competing priorities are common.

Organizational Development

• Deep understanding of organizational health drivers including structure systems culture leadership and team dynamics.
• Strong diagnostic and analytical skillsable to identify not just surface-level symptoms but underlying systemic issues affecting performance engagement and cohesion.
• Experienced in designing and implementing OD strategies that improve team alignment leadership clarity and interdepartmental collaboration.
• Comfortable using both quantitative data (e.g. surveys performance metrics) and qualitative insights (e.g. interviews observations) to inform strategies decisions and initiatives.
• Has led or co-led efforts such as culture transformations executive team development org design/redesign or development of core operating norms and behaviors.

Strategic Talent Management and Capacity Building

• Demonstrated success designing and implementing a comprehensive end-to-end talent strategyfrom sourcing and recruitment through onboarding development retention and succession planning.
• Builds internal capacity by directly developing their own team equipping leaders across the organization to grow talent effectively and setting the standard for strong performance management.
• Experienced in designing and scaling values-aligned performance management systems that foster accountability growth and a strong culture.
• Strong commitment to equity and inclusion with a track record of embedding DEI into every stage of the talent lifecycle.

Progressive Human Resources Leadership

• Brings broad and deep experience across core HR functions including compliance employee relations compensation benefits workforce planning and HR operations.
• Has led or played a senior role in modernizing and aligning HR systems and policies to better support organizational culture values and mission-driven work.
• Demonstrated ability to translate policy into practicebuilding tools guidance and support structures that make HR processes accessible equitable and effective.
• Balances compliance and innovation: upholds legal and ethical standards while also identifying opportunities to improve systems and elevate the employee experience.
• Navigates complex personnel issues with sound judgment discretion and a strong orientation toward resolution fairness and accountability.
• Familiar with or adaptable to mission-driven education or nonprofit environments where relationship-building agility and cultural sensitivity are critical.

Human Resources Leadership in a K12 or Charter School Context (preferred but not required)

• Direct experience managing HR functions within a K12 public charter or mission-aligned educational organization with a strong understanding of school-based operational needs and educator workforce dynamics.
• Deep familiarity with the school calendar hiring timelines certification processes and the rhythms of teacher and staff evaluation cycles.
• Able to build trust and credibility with school leaders educators and operational staff by understanding their day-to-day realities and aligning HR support accordingly.
• Experience navigating education-specific compliance issues such as licensure Title IX staff onboarding and labor regulations relevant to school settings.
• Comfortable balancing the needs of a network or central office with the autonomy and culture of individual school sites supporting both consistency and flexibility.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

• 10 years of human resources experience with a minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership position.
• Experience leading complex organization-wide change in environments with high variability in stakeholder engagement and openness. Skilled at navigating diverse perspectives with empathy and clarity building cross-functional coalitions to obstacles into opportunities.
• Strong organizational development orientation with the ability to analyze systems identify points of misalignment and implement integrated strategies that improve coherence efficiency and long-term organizational performance.
• Brings an integrated approach to talent strategy and leadership development that balances system-building with people developmentdesigning systems that attract grow and retain high-impact mission-aligned talent while building capacity across the organization.
• Brings a breadth and depth of HR leadership experience with a track record of strengthening foundational systems while evolving people practices to reflect the organizations values and equity commitments. Balances operational excellence with people-centered judgment and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Preferred but not required: Direct HR experience in a K12 or charter school setting with a strong understanding of school-based dynamics hiring cycles and certification requirements. Able to build strong relationships with educators and leaders while tailoring systems to meet the unique needs of school environments.
• Experience successfully implementing DEI strategies and policies that create an environment of access and belonging.
• Strong emphasis on servant leadership and a strong listener who builds trust and relationships with a high level of emotional intelligence.
• Ability to make decisions in a fast-paced changing environment and anticipate future needs.
• Experience managing and empowering high-capacity teams with demonstrated success building strong management structures and cultivating leadership within their department.

ABOUT THE OFFER

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience and a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Robust medical dental and vision insurance plans w/ comprehensive network coverage.
• Tax exempt student loan and tuition reimbursement per year.
• Reimbursements for external professional development aligned to your role.
• Wellness reimbursements including gym memberships spa services and more.
• Online counseling services - for staff and their dependents - via top-rated therapy app.
• Pre-tax state pension plan benefit w/ addl. options available via voluntary retirement plans.
• Pre-tax dependent care health and transit flexible spending plans available.

DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION & ACCESSIBILITY

GOLCS is committed to building a talented team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. Furthermore we believe that racial justice and equity is critical to our mission of preparing students for success in college and beyond. We strive to be an organization that is diverse equitable inclusive and elevates our student voices in preparing them for life and college.

GREAT OAKS LEGACY CHARTER SCHOOL VACCINATION POLICY

Great Oaks Legacy Charter School is committed to ensuring healthy and safe working and learning environments and maintaining our educational commitment to GOLCS students and families - with minimal disruption to instruction. With this in mind as of October 2021 Great Oaks Legacy requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees. Candidates who would like to apply for a reasonable accommodation from this policy based on a qualifying disability or sincerely held religious belief should reach out to for more information.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

Great Oaks Legacy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply please submit a resume. Application materials will be accepted through June 27 2025.