Director of Human Resources Employee Relations
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Job Location:
Oakland, CA - USA
Monthly Salary:
$ 136000 - 164000
Posted on:
30+ days ago
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Description
PLEASE NOTE: A COVER LETTER IS REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION.
The cover letter should be no longer than one page and include:
- Example(s) of successful navigation of complex talent/HR issues
- Example(s) of your commitment to racial equity
- Example(s) of how you coach and manage your teams
Position Summary
The Director of HR Employee Relations serves as the senior-most leader that will lead the design and execution of KIPP NorCals employee relations strategy fostering a positive inclusive and legally compliant work environment in alignment with our values of excellence equity courage and compassion for over 1100 staff members. This role will provide expert guidance on conflict resolution employee counseling and complex workplace issues while also ensuring adherence to all applicable employment laws and policies. The Director will train and coach managers and school leaders on best practices in employee relations lead high-level investigations and build the systems tools and processes that strengthen the organizations overall employee experience.
Reporting to the Chief People Officer the Director acts as a strategic advisor and decision-maker on matters including investigations discipline performance management terminations and conflict resolution. The Director directly manages three Associate Directors of Employee Relations and serves on the Total Employee Experience (TEX) leadership team with responsibility for setting vision standards and accountability across all employee relations work.
This role requires deep expertise in employee relations sound judgment in high-stakes situations and the ability to lead and influence senior leaders across a large distributed organization.
Required Qualifications
- Mission Oriented - Holds a deep belief in the brilliance of our students and their potential; and in the transformative power of education for liberation. Demonstrates our Regional Support Office values of excellence equity courage and compassion.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR or Employee Relations experience including significant ownership of complex high-risk employee relations matters (e.g. investigations discipline terminations performance management and compliance).
- Demonstrated experience leading employee relations at scale supporting large distributed organizations (1000 employees strongly preferred).
- Proven people management experience including direct management of senior HR or Employee Relations leaders.
- Deep working knowledge of California employment law including investigations leaves performance management discipline and compliance requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment on sensitive matters and serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders.
- Strong commitment to advancing racial equity and embedding diversity equity and inclusion principles into employee relations practice.
- Bachelors degree required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Graduate degree (JD or comparable advanced degree strongly preferred).
- SHRM-SCP or other senior-level HR certification.
- Experience in TK12 education nonprofit or other mission-driven organizations.
- Knowledge of California credentialing regulations.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Employee Relations Strategy & Leadership
- Own and lead the overall employee relations strategy for KIPP NorCal including systems standards and escalation protocols.
- Serve as the final point of escalation for complex sensitive or high-visibility employee relations matters.
- Determine and own the approach to complex personnel issues informed by legal guidance and organizational values.
- Collect analyze and interpret employee relations data to identify trends and inform recommendations to the Chief People Officer and senior leadership.
- Ensure consistent legally sound and values-aligned ER practices across school sites and the Regional Support Office (RSO).
Counseling Advising and Training
- Serve as the primary decision-maker and advisor to managers school leaders and executives on employee relations matters.
- Provide expert guidance on performance management disciplinary action and corrective processes.
- Design and deliver training for managers and employees on employee relations topics including workplace behavior conflict resolution and policy implementation.
- Develop manager capability through coaching and targeted professional learning.
Investigations Conflict Resolution & Title IX
- Maintain and continuously improve KIPP NorCals escalation and investigation protocols.
- Lead and oversee thorough investigations into allegations of harassment discrimination retaliation or other workplace misconduct including:
- Interviewing involved parties
- Reviewing documentation and evidence
- Drafting clear well-supported investigation reports
- Maintain strict confidentiality and professionalism throughout all investigations.
- Develop recommend and oversee execution of resolutions in partnership with the Chief People Officer.
- Facilitate mediations and restorative conversations as appropriate.
- Serve as KIPP NorCals Title IX Coordinator and lead all related processes.
Tools Systems & Policy Development
- Develop and maintain ER tools protocols and templates (e.g. investigations interviews performance improvement plans).
- Lead annual updates to the Staff Handbook and ensure policies remain current compliant and accessible.
- Partner with the TEX team and organizational leaders to update and implement policies as needed.
- Design and facilitate workshops related to performance cycles policy updates promotions and other key people processes.
- Lead TEX team projects as assigned.
Compliance & Legal Matters
- Ensure ongoing compliance with federal state and local employment laws and regulations.
- Stay current on legal changes and proactively update ER practices as needed.
- Lead and represent the organization in arbitration proceedings and other formal employment-related processes as required.
Team Leadership & Management
- Directly manage three Associate Directors of Employee Relations.
- Set clear expectations for direct reports aligned to Professional Development Plans and TEX team goals.
- Coach and develop team members to ensure strong performance consistency and professional growth.
- Contribute to setting TEX team goals and aligning departmental priorities with organizational strategy.
- Support TEX team budget management and participate in hiring for TEX team roles.
- Model and reinforce a positive inclusive and high-performing team culture.
Additional Responsibilities
- Serve as an external representative of KIPP Northern California as needed.
- Share employee relations and talent best practices across the national KIPP network.
- Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.
Physical Mental and Environmental Demands
- Physical: Ability to navigate office and school campuses and hold meetings in different spaces. Traditionally much of the day involves sitting. Ability to access and utilize technology. Occasional lifting/carrying of equipment up to 20 lbs. Physical agility to move self in various positions in order to execute duties effectively which may include kneeling walking pushing/pulling squatting twisting turning bending stooping and reaching overhead.
- Mental: Stress of deadlines and normal work standards ability to analyze problems and generate alternatives work with interruptions concentrate for long periods of time read calculate perform routine math problems memorize and recall objects and people.
- Environmental: Office environment subject to interruptions and distractions. Frequent travel to schools and districts. KIPP adheres to health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC CDE and public health agencies recommendations.
Important Note for Applicants
This role is not an entry-level or early-career HR leadership position. It requires deep experience navigating complex employee relations matters managing senior HR leaders and exercising sound judgment in high-risk situations.
Classification
This is a full-time exempt position based on a full year calendar cycle based out of our Regional Support Office (RSO). The RSO currently operates in a hybrid fashion. The Director can expect to work in person 2-3 days per week and remotely or in the field the remaining days subject to change based on the needs of the role and the first six months of the role the Director should expect more in person days to build relationships with school and RSO teams.
About KIPP Public Schools Northern California
We are a thriving nonprofit network of 23 free public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities we create joyful academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choosecollege career and beyondso they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.
Our student community consists of nearly 7000 elementary middle and high school students in East Palo Alto Oakland San Francisco San Lorenzo San Jose Redwood City and Stockton. 79% qualify for free or reduced price lunch 23% are multilingual learners and 10% have special needs. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students diversity.
Compensation
KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your familys well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package including medical dental and vision benefits.
We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is between $136000 and $164000. Most candidates would be compensated at $147000.
PLEASE NOTE: A COVER LETTER IS REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION.
The cover letter should be no longer than one page and include:
- Example(s) of successful navigation of complex talent/HR issues
- Example(s) of your commitment to racial equity
- Example(s) of how you coach and manage your teams
Required Experience:
Director
Key Skills
- Customer Service
- CFA
- Ethernet
- Fiber
- Anesthesia
About Company
KIPP is a network of 17 public charter schools in Northern Calilfornia serving grades TK - 12 that provides college-prep, tuition free education.
