Senior Director, People & Culture

Senior Director, People & Culture

About the Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists, without regard to their political ideology, to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal. We protect the rights of all people to have access to diverse and independent sources of information. Founded in 1981 as an independent, nonprofit organization, we have helped win the early release of imprisoned journalists, secure convictions in journalist murders, and enable positive legal reform in countries where the climate for free expression has deteriorated.We are headquartered in New York City with a global team comprised of staff members and contributors based worldwide. This structure allows us to monitor and respond to press freedom threats in real time, ensuring that journalists everywhere have the support they need.We are dedicated to upholding values of equity and free expression in both our internal operations and external endeavors. As an international organization, we strive for our people to be representative of the global community we support and to equip our team with the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.Learn more about our fight to defend freedom of the press at https://cpj.org/.

The Senior Director, People & Culture Opportunity

We are seeking a mission-aligned Senior Director, People & Culture (Senior Director) with both strategic vision and strong execution skills to lead our human resources function. Since 2021, when we established the first dedicated HR role at CPJ, we have implemented key systems, processes, policies, and roles to support staff. We are now seeking a Senior Director who will strengthen the foundation already in place and continue to build out a highly responsive, consistent, and globally effective People & Culture function.Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Director will play a central role in supporting our globally distributed, hybrid workforce. They will be responsible for aligning people strategies with CPJ's mission and organizational structure, strengthening management practices, bolstering organizational efforts around equity and inclusion, and improving day-to-day operations. This leader will also serve as the internal point person for CPJ on labor relations, owning engagement with union representatives, leading on grievance resolution, and helping foster a culture of transparency, fairness, and accountability across union and non-union staff. The Senior Director will provide leadership to a small People & Culture team, ensuring strong alignment with organizational goals, clear roles, and accountability.This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced HR professional to shape and lead an evolving department at a critical time for press freedom and as we continue to grow our international presence. The Senior Director will have direct access to leadership and contribute to key organizational decisions as a true partner across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic People Leadership

• Partner with the Chief Operating Officer and senior leadership team to align people strategy with CPJ's evolving structure, goals, and values.
• Lead and manage the People & Culture function, ensuring it operates with consistency, credibility, and responsiveness across the organization and that the organization's People & Culture strategies and policies adhere to collective bargaining agreements and reflect CPJ's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Build a team culture of trust, collaboration, and accountability with clear goals, consistent feedback, and fair performance expectations for every team member.
• Design and implement systems and practices that support a high-performing, equitable, and sustainable workplace, including effective communication strategies that foster transparency, two-way feedback, and alignment between leadership and staff.
• Support change management efforts by ensuring people strategies adapt with CPJ's organizational evolution, structure, and scale.

Global Workforce Strategy

• Oversee people operations for a globally distributed workforce, ensuring that policies, benefits, and people practices are legally sound, culturally responsive, and consistent with CPJ's values. Where appropriate, adapt policies and people practices to align with local legal requirements and cultural context, while maintaining organizational standards for equity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Manage diverse employment arrangements across countries, including direct employees, contractors, and staff employed through third-party Employers of Record (EORs).
• Provide strategic guidance on global employment issues such as hiring, compensation benchmarking, employment classifications, and supporting teams in working effectively across time zones.
• Support the organization-wide implementation of CPJ's newly revised employee handbook, ensuring that its policies are clearly understood, consistently applied, and integrated into day-to-day practices across locations and employment types.

People Engagement and Conflict Resolution

• Act as CPJ's primary liaison with union representatives, managing all aspects of labor relations and collective bargaining to foster a collaborative and productive work environment grounded in mutual respect and organizational trust. Support management representatives on CPJ's Labor-Management committee. Contribute to agenda development, facilitate open dialogue, and ensure follow-through on agreements.
• Oversee grievance processes, ensuring timely and equitable resolution. Conduct or coordinate investigations where appropriate and ensure outcomes are well documented and legally sound.
• Develop systems and internal communications that promote transparency, fairness, and consistency and support a connected and equitable experience for staff across locations and employment types.
• Offer facilitation, coaching, and tools for respectful communication to support staff and managers in navigating interpersonal or team-based challenges.
• Foster a workplace culture where difficult conversations can happen constructively, with psychological safety and shared accountability as the foundation.

Talent Acquisition and Development

• Lead an inclusive, equitable recruiting and hiring strategy that reflects CPJ's commitment to building a diverse and mission-aligned workforce.
• Partner with hiring managers to implement consistent, bias-aware hiring processes that support fairness, transparency, and clarity. Collaborate with the Diversity Committee and Labor-Management Committee to strengthen inclusive hiring practices, including implementing required annual training.
• Support the use of data, feedback, and regular review to inform improvements.

Performance, Culture, and Learning

• Oversee performance management systems that are consistent, transparent, and aligned with CPJ's values. Ensure expectations and evaluation criteria are clearly defined, applied fairly, and communicated across all teams.
• Promote shared accountability and clear advancement pathways at all levels by defining core organizational competencies, providing coaching, creating feedback channels that support a culture of continuous improvement and open communication, and defining clear criteria for promotion decisions.
• Champion workplace wellbeing initiatives that support mental health, resilience, and sustainable work practices.
• Identify learning and development opportunities that are accessible and relevant across teams and roles. Build organizational capacity through learning and development programs that strengthen communication, feedback, and collaboration skills across roles all roles and teams.
• Partner with the Chief Operating Officer and leadership team to translate engagement survey insights into actionable improvements. Develop systems for ongoing listening tracking, and feedback that support a culture of continuous learning.

Human Resources Operations

• Oversee all HR systems and vendors, ensuring that CPJ's HR operations effectively support all appropriate employee needs and organizational priorities.
• Evaluate and improve HR systems and tools to ensure they support a scalable, data-informed, and employee-centered approach.

Candidate ProfileAs a strong candidate for the Senior Director, People & Culture role, you will demonstrate many, though perhaps not all, of the following experiences and skills:

• You come to this role with at least 8 years of progressive HR experience, including management roles and experience supervising and developing People & Culture or HR staff.
• You bring experience managing HR policies and practices across international contexts, including working with globally distributed teams.
• You have experience working with U.S. unionized workforces.
• You demonstrate proven success in leading culture change, staff engagement, and building systems that promote shared accountability, leveraging strategic thinking to develop and implement plans that respond to organizational need, capitalize on opportunities, and manage risk.
• You possess excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills, with a solutions-oriented approach as well as excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• You lead with cultural competency and an emphasis on treating others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect, with an understanding of how to how to engage a highly diverse, global workforce. Experience supporting an employee population with a focus on wellness and trauma-informed practices is considered a plus.
• You bring an understanding of how to navigate ambiguous situations and ensure fair, consistent, and appropriate decisions in line with organizational policies and values.
• You have strong organizational, time management, and delegation skills in order to manage multiple priorities within a small team and a relatively new function.
• You may offer additional attributes that would be valuable in this role, including SHRM-CP/SCP or other HR certification and/or fluency in additional languages.

Location

This position requires working at least three consecutive days a month from our New York office, located in midtown Manhattan.We promote a flexible working environment with hybrid and flexible work schedule opportunities. Our NYC office was designed to be a place where we can work effectively and collaboratively, bringing energy, inspiration, commitment, and deep learning to our mission.

Compensation and BenefitsSalary for the role is anticipated to range from $160,000 - $180,000, commensurate with experience.CPJ offers a generous benefits package that includes:

• Health Care Plans (100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision plans for employee coverage)
• Health Reimbursement Account (employer-funded HRA of $5,000 annually)
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer contribution of 4%. Additional employer dollar-for-dollar match of elective employee contribution up to 3%.)
• Life Insurance and AD&D Plans (100% employer-sponsored with the option to elect additional voluntary plans)
• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick, and paid holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability (employer-sponsored with the option to elect additional voluntary plans)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pre-Tax Flexible Spending Accounts (medical, dependent care, and commuter expenses)
• Voluntary benefits plans (accident, hospitalization, critical illness, pet, and legal insurance)
• Flexible Work Schedules, including hybrid options with two required in-office days per week and remote work flexibility. Longer remote working periods are also offered, allowing up to sixty days per year.

Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Cassie Scarano and Kirstin Griffiths. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.CPJ provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.

To apply, visit: https://www.dsgco.com/search/22475-cpj-senior-director-people-culture/ jeid-843124f14ba047489ab64a4bdc12bf2b