People and Operations Director

Organization Overview

Youth Organize! California (YO! Cali) is a statewide network of grassroots youth organizations committed to expanding the capacity of young people and organizations to lead transformative youth organizing across California. We work to build leadership pathways and serve as a hub for youth organizing that centers directly impacted young people at the forefront of a bold, multi-issue movement for transformation, liberation, and healing.

Position Overview

The People and Operations Director is a new position at YO! Cali. The position will lead human resources, operations, and administrative functions for YO! Cali and its fiscally sponsored projects, ensuring internal systems align with our mission, values, and commitment to equity. This role oversees day-to-day HR operations, including payroll, employee relations, training, benefits, compensation, and HRIS, and partners with the Co-Executive Directors on organizational development, compliance, and risk management. They will also steward organizational workplace culture by embedding values-informed practices into policies, systems, and decision-making processes that foster staff development, shared leadership, and long-term organizational sustainability.

The People and Operations Director reports to the Co-Executive Director and supervises the Learning & Operations Manager as part of a three-person Admin and Finance team. This full-time, exempt role is deeply integrated into organization-wide efforts including political education, culture-building, and shared leadership. YO! Cali currently has 12 staff and a $3.5M annual budget, with plans to expand as we build out a hub for fiscally sponsored projects, requiring additional HR, compliance, and reporting systems. The role calls for discretion, independent judgment, and the ability to build people-centered infrastructure in a growing organization.

Work Environment This position is remote and must be based in California. Occasional in-person gatherings and travel will be required for retreats, team meetings, or organizational events.

Key Administrative and Operations Responsibilities:

Human Resources Leadership (40%)

• Lead all HR functions and internal systems to ensure legal compliance, alignment with YO! Cali values, and organizational goals
• Steward the YO Cali’s compensation philosophy by maintaining and updating the compensation structure, job leveling matrix, and associated role expectations. Ensure alignment with organizational values, equity goals, and market standards. Regularly review internal equity and external competitiveness, support role scoping and reclassification processes, and partner with leadership to ensure transparent, consistent application across the organization
• Lead employee lifecycle processes, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, offboarding, stay and exit interviews, leave management, and employee relations, with consistency and care
• Maintain and develop personnel policies and informal practices to reflect current law, organizational values, and staff needs
• Steward the development and implementation of retirement and benefits programs to ensure equity, competitiveness, and cost-effectiveness. Serve as the primary contact with third-party administrators and plan providers, ensuring compliance with ERISA, ACA, and other applicable laws
• Stay current on labor laws and ensure compliance across all HR practices, policies, and programs, with ongoing evaluation to identify and manage organizational risk
• Support the integration and upkeep of internal systems and platforms (e.g., HRIS, document management, collaboration tools) to strengthen operational coherence and accessibility

People Leadership (40%)

• Design and manage performance development systems that include goal-setting, annual reviews, and professional growth plans, while offering coaching and guidance to staff and managers to support accountability, alignment, and care
• Foster an inclusive, supportive workplace culture by embedding equity and care into team norms, staff engagement practices, and decision-making processes
• Provide guidance and collaborative leadership to the Learning & Operations Manager, supporting key functions such as payroll administration, staff onboarding and training, and the implementation of organizational processes including annual goal-setting, trimester planning, and staff retreats.
• Support organizational sustainability by identifying internal leadership pathways and guiding succession planning processes in alignment with staff interests and strategic goals
• Collaborate with Co-Executive Directors and across departments to align internal systems with programmatic, development, and strategic priorities
• Finalize, implement and manage the organization’s conflict transformation policy and practice
• Partner with the Culture Stewardship Team to guide annual policy, practice and evaluation to reflect organizational goals, needs, and values, as well as collaborate on other resource-related initiatives

Operations & Administration (15%)

• Manage key vendor relationships and service contracts to ensure responsive, values-aligned support for HR, administrative, and operational needs
• Collaborate with the Finance Director to align budgeting and staffing plans, ensure accurate payroll and benefits administration, manage compensation strategy, and support compliance with labor, tax, and nonprofit regulations. Collaborate on audits, equitable compensation strategies, and financial planning to ensure internal operations are fiscally sound, equitable, and aligned with YO! Cali’s values and goals
• Ensure compliance with nonprofit and employment laws and proactively manage organizational risk
• Develop and implement systems that streamline daily operations, enhance internal coordination, and increase efficiency

Other Responsibilities (5%):

• Serve as a member of the cross-departmental leadership body
• Actively participate and support facilitation in staff meetings, planning sessions, and retreats
• Participate in occasional organization-wide events
• Join and contribute to cross-functional committees and working groups

Essential Qualifications:

• Experience with the nonprofit fiscal sponsorship model A and C
• 5-7 years of director-level experience in a range of nonprofit human resource functions, including at least some of the following areas: performance management, professional development, organizational development, payroll & benefits, hiring & orientation, personnel policies, and salary ranges
• 5-7 years of experience supporting nonprofit operations, including at least some of the following areas: office management & moves, technology systems, and legal compliance
• At least 4 years of direct supervision experience
• Exceptional communication skills, with a strong ability to build relationships, support staff development within diverse teams, and effectively address conflict in transformative ways
• Ability to coach staff & managers on performance challenges
• Familiarity with key federal and state labor and payroll laws
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Google Spreadsheets
• Demonstrated ability to set up processes, systems, and workflows, ensure adherence and follow-up, and continually improve them
• Experience in administering complex policies and procedures
• Good judgment to manage sensitive and confidential matters
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Self-starting and proactive
• Ability to organize and prioritize a complex work plan with ever-changing details.
• Strong analytical and research skills; ability to research, learn, and decide how to approach new HR and technology issues
• Strong commitment to social justice, racial justice, and youth empowerment
• Familiarity with database management and digital collaboration platforms with a specific focus on Google Workplace and Zoom. Familiarity with systems such as Salesforce, Slack, and Asana are a bonus.
• Technology knowledge and experience working with various platforms and tools including HRIS systems including Paycom, Benefits platforms including Ease

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with Quickbooks online and Airbase
• Proficient with Apple computers

Physical Demands:

• Able to work on a computer, including sitting at a desk, for extended periods of time with or without reasonable accommodation
• Manual dexterity to operate a keyboard
• Able to see or read a computer screen and printed material with or without vision aids
• Able to speak clearly and in audible tones on the phone and in person and be understood by others
• Able to hear and understand speech at normal levels and on the telephone
• Able to understand and follow oral and written instructions
• Able to occasionally lift objects weighing up to 10 pounds

Compensation:

$95,000–$105,000 as determined by YO! Cali’s salary scale. This position is full-time exempt, reports to one of the Co-Executive Directors, and provides strategic leadership to the Learning & Operations Manager and Culture stewardship team, fostering a collaborative partnership. YO! Cali provides a generous benefits package, including fully paid health insurance (medical, dental, and vision) for employees and dependents.

We also offer substantial paid time off.

How to Apply: Please complete this application form to submit your resume, a work sample, and answer a few brief questions. We hope to fill the position by Oct. 2025 and will accept applications until the position is filled.

At YO! Cali, a proudly multi-racial organization, we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace where every staff member's voice is heard, supported, and valued, allowing them to bring their authentic brilliance to advance the YO! Cali mission. As an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, we strongly encourage individuals who are queer, trans, non-binary, Black, Indigenous, people of color, parents, women, people with disabilities, im/migrants, and those who have faced systemic oppression or gender-based violence to apply. We are dedicated to confronting and addressing racism and inequity both within our organization and in the communities we serve.