Director of People and Culture

Join a national organization committed to advancing a movement to race equity and health justice.

Community Catalyst is a leading Non-Profit national health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a movement for health equity and justice. We partner with local, state and national advocates to leverage and build power so all people can influence decisions that affect their health. Health systems will not be accountable to people without a fully engaged and organized community voice. That’s why we work every day to ensure people’s interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and health care are made: in communities, state houses and on Capitol Hill.

Location: Remote with some travel

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Reports to: COO

Position Summary

The Director of Human Resources ( P&C ) leads and manages the organization’s P&C strategy and operations to support a high-performing, mission-driven workforce with staff across the United States, including Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. This role serves as a strategic partner to organizational leadership and a hands-on leader responsible for building equitable, compliant, and scalable people systems. The Director of P&C oversees talent acquisition, employee relations, performance management, learning and development, compensation and benefits, compliance, and P&C operations. This role also serves as a key P&C leader in a unionized environment, supporting consistent, fair workplace practices and constructive labor-management relationships. The ideal candidate brings deep P&C expertise, strong judgment, and a values aligned approach that strengthens culture, staff well-being, and accountability.

This position is classified as exempt and confidential, so this is not a union eligible job.

Key Responsibilities

1) P&C Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement an P&C strategy aligned with organizational mission, values, and strategic goals
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Chief Operations Officer and leadership team on P&C best practices, workforce planning, and organizational change
• Build and continuously improve P&C infrastructure to support a distributed, multi-jurisdiction workforce
• Track and report key workforce metrics (retention, hiring timelines, staff engagement, performance and turnover trends)
• Collects and analyzes statistical data to evaluate the organization's population in accordance with P&C standards and goals.
• Draft, distribute, and maintain P&C communications.

2) Multi-State, DC, & Puerto Rico Compliance

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and DC employment laws and regulations
• Maintain policies and practices that are consistent and compliant across jurisdictions, including leave, wage/hour, and classification standards
• Partner with legal counsel as needed on complex P&C matters, investigations, and compliance risk
• Ensure P&C documentation and processes are legally sound, timely, and aligned with organizational policy and applicable union agreements

3) Labor-Management Partnerships (Unionized Environment)

• Support effective labor-management relationships, Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiation, and consistent implementation of P&C practices in a unionized environment
• Ensure supervisors/managers understand and follow union-related protocols, documentation standards, and grievance pathways
• Support contract-consistent employee relations processes and problem-solving in partnership with leadership and labor representatives as appropriate
• Provide guidance and coordination for P&C related preparations connected to bargaining cycles and contract administration (as needed)

4) Talent Acquisition & Onboarding (Distributed Workforce)

• Oversee recruitment and selection processes with a focus on equity, transparency, and candidate experience
• Support managers with role design, structured interviews, evaluation tools, and selection processes
• Develop and maintain scalable onboarding practices that support staff across locations and time zones
• Strengthen hiring approaches for hard-to-fill roles and support retention through early performance clarity and staff support

5) Employee Relations, Investigations & Conflict Resolution

• Lead employee relations practices grounded in fairness, dignity, clarity, and accountability
• Manage and oversee investigations, documentation, and outcomes in compliance with law and organizational policy
• Provide guidance to managers on conflict resolution, performance concerns, corrective action, and staff support
• Implement practices that reduce burnout and support staff well-being, especially in high-impact mission-driven settings
• Promote a culture of consistent expectations, strong communication, and psychological safety

6) Performance Management, Professional Development, and Staff Engagement

• Design and implement a performance management system that supports coaching, accountability, and staff development
• Train and coach supervisors/managers in performance feedback, documentation, development planning, and evaluation
• Support leadership development and succession planning
• Identify training needs and coordinate learning and development initiatives aligned with organizational goals
• Oversee Employee Resource Groups and culture/engagement programs (recognition, wellness, belonging).
• Provides facilitation of meetings and presents to all levels in the organization.

7) Compensation, Benefits & Total Rewards

• Lead compensation structure development and maintenance (job levels, salary bands, internal equity review practices)
• Partner with Finance and leadership to align staffing decisions and compensation practices with funding constraints and sustainability
• Oversee benefits administration, vendor relationships, and annual enrollment processes
• Evaluate benefits competitiveness and recommend improvements to support retention
• Ensure pay and benefits practices align with multi-state requirements and applicable labor agreements

8) P&C Operations, Systems & ADP Optimization

• Own P&C operations and HRIS administration using ADP, ensuring accurate records, reporting, and workflow efficiency
• Strengthen operational P&C systems, including onboarding, offboarding, documentation practices, and policy communication
• Develop SOPs, templates, and training guides to support consistent implementation across departments and locations
• Ensure P&C data integrity, confidentiality, and effective use of P&C analytics to inform leadership decisions
• Collaborate with Operations/IT to support secure data management and system improvements

9) Interns & Fellows (Occasional)

• Maintain compliant, mission-aligned systems for interns and fellows, including onboarding, supervision expectations, learning goals, and evaluation
• Provide tools and guidance to managers to support meaningful and structured internship/fellowship experiences

10) Organizational Risk Management

• Support executive leadership in managing P&C related risk, compliance, and organizational integrity
• Contribute to leadership transition planning and succession planning as needed
• Ensure P&C readiness for audits, funder requirements, and accountability expectations connected to staff policies and practices

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive P&C experience, including significant leadership responsibility
• Demonstrated experience in employee relations, investigations, and performance management in complex environments
• Experience partnering effectively with union representatives and supporting supervisors/managers in union-related protocols
• Experience working in a unionized environment, including supporting contract-consistent P&C practices, employee relations, and grievance processes
• Experience managing compliance across multiple jurisdictions and supporting remote/distributed teams
• Proven ability to build and improve P&C systems (hiring, onboarding, policies, performance management, documentation)
• Strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, discretion, and sound judgment
• Ability to operate as both strategic advisor and hands-on implementer in a growing organization
• Commitment to equity-centered P&C practices and building an inclusive, mission-aligned workplace culture

Preferred Qualifications

• SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR certification
• P&C leadership experience in nonprofit or mission-driven settings
• Experience working with ADP HRIS and optimizing workflows/reporting
• Familiarity with multi-state compliance and/or Puerto Rico employment regulations
• Experience developing compensation structures and conducting internal equity reviews

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking + operational execution (“player-coach” leadership)
• Compliance fluency across multiple jurisdictions
• Strong employee relations and conflict resolution skills
• Labor-management partnership mindset
• Equity-centered systems design and decision-making
• Strong coaching ability with managers and leaders
• Clear communication across remote and distributed teams
• Confidentiality, integrity, and strong professional judgment

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Applicants should submit their application through our job board here, including a one-page cover letter briefly summarizing their interest in and qualifications for the position. For any accommodation requests, please reach out to myhrteam@communitycatalyst.org, indicating “ P&C Director” in the subject line.

Community Catalyst is strongly committed to building a work environment that recognizes, respects, and encourages the unique contributions of a broad spectrum of qualified employees. We strive to make employment decisions that support inclusion to maintain a work atmosphere that is diverse, equitable and promotes family-friendly practices and work-life benefits so that people of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles may grow personally and professionally.

We do not discriminate in hiring based on age, color, ethnicity, race, national origin, primary language, religion, socio-economic status, family status, mental and physical disabilities, veteran status, gender identity characteristics and/or expression, sex, medical condition, sexual orientation or any other classification that is protected by federal, state, or local law.

Through all of our programs, Community Catalyst works to build a better future for all individuals by advancing health equity, focusing on people of color, immigrants, as well as disability, gender, sexual identity and socio-economic status. It is important for our staff to reflect the diverse communities with which we work. People of color, LGBTQ identified people, gender-nonconforming people, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and people who speak a language in addition to English are encouraged to apply.

Salary & Benefits 

• Salary Range: $107,000 to $161,000 annually
• Generous paid time off policy 
• Robust benefits package 

Fluent English