Director of People & Operations

Director of People & Operations

Global Village Project

Global Village Project was founded in 2009 as a model for innovative, equitable refugee education. As the only school in the U.S. for refugee girls, we aim to remove the barriers to students’ learning and amplify their voices as creative young leaders. Our full-day academic program serves up to 45 refugee girls, and is designed specifically for their needs as English language learners, with trauma-informed practices and restorative justice at its center. We are a team of educators, of lifelong learners, and of people who care deeply about girls’ education, and together we are building a multicultural, multilingual community of students and staff.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As GVP’s Director of People & Operations, you will be a key thought partner to the CEO & Head of School and Leadership Team in providing support and leadership to an amazing and committed team that works daily on GVP’s mission. As the individual responsible for overseeing many of the business functions of the school (HR, operations, facilities, and compliance), you’ll serve as a hub for internal communications, operational systems, facilities, knowledge management, and people and culture. At the intersection of all of these critical functions, you will have an opportunity to make a deep impact on the experience of our staff, students, and community members.

To be successful in this role and our school, you will need to be people-centered: able to build trust and provide guidance on human resource issues in a way that is compassionate and inclusive. You must also have a strong sense of structure and a deep capacity for organizing processes, schedules and action plans. We are seeking a candidate who is thoughtful and measured, who is a good listener, and an effective communicator; someone who fosters a spirit of calm, has a high level of emotional intelligence but brings passion to the role and to the organization; and someone who can design and drive new initiatives.

The Director of People & Operations will report to the CEO & Head of School and will work closely with peers on the Leadership Team (Directors of Education, Development, and Finance). The Director of People & Operations will manage three direct reports (HR Coordinator, Front Office Coordinator, Custodian).

Your key responsibilities include:

• Strategic Partnership & Collaboration
  • Support the CEO and other department directors as a thought partner in staff leadership, organizational strategy, community engagement, and Board of Directors management
  • Contribute as senior leader to organizational strategic planning process, with responsibility for key objectives in the strategic plan
  • Collaborate with the Director of Finance and other Leadership Team peers to implement and maintain strong financial management systems
• Human Resources and People
  • Lead the overall strategy for organizational structure, staffing needs/planning, salary/benefit design, and office culture
  • Lead Human Resources function, managing and coaching the Operations & HR Coordinator, in executing the employee lifecycle processes (recruitment and hiring, onboarding, employee wellbeing, performance management, and talent development) as well as HR administration (payroll, benefits, employment files)
  • Oversee the management of contractors, substitute teachers and volunteers
  • Develop employee policies to align with and operationalize people-first leadership philosophy and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion goals
  • Drive an internal communications and organizational culture strategy that supports information transparency, change management, and employee engagement
  • Serve as a trusted people leader in the organization, creating a safe space for employees to confidentially bring feedback, concerns, and needs
• Facilities Management and Operations
  • Lead the overall strategy for facilities management and internal operations, including budgeting, asset management and long term planning
  • Oversight of facilities and grounds including developing asset management plan, maintaining physical space, managing custodial and grounds keeping services, managing furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) needs and investment, as well as contracting with service providers
  • Oversight of daily operations functions including procurement strategy, managing external contractor/vendor relationships, purchasing of supplies, and emergency preparedness
  • Directly manage Front Office Coordinator and Custodian to support facilities and operational needs
  • Manage external Information Technology provider to support school’s technology needs
• Compliance/Legal
  • Oversee smooth business operations and ensure compliance with labor and employment laws, 501(c)(3) regulation, and finance in partnership with internal and external subject matter experts
  • Provide leadership on organizational knowledge management, including standard operating procedures and systems of record
  • Develop departmental budget and manage expenditures
  • Manage other administrative and operational responsibilities as needed

ABOUT YOU

• You are an expert at connecting the dots between strategy and implementation. This role will include both strategic and execution-level responsibilities, and to thrive in the position you’ll need to be a player-coach: able to translate vision into actionable project plans, and either oversee or carry out those tactics.
• You are oriented towards building systems and processes. As the manager of our physical space, we need a highly capable operator to help drive and coordinate all the moving pieces of facilities management and operational support, and then establish sustainable operational systems for our new home.
• You are a people-first leader with a knack for building trust: someone who seeks to center employees’ needs in designing and enacting our organizational policies. You build trust effectively, and understand how to be a safe space for employees who need support or coaching. You can get on board with a leadership philosophy that values sustainability over speed, flexibility/grace, and learning mindsets.
• You’re excited to work in a small, highly-collaborative team. While we’ll consider you the subject matter expert on operations, HR, and facilities management, we encourage cross-training and interdisciplinary decision-making, and invite you to explore your own curiosity about other areas of the organization too.
• You are deeply committed to building an inclusive and accountable organizational culture. We are a team that cares deeply for one another, and that constantly strives to encourage and hold one another accountable to our culture agreements and core values.

Ideal candidates will also have:

• Experience & Qualifications
  • 3+ years of senior-level experience in nonprofit organizational leadership, including prior experience as a people manager.
  • Strong demonstrated experience in both Facilities Management and Human Resources, with experience in a growth/mid-stage organization. Knowledge may come from previous experience in a related field (we estimate 5-10 years), or an equivalent combination of a relevant graduate degree + previous experience.
  • Previous experience in school administration is a plus.
• Strong proficiency with data analysis, and the ability to draw actionable insights from raw data
• Demonstrated ability to manage a budget
• Comfort with cloud-based platforms: Google Workspace, Canva, Zapier, Bloomerang, etc
• Passion for empowering and educating refugee young women who face structural barriers to their education.
• Proficiency working with multilingual, multicultural communities.
• A mindset of lifelong learning, both as an individual and as part of a whole staff team.

DETAILS & BENEFITS

Location: This position is onsite at our campus in Decatur, GA.

Job Type: Full-time, exempt

Salary: $80,000 - $90,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

GVP provides the opportunity to work within a vibrant community dedicated to teaching and learning, social justice, and service. The position requires a criminal background check. Primary elements of the benefits package include:

• 20 days of paid time off per year
• ~20 paid holidays, with additional flexibility during summer
• Health insurance, including optional dental and vision coverage, combined with an additional Health Reimbursement Arrangement plan
• SIMPLE IRA Retirement Plan with 2% guaranteed employer contribution
• Paid parental leave
• Life insurance
• Support for professional development opportunities

HIRING PROCESS

Interested candidates should upload their resume and respond to the following application questions through the Director of People & Operations Application Form. Please limit your responses to each question to 250 words or less.

1. What interests you in the Director of People & Operations role and in working at Global Village Project?
2. Please briefly describe your experience leading operations and HR in a growing organization. What specific experience do you have supervising facilities?
3. What do you consider essential components for developing and implementing a strategy?

Applications received by November 20 will receive priority consideration. Interview stages will include a Zoom screening followed by a 2-part interview with the team and the CEO. Work samples and professional references may be required during the process. Our hope is to fill the position for a start date on or around January 4, 2027.

GVP is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, social class, marital status, national origin, disability, gender, or sexual orientation. We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from women, people of color, and those with refugee and immigrant backgrounds who are excited about contributing to our mission.

We are committed to creating access for all qualified individuals in the hiring process. If you require any accommodations to participate in the application or interview process, please contact hiring@globalvillageproject.org.