People & Culture Director

Location: San Francisco Bay Area

Job Classification: Full-time (40 hours), hybrid (2-3 days in the office/week), exempt

Reports to: CAT’s President

Supervision Responsibilities: None at this time

Travel Requirements: Occasional local travel is expected as part of this job

Salary: $107,000 annually

Accessibility Notes: This position requires long periods of sitting, 5 or more hours a day of computer usage, etc.

Job link (deadline Oct. 9, 2026): https://www.catranslation.org/about/opportunities/

JOB SUMMARY

The Center for the Art of Translation (CAT) is hiring its first People & Culture Director (PCD), a new role that will shape the practices and culture of an ambitious literary arts nonprofit based in San Francisco. The PCD is responsible for building and stewarding equitable, compliant, responsive, and scalable systems that support staff performance and well-being, organizational health, and mission impact during a period of growth and change. This is a holistic, employee-centric job: the PCD will provide strategic leadership to advance organizational development, cultivate employee engagement, and nurture a positive work culture for a staff of approximately 20 people.

The PCD will contribute to organization-wide planning and decision-making for a growing hybrid staff (approximately three quarters of CAT’s staff is based in the SF Bay Area; one quarter works remotely outside of California). Key responsibilities include building, executing, and regularly reviewing Human Resources policies, Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS), people operations strategies, performance management systems, talent development opportunities, and workplace culture initiatives. The PCD role dovetails with CAT’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Committee to “cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizational culture; strengthen internal systems; and support sustainable and equitable expansion.”

The ideal candidate will be meticulously organized, creative, adaptable, goal-oriented, and skilled at building effective processes for innovative, thriving teams. Foreign language proficiency is not a requisite skill nor duty of this position, but a second language would be beneficial. This is a tremendous opportunity for a Human Resources leader to serve in a pivotal role that advances and enables the effectiveness of a well-respected, high-impact literary arts organization.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

People Strategy, Culture & Performance Leadership (Approximately 45% of the role)

• Set and lead a cohesive people and culture strategy that advances the Center for the Art of Translation’s mission, values, and equity commitments.
• Serve as a key member of CAT’s Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, structure, decision-making, and change management.
• Partner with CAT’s President and Department Directors to nurture leadership, team dynamics, and organizational health; align people systems with budgeting, forecasting, and long-term planning.
• Partner with the President to maintain a people-first culture grounded in radical authenticity, collaboration, principled struggle, and collective care.
• Partner with Department Directors across programs to align people systems with programmatic and advocacy goals.
• Model CAT’s values and leadership principles internally and externally.
• Design and implement performance management frameworks and cycles to cultivate a culture of goal-setting, feedback, assessment, accountability, and corrective action.
• Coach Department Directors and other managers to support performance, navigate difficult conversations, and build strong teams.
• Ensure consistent, fair, and transparent application of people policies across the organization.
• Cultivate a collaborative and positive work environment that promotes learning and innovation.
• Collaborate and contribute to CAT’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging (DEIB) Committee to cultivate a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organizational culture.

Human Resources Management & Compliance (Approximately 45% of the role)

• Lead, develop, and implement plans for HR matters, including compensation, benefits, employee satisfaction and retention, health and safety, and more.
• Coordinate and oversee all core HR functions, including hiring, onboarding, offboarding, classification, compensation practices, benefits administration, and employee relations; process biweekly payroll for all staff via ADP.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to CAT’s staff, fostering their growth and career advancement.
• Develop, implement, and refine tools and strategies for performance evaluation, recruitment, staffing, training, and learning.
• Maintain compliance with internal, state, and federal policies, legal standards, and best practices.
• Maintain and continuously improve CAT’s Employee Handbook and internal documentation.
• Manage internal grievances, interpersonal conflicts, and disciplinary action when required.
• Create opportunities for staff development, shared learning, and values-driven practice.
• Manage learning and talent development to ensure everyone on CAT’s staff receives sufficient professional development support, implementing regular processes (or finding external support to do so); proactively identify areas of need for additional staff development, learning, and support; partner with CAT’s President and Department Directors in subsequent budgeting and planning.

Organizational Responsibilities (Approximately 10% of the role)

• Serve as a core member of CAT’s Leadership Team, contributing to organizational strategy, decision-making, and change management.
• As part of the Leadership Team, collaborate to set organizational goals, work plans, meetings, convenings and retreats, strategy, and calendaring for departments and the organization.
• Contribute to a collaborative culture by attending bi-weekly staff meetings, team check-ins, quarterly all-staff convenings and other retreats, and helping to build agendas and facilitate conversations.
• Develop and manage staff appreciation and recognition efforts, such as celebrating birthdays with all-staff Kudoboard messages and gifts, honoring achievements with awards, and other endeavors.
• Partner with Directors across programs to align people systems with programmatic and advocacy goals.
• Model CAT’s values and leadership principles internally and externally.
• Help translate executive- and Board-level people and culture decisions into effective internal implementation.

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES & QUALIFICATIONS

• 5-7+ years HR experience with core HR functions, including hiring, onboarding, offboarding, classification, compensation practices, benefits administration, employee relations, and payroll, ideally in creative, nonprofit, or advocacy spaces.
• A clear and compelling verbal and written communicator who is able to convey complex information to multiple audiences.
• Exceptional project management skills and the ability to handle complex, multifaceted projects resulting in measurable outcomes in a dynamic environment.
• Experience supporting teams, strengthening systems, and supporting staff growth.
• Exceptional judgment, discretion, and ability to navigate sensitive situations.
• A skilled leader who models integrity, accountability, trustworthiness, and empathy with deep self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
• Familiarity with HRIS platforms, payroll systems, and performance management tools.
• Digital fluency and ability to learn new technologies. Experience with Google products, Zoom, Slack, Airtable, Microsoft Office Suite, and Asana a plus.
• Has a successful track record of taking a concept from idea to implementation.
• Flexible, adaptive, and able to respond to challenges and changes; values iteration and productively integrates new information.
• Able to manage conflict constructively, including the ability to self-reflect and to give and receive feedback up, down, and sideways in a hybrid working environment.
• Must be able to work both independently and as a collaborative member of various teams.
• Seeks to uplift all voices and perspectives in our work and communities.

PREFERRED COMPETENCIES & QUALIFICATIONS

We are especially excited about candidates who bring:

• A strategist’s mind; someone who excels at visioning, goal setting, and implementing big ideas.
• Strong working knowledge of California employment law, HR compliance, and risk management. Multi-state compliance knowledge a plus.
• Proven ability to coach and support senior leaders and managers; strong facilitation skills, with the ability to work collaboratively.
• Experience supporting organizations through periods of growth, transition, or restructuring.
• Experience developing and/or leading trainings that maximize individual and organizational goals.
• Experience leading and iterating continuous feedback and performance structures, leading salary assessments, and conducting HR investigations.
• An approach to the work that involves humility, curiosity, and a sense of humor.
• Someone who can grasp the subtleties and nuances of complex issues and identify patterns in challenges.
• Someone who can lead in pragmatic, insightful, equitable, and sustainable ways to tackle common challenges and produce positive change.

JOB LOCATION, JOB REQUIREMENTS, AND SCHEDULE

This is a hybrid, in-person position based in San Francisco. The Director of People & Culture must live locally and be able to work from the Center’s San Francisco offices at least 2-3 days per week. The desired start date for this job is Monday, November 30.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The Center for the Art of Translation is committed to paying competitive wages and upholding sustainable equity practices. Due to the ways in which salary negotiations perpetuate existing structural inequities, CAT as a practice does not participate in a salary negotiation process for any candidate. We will make our best offer, and it will be the same regardless of the candidate. This is a full-time, exempt position that pays an annual salary of $107,000. The Center offers a robust benefits package that includes generous vacation, flexible work schedules, the option of joining a health and dental plan, a flexible spending account (FSA), and a retirement plan with 5% matching.

DO YOU THINK THIS MIGHT BE YOU?

At the Center for the Art of Translation, we are dedicated to finding new, overlooked, and underrepresented voices. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of this work. Better representation in publishing, events, and education starts with better representation on our staff. We believe we can honor more voices in more ways if our employees come from different backgrounds, and if our community is rooted in inclusion and belonging.

If you see yourself in this job description but don’t feel like you meet every single criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. We understand that individuals from historically marginalized groups, such as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), women, trans, and non-binary folks, tend to self-select out of opportunities at higher rates. We take a holistic approach to all of our hiring practices and want to hire those who best align with our mission and goals. We consider applicants strong contenders if they meet more than half of the qualifications above.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The Center for the Art of Translation is an equal opportunity employer rooted in liberatory practices. We understand leadership to be collective and shaped by lived experience, not only titles or traditional career paths. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, immigration status, disability status, age, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your resume and cover letter through our online application form.

Applications will be open until 5:00 pm Pacific Time, Friday, October 9.

The Center offers a robust benefits package that includes generous vacation, flexible work schedules, the option of joining a health and dental plan, a flexible spending account (FSA), and a retirement plan with 5% matching.