MANAGING DIRECTOR OF EQUITY, PEOPLE, AND CULTURE at CAL

ABOUT US

The Center for Appellate Litigation (CAL) is a leading holistic legal services organization dedicated to providing high-quality representation to low-income New Yorkers. We are committed to ensuring that every individual has access to fair and just legal representation in the appellate courts and in a full panoply of post-conviction litigation. Our mission is to fight injustice through exceptional advocacy and enduring compassion for each client. We envision a post-conviction process grounded in our clients’ humanity. Our team of dedicated attorneys, paralegals, and staff work tirelessly to advocate for our clients’ rights and uphold the principles of justice.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Managing Director of Equity, People, and Culture (“EPC”) serves as CAL’s senior people leader, responsible for HR governance, labor relations, and the strategic integration of equity and inclusion into organizational systems and culture. The Managing Director of EPC will help guide how the organization supports, develops, and retains staff, while building a workplace centered on equity, inclusion, and well-being. As a member of the executive management team, the Managing Director of EPC will report to the Executive Director. The Managing Director of EPC will work closely with the executive management team, supervisors, and staff as a trusted partner and advisor.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Leadership & Strategy
   • Lead the development and implementation of strategic goals for people operations, equity, inclusion, and workplace culture
   • Build efficient and cost-effective HR infrastructure to meet the organization’s goals in recruitment and hiring, performance evaluation, retention, regulatory compliance and recordkeeping
   • Ensure HR systems and policies are regularly audited and updated to reflect changes in law, the CBA, and organizational needs
   • Work with executive leadership to lead CAL’s labor relations strategy, playing a key role in settling grievances, bargaining with the Union during collective bargaining negotiations and ongoing labor relations, including investigations and policy issues
   • Supervise staff and consultants responsible for workplace experience and DEI initiatives, ensuring their performance meets organizational goals and expectations. Strengthen teamwork, collaboration and high-level performance within the organization by promoting practices and procedures that support fairness and accountability
   • Model and promote a culture of clear, consistent communication, ensuring staff understand HR policies, programs, and their rights and expectations under the CBA
2. Equity & Culture
   • Manage personnel issues, grievances, investigations, and disciplinary matters at all levels and serve as a trusted resource for staff, providing guidance and support around workplace concerns related to culture, inclusion, and interpersonal dynamics
   • Lead the development and execution of a DEI strategic plan aligned with CAL’s mission and based on feedback received from, amongst other things, staff surveys, anti-bias training, and the annual DEI Report
   • Integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into organizational systems and practices
   • Integrate staff feedback on HR, DEI, and race, class, power, and privilege into organizational discussions, trainings, and policies by developing curricula and facilitating learning sessions that address areas of concern identified through staff input and data insights
   • Continuously review organizational practices and procedures, and spearhead reforms to make them more equitable and inclusive
   • Promote alternative conflict resolution methods and mediate disputes between staff as appropriate
   • Advise managers and staff at all levels on issues relating to sexual harassment, anti-discrimination, equity, and conflict navigation
   • Supervise the development of an annual DEI report assessing workplace culture and equity and inclusion efforts, including actionable recommendations and strategic goals, and share the report with all staff to inform and guide subsequent organization-wide discussions
3. Staff Support & Development
   • Continue enhancing onboarding practices and lead HR-related trainings to ensure new staff have what they need to succeed and thrive at CAL
   • Organize and support staff engagement initiatives, events, and activities that build community, promote collaboration, and strengthen a sense of belonging across roles and teams
   • Lead training for new supervisors on CBA policies
   • Periodically review benefits to make sure they are competitive, fair, and accessible
   • Establish and monitor equitable processes for hiring, promotion, and offboarding, using data to identify and address disparities
   • Create systems, structures or processes as needed to address discrepancies in recruitment, advancement or retention that may be disclosed by exit interviews and ongoing data analysis
   • Conduct exit interviews with outgoing staff and work with senior leadership to review aggregated insights to improve retention, culture, and workplace practices
4. Data, Systems & Compliance
   • Use data to understand staff needs and track progress towards strategic goals
   • Evaluate and improve HR systems and tools to support accurate recordkeeping, reporting, and staff experience
   • Ensure compliance with employment laws and internal policies
   • Ensure all HR practices align with CBA requirements, proactively identifying compliance risks and proposing solutions

QUALIFICATIONS

General Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field and/or a professional HR certification (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP)
• 4–6 years of leadership experience in People Operations, Human Resources, and/or Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion roles
• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting equity-focused initiatives, culture- building efforts, and employee engagement strategies
• Experience leading in a unionized environment, with a strong understanding of labor-management relationships, resolving grievances, and contract administration
• Direct experience supporting and/or participating in collective bargaining, including preparation, negotiations, and implementation of agreements
• Experience in a public defender office, legal services organization, or similarly mission-driven, high-intensity environment is strongly preferred
• Lived experience with incarceration, the youth justice system, or the criminal legal system—either personally or through close family or community connections—is highly valued. Candidates with such experience are encouraged to apply
• Experience advising senior leadership on employee relations, workplace culture, equity, and labor relations in a unionized environment.
• Ability to balance organizational priorities, client-centered values, and employees' collectively bargained rights.
• Experience developing initiatives that promote employee well-being, address secondary trauma and burnout, and support a healthy workplace culture.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative, trust-based relationships with union leadership and effectively interpret and administer collective bargaining agreements, including grievance resolution.
• Strong knowledge of equity, anti-racism, and inclusive workplace practices, with experience advancing organizational change through policy, training, and systems improvements.
• Experience developing and implementing HR policies, best practices, and programs across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, and compliance.
• Thorough knowledge of federal, New York State, and New York City employment laws and regulations, including those applicable to unionized workplaces.

LOCATION

The position is based at CAL’s New York City office. CAL has a hybrid remote office policy. The preference is for the Managing Director of EPC to be in the office most of the week. However, the Managing Director of EPC may work remotely up to 12-days per month.

ANTICIPATED START DATE

The position is anticipated to begin on September 14, 2026.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

At CAL, we embrace and value our staff’s diversity, recognizing that our differences strengthen our community and advance our mission. We strongly encourage candidates of all identities, orientation experiences, and communities to apply. CAL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, arrest or conviction record, caregiver status, citizenship status, color, credit history, creed, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, marital status, partnership status, pregnancy, race, religion, salary history, sexual and reproductive health decisions, sexual orientation, status as a covered veteran or active military service member, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, and sex offenses in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Benefits offered at CAL include medical, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending and health savings accounts; retirement savings plans; life and disability insurance; and generous paid time off, including vacation and sick leave, as well as other paid and unpaid leave programs.