Director of People - US, Animal Welfare Nonprofit

WHO WE ARE

The Humane League (THL) is a global nonprofit ending the abuse of animals raised for food. THL fosters a high-energy culture of teamwork and mission-driven problem solving, and we have earned recognition as Top Charity from Animal Charity Evaluators for all of their rating periods. Over the past few years, we’ve grown to a staff of 100+ talented individuals dispersed across the country and around the world. At THL, how animals are treated in the food system is at the forefront of our everyday work. As such, many of our staff are vegan by personal choice, and all of our THL-hosted events offer fully vegan menus. We welcome all mission-aligned candidates to apply, no matter where you are in your journey to end the abuse of animals raised for food.

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

At THL, we're dedicated to providing an exceptional employee experience, supporting our team, removing barriers, and equipping our people with the skills, knowledge, and tools needed to achieve THL’s mission and goals. We're seeking someone who shares our vision and commitment to a culture of excellence. The Director of People – U.S. will be responsible for leading all People initiatives, embedding THL’s values into People policies and procedures, and creating and maintaining open communication channels between staff and leadership to foster a strong and positive culture. In addition, this position will partner closely with the Sr. Director of People – Global to ensure that all People policies and procedures maintain a global perspective so that all THL team members, no matter where they reside, feel seen, heard, and valued. Join us in creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels empowered to do their best work.

As Director of People – U.S., you will play a pivotal role in shaping and enhancing the workplace experience for THL’s team members, while ensuring compliance with applicable legal requirements, and fostering a culture consistent with THL’s values. The successful candidate must have experience leading a team of direct reports at a multi-state, national organization and will use that experience to lead a six-person team. You also must have previously managed and mentored staff and worked with external providers such as PEOs and benefits administrators to maximize the services they provide to your organization. You will use your experience to oversee the design, development, implementation, and maintenance of THL’s People policies, procedures, systems, and initiatives to ensure the organization has a strong team that is well-trained, motivated, and productive. You should also be process-oriented, love to inspire change within an organization, and thrive in a dynamic setting.

This is a full-time, remote position, reporting directly to the Sr. Vice President of People and Operations. This position may require domestic and/or international travel, equivalent to 2 or more trips per year.

This position is based in the United States. The successful candidate must be authorized to work in the United States.

We will be holding a webinar on Monday, May 5th 2025 at 1:00pm PT/2:00pm MT/3:00pm CT/4:00pm ET for you to find out more about the role and ask any questions you may have. The webinar will be hosted by Juan Taveras, Sr. Vice President of People and Operations, and Christina Sargsyan, Talent Attraction and Engagement Coordinator. If you’re interested, please register here. As a webinar, you’ll only be able to see the presenter and not others watching. If you have any questions, please submit them here on our Q&A Form. The webinar will be recorded and available on our website by May 6th, 2025.

This position has a priority application deadline of Monday, May 13th 2025 at 11:59 pm EST. Applications received after this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis. If you are experiencing technical issues, please contact careers@thehumaneleague.org prior to the deadline. Please submit applications and all supporting documents in English. All application questions and materials need to be submitted here through the application submission, we do not accept applications through our careers email.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

People & Culture Strategy

• In partnership with the Sr. Director of People - Global, create and execute a unified People strategy that ensures consistency in staff member experience while respecting regional nuances and requirements. Ensure that all People initiatives align with THL's mission, goals, and core values, stay on track, and deliver measurable results.
• Collaborate on global compensation frameworks, benefits philosophy, and talent management strategies to ensure equity across all regions while accounting for market-specific needs.
• Serve as a strategic HR partner to people managers and department heads by providing data-driven insights and recommendations on workforce planning, team development, performance management, employee relations, and change management.
• Lead People-related change initiatives; this includes developing communication strategies, managing stakeholder engagement, and ensuring smooth implementation.
• Create and maintain effective internal communication channels that promote transparency, engagement, and two-way dialogue between leadership and staff members.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Finance, Operations, IT, and Legal, to align People initiatives with broader organizational objectives and priorities.

Team Management & Development

• Provide direct leadership to three direct reports, including setting clear performance expectations, conducting regular one-on-ones, and creating individual development plans that align with both team members' career aspirations and organizational needs.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the People team by implementing regular feedback mechanisms, encouraging innovation, and creating opportunities for skill development and cross-functional learning.
• Coach and mentor team members to develop their strategic thinking, problem-solving, and leadership capabilities, preparing them for future growth opportunities.

Talent Management & Development

• In partnership with the Sr. Associate Director of Talent, design and oversee comprehensive talent acquisition strategies, including employer branding initiatives, recruitment process optimization, and the development of diverse candidate pipelines.
• Develop and maintain succession planning frameworks for key positions across the organization, identifying high-potential employees and creating targeted development programs.
• In partnership with the Sr. Learning and Development Manager, manage and improve our performance management systems and ensure they align with THL’s goals and core values.
• Support the design and implementation of learning and development initiatives, including leadership development programs, skill-building workshops, and career pathing frameworks.
• Design and implement employee engagement surveys and feedback mechanisms, analyzing results and developing action plans to address identified areas for improvement.

Financial Stewardship & Benefits Management

• Manage an annual People budget, including careful planning, regular monitoring, and optimization of resource allocation across all People functions.
• In partnership with the Sr. Benefits and Wellness Manager, support with bi-weekly payroll processing, monthly benefits reconciliation, ACA compliance, and the annual benefits open enrollment process.
• Oversee the evaluation and selection of benefit programs, balancing cost considerations with the need to provide competitive benefits that support staff member wellbeing.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Partner with THL’s Legal team and our PEO to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across all U.S. locations, including regular audits of People practices and policies.
• Lead the development, implementation, and regular review of People policies and procedures that protect the organization while promoting a positive workplace culture.
• Oversee workplace investigations, employee relations issues, and conflict resolution processes, ensuring fair and consistent application of policies while maintaining confidentiality.
• Ensure accurate wage and hour compliance, including regular audits of employee classifications, overtime calculations, and meal/rest break requirements.

Systems & Innovation

• Oversee the development of HR analytics capabilities, including establishing metrics, creating dashboards, and generating insights that inform strategic decision-making.
• Drive process improvement initiatives across all People functions, identifying opportunities for automation, standardization, and enhanced service delivery.
• Manage relationships with HR technology vendors, ensuring optimal utilization of systems and staying current with platform updates and new features.
• Develop and maintain documentation of People processes and procedures, ensuring consistency and enabling scalability.

In addition to the above essential job duties, other duties may be assigned as business needs arise. These may include non-essential, marginal job duties.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in people operations roles encompassing all facets of the human resource function, including talent acquisition, learning and development, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, employee engagement, and compliance.
  • Previous experience working at a national organization operating across multiple states. Thorough understanding of federal, state, and local employment laws, with the ability to implement legal advice while ensuring compliance and confidentiality.
• Leadership and Management: 4+ years of people management experience. Proven ability to lead, inspire, and develop teams, providing vision, coaching, training, and accountability to ensure high performance and engagement. Contributes to organizational strategy and sets team goals in line with organizational objectives. Implements inclusive practices and fosters a cohesive and positive culture.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making: Demonstrated expertise in navigating complex issues, identifying root causes, and developing effective solutions. Strong conflict resolution skills needed to address employee relations matters constructively. Drives organizational decision-making processes and leads crisis response efforts.
• Initiative, Proactivity, and Adaptability: Guides the organization through transformative changes, providing strategic direction while maintaining high performance and morale during transitions. Initiates organizational improvements and champions a culture of proactivity and innovation.
• Verbal and Written Communication: Advanced verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and inspire others through clear, strategic messaging. Adept at crafting compelling written content and delivering impactful verbal presentations to large audiences.
• Collaboration and Interpersonal Skills: Skilled relationship-builder and collaborator with the ability to communicate effectively across diverse cultural and geographic contexts. Drives inter-departmental collaboration, cultivates partnerships with key stakeholders, and addresses complex interpersonal issues with empathy.
• Organization: Uses advanced time management and prioritization skills to set priorities at the team level, optimize resource allocation, and increase organizational efficiency. Systems-based mindset with the ability to spearhead and manage change initiatives, including process improvements, automation, and organizational transformations.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think strategically and align initiatives with organizational goals and priorities, taking a holistic approach to talent management and development. Creates and executes comprehensive strategic plans, ensuring that they deliver desired outcomes and contribute to long-term success. Develops and refines organizational policies, shaping policy strategy in line with overall business objectives.
• Data Analysis: Analyzes complex data and trends to guide high-impact decisions and improve overall organizational effectiveness. Leads data analysis initiatives, implements data-driven solutions, and integrates insights into strategic planning.
• Financial Oversight: Oversees budget preparation, analysis, and reporting at the team level. Optimizes financial resources across multiple functions and collaborates with senior leadership to align departmental budgets with organizational goals and financial objectives.
• Global Perspective: Partners with the Sr. Director of People – Global to ensure that global considerations are incorporated into strategic initiatives. Develops and implements policies and practices that reflect a comprehensive understanding of global markets, cultures, and regulations.

Hiring Timeline

Once your application has been reviewed, you will be notified via email with further details on the status of your application. If a candidate is moved forward, the interview process will be as follows:

• Work Simulation Exercise (completed remotely)
• Interview (via video call)
• Second Interview (via video call)

Each stage is expected to last a week or two on average. For full details of our full-time position recruitment process please review this document (this will vary for temporary roles, please see the above bullet points for this role's specific stages).

Compensation and Benefits

The annual compensation range for this role is $104,239 $127,404. At The Humane League, we believe in maintaining a fair and nondiscriminatory work environment for all employees. As part of this commitment, we have implemented a job architecture framework, which levels all of our roles according to size and complexity, as well as a compensation step system, which allows us to account for an individual's total years of related experience when determining their compensation. In addition, we have adopted a no negotiation policy for salaries. To determine a job's level, we carefully consider a variety of factors, including a job's size and complexity, required experience, knowledge, and/or skills, internal comparability, and market data. To determine final compensation, experience will be measured by considering prior work in jobs or activities that are related to the role at THL. Candidates whose experience places them at step 5 or above of their job level within our compensation structure will be awarded a senior designation. These practices are aligned with our organizational values and help us ensure we maintain clear, consistent, and transparent HR processes.

Employees enjoy full medical coverage, optional dental and vision packages, paid sick leave, a 401(k) retirement plan with matching, pet care & Rx discount plans, working from home, up to 16 weeks of paid parental leave for eligible employees, wellness benefits, paid holidays, flexible vacation time, professional development, and the supportive environment at The Humane League!

Equal Employment Opportunity

THL is an equal opportunity employer. THL does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected classifications, including but not limited to race, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, physical or mental disability, marital or familial status, legally protected medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, gender, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. THL is committed to the importance of non-discriminatory practices within the nonprofit sector, as well as all workplace environments, and strongly encourages all interested candidates to apply.

Reasonable Accommodations

The Humane League is committed to fully supporting all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, THL provides reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws throughout the hiring process and employment if hired. If a reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact the People team at accommodations@thehumaneleague.org to initiate the interactive process. THL complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and all other applicable state and local laws.

AI Policy

Original work and thought are essential in the hiring process and allow us to evaluate you based on your own skills and competency. Therefore, the use of artificial intelligence (ChatGPT, Gemini, Rytr, Google Assistant, etc) to generate responses is strictly prohibited. By submitting this application you agree to comply with our AI Policy. Violations of this policy in any part of the recruitment process will result in being dismissed from consideration. If you need a reasonable accommodation to this policy, please see above for more information.