Deputy Chief of People & Culture

Deputy Chief of People & Culture, Digital Promise

Digital Promise, a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner, seeks a Deputy Chief of People & Culture to lead its human resources function.

By uniting a diverse ecosystem of educators, researchers, and developers, Digital Promise translates insights into sustainable solutions to put research into action and drive the purposeful use of technology in education.

Digital Promise is a fast-paced, high-growth organization with a diverse, hardworking, and geographically dispersed 180-person team. Internally, Digital Promise fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment that embraces innovation and a shared sense of purpose. Learn more at digitalpromise.org.

Position Summary

The Deputy Chief of People & Culture (DCPC) will maximize employee performance, engagement, and retention, while ensuring human resources policies and programs align with Digital Promise’s mission and strategy.

The DCPC serves as a trusted partner to Digital Promise executives and senior leadership, providing creative solutions commensurate with a high-growth work environment. Reporting to the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (VP and COO), the DCPC develops and implements human resources strategy, and leads talent acquisition and management, performance management, training and development, compensation, and succession planning.

The DCPC champions a strong, values-led organizational culture grounded in equity, guided by Digital Promise’s four Shared Humanity paradigms: Leadership, Team, Culture, and Dreaming. The new DCPC will have the opportunity to co-create with the broader Digital Promise team to weave the Shared Humanity framework into the fabric of Digital Promise.

The DCPC leads and supports a four-member People & Culture team, including the Senior People Partner, the People Operations Manager, and the Senior Recruitment and Operations Associate. Areas of responsibility include:

People & Culture

• Oversee all aspects of the organization’s human resources functions, systems, and tools for talent acquisition, career development, succession planning, retention, transitions, training, leadership development, compensation, and benefits.
• Assess and finetune human resources systems and processes, grounded in an equity lens.
• Direct comprehensive strategic recruiting and retention plans to meet future talent needs.
• Develop and implement competitive and equitable compensation and benefits plans.
• Regularly review and amend organizational policies, procedures, and practices based on best practices and changes to local, state, and federal laws.

Professional Learning & Coaching

• Direct and integrate a variety of professional learning and coaching initiatives across the organization, including integration of the Shared Humanity Framework.
• Oversee the development and implementation of performance management frameworks; provide direction to senior leadership on promotions, professional pathways, and awards.
• Provide guidance to Employee Resource Groups, ensuring they provide opportunities to build team culture, career development, and other employee needs.
• With the marketing team, coordinate, prepare, and disseminate internal organization-wide communications related to personnel policies and procedures, culture-building activities, and other professional learning and coaching initiatives.

Leadership and Strategy

• Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and implement strategic human capital strategies and policies that support the organization’s mission and vision.
• Partner with VP & COO to assess short- and long-term team performance against operational plans. Maintain continuous lines of communication to keep the VP & COO informed of all human resources issues.
• Develop, analyze, and recommend improvements to strengthen organizational culture.
• Lead, develop, and inspire a team of talented human resources professionals.

Experience, Skills, and Qualities

The most competitive applicants will have many, if not all, of the following attributes:

• Education in human resources or related fields of study required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible human resources experience.
• Expert knowledge of core human resources operations, including compensation and benefits, employment policies, compliance, payroll, recruiting, and performance evaluations. SHRM certification strongly preferred.
• Experience designing and implementing organizational development programs including career pathways, professional development, and competency modeling.
• Professional knowledge of embedding equity principles and practices into human resources.
• A significant supervisory record, including managing multiple direct reports, developing high-performing teams, and setting an inclusive, positive workplace culture.
• Systems-oriented; adept at successfully implementing/integrating systems, policies and protocols and training teams on how to adopt new ways of working.
• Strong technological skills; experienced at adopting new technologies to create efficiencies.
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively and persuasively present new information to diverse and non-expert audiences.
• A high level of emotional intelligence, integrity, cultural sensitivity, and interpersonal skills.

Location & Travel

Digital Promise is a bicoastal organization with offices in Washington, D.C., and California. Employees work remotely across the United States, with at least four annual in-person gatherings. The DCPC travels approximately 15%.

Compensation

Digital Promise is committed to creating and maintaining equitable compensation practices. Digital Promise’s salary bands are based on geography. The range for this position is $167k –$188k; up to $209k for DC and New York City; up to $230k for California. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, employer-sponsored 401(k), and paid time off, including paid parental leave.

Application Process

Digital Promise has retained Good Insight, a national executive search firm serving nonprofits, to conduct this search. See the full executive profile and application information at www.good-insight.org/careers. Resume reviews begin immediately. For best consideration, apply by mid May. Early applications are encouraged due to the pace of the search.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Digital Promise is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.

Digital Promise is committed to creating and maintaining equitable compensation practices. Digital Promise’s salary bands are based on geography. The range for this position is $167k –$188k; up to $209k for DC and New York City; up to $230k for California. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, employer-sponsored 401(k), and paid time off, including paid parental leave.