Director of People and Culture

Job Title: Director of People and Culture

Job Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Reports to: Chief People and Culture Officer

Location: LEAP HQ- 535 8th Avenue, New York, NY 10018

Job Type: Hybrid, 2 days in-person / 3 days remote

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday | 9am-5pm

Weekly Hours/ Week: 35

Compensation: The annual salary for this position is $93,000 (Non-Negotiable).

Excellent benefits, including health, vision, and dental insurance. A 403(b) retirement plan, professional development, and an employee assistant program is also included.

Priority will be given to applications received by May 15th, though applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

Why You’ll Love Working at LEAP

At LEAP, we don’t just build great programs, we build a great place to work. You’ll thrive here if you’re excited to be part of a mission-driven, people-centered, and joy-filled team.

We are:

🌱 Community-oriented, believing in a shared moral responsibility

🎨 Creative, flexible, and open-minded

🚀 Collaborative and mission driven

✅ Accountable to ourselves, each other, and our goals

🌟 Committed to feedback and clear, consistent communication

🌍 Champions of a compassionate and inclusive culture

💖 Supporters of self-care and the well-being of others

🎉 And above all… FUN!

At LEAP, you’ll be empowered to grow, lead, and make a lasting impact, all while being part of a community that values who you are and what you bring.

About the Role

The Director of People and Culture oversees the implementation and continuous improvement of people systems and practices for a workforce of approximately 50 full-time and 300 part-time staff. Reporting to the Chief People and Culture Officer, this role manages core functions including talent acquisition, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, and HR operations, while advancing equitable and inclusive practices across the employee lifecycle. The Director partners with managers to strengthen leadership capacity, support internal workforce development, and ensure consistent, compliant, and values-aligned practices. This role supervises 1-2 People and Culture Coordinators and partners with our PEO on systems and compliance.

What You’ll Do

1. Talent Acquisition & Hiring
   • Cultivate and manage strategic recruitment partnerships to build diverse, mission-aligned candidate pipelines and strengthen internal talent pipelines, including succession planning and internal mobility.
   • Oversee end-to-end recruitment and hiring operations in collaboration with the Recruitment and Hiring Coordinators, ensuring efficiency, consistency, and a positive candidate experience.
   • Drive timely, equitable, and high-quality hiring practices by monitoring outcomes, analyzing data, and addressing gaps in process or experience.
2. Onboarding & Offboarding
   • Evaluate and refine onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure alignment with organizational values, staff experience goals, and compliance requirements.
   • Oversee onboarding experiences for full-time and part-time staff, ensuring consistency, readiness, and adherence to documentation and orientation protocols.
   • Guide offboarding and exit interview processes to capture actionable insights and identify trends impacting retention and staff experience.
3. Employee Relations
   • Serve as a senior internal advisor on employee relations matters, providing guidance and resolution strategies while escalating complex or high-risk issues to the CPCO and PEO as appropriate.
   • Partner with supervisors to strengthen performance management practices, including coaching, documentation, and conflict resolution.
   • Promote consistent application of policies and support a fair, respectful, and compliant workplace environment.
4. Performance Management
   • Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of performance management processes, including review cycles, goal-setting, and talent discussions for both full-time and part-time staff.
   • Equip managers with training, tools, and coaching to facilitate effective, equitable, and growth-oriented performance conversations.
   • Monitor completion and quality of performance practices and address gaps in consistency or effectiveness.
5. Engagement, Retention & Benefits
   • Analyze workforce data and trends to identify opportunities to strengthen retention, staff experience, and organizational effectiveness.
   • Recommend and implement targeted, practical initiatives to strengthen engagement across a diverse FT and PT workforce.
   • Lead the full benefits cycle in partnership with the CPCO and PEO, including supporting strategy development, plan design input, and annual renewals.
   • Oversee benefits education and open enrollment processes, ensuring clear communication, effective employee support, and a smooth, compliant experience for all eligible staff.
6. HR Systems & Reporting
   • Oversee the integrity and effective use of HRIS data to support decision-making, compliance, and reporting needs.
   • Develop and maintain dashboards tracking key people metrics (e.g., turnover, time-to-fill, engagement, workforce demographics).
   • Ensure accurate and timely coordination with the PEO for data exchanges, including benefits-related information and employee records.

What You’ll Bring

A strong people operations leader who can translate strategy into consistent, equitable practices and systems. You bring sound judgment, a solutions-oriented mindset, and the ability to partner effectively with managers to strengthen performance, accountability, and workforce development.

Core Competencies & Strengths:

• Equity & Inclusion: Demonstrated ability to apply an equity lens across hiring, employee relations, performance management, and engagement, and to address bias in systems and practices.
• Employee Relations & Coaching: Strong judgment in managing employee relations issues and coaching managers on performance, feedback, and conflict resolution.
• Systems & Operations: Experience leading HR operations, systems and processes, using data and HRIS to improve outcomes; experience working with a PEO or external HR partner preferred.
• Communication & Influence: Communicates clearly and effectively across all levels of the organization, building trust and credibility while influencing managers and senior leaders to adopt consistent and equitable people practices. Fosters collaboration and strategic alignment across people, operations, finance, and leadership to strengthen the overall employee experience.
• Compliance & Mission Alignment: Working knowledge of NYC/NYS employment laws and a commitment to advancing a mission-driven, youth-centered culture.

Required Qualifications:

• 6–8 years in HR, People Operations, or Organizational Development
• 3 years supervision and experience managing multiple functions in complex or high-volume environments
• Certification (e.g., SHRM or PHR) and/or degree in HR management, organizational development, or another related field preferred.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT SCREENING

Pre-employment screening is required for this position, including but not limited to criminal history checks by regulating agencies as needed per placement.

WE ARE AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Please note: In accordance with organizational policy, LEAP does not sponsor individuals on O-1 visas.

Excellent benefits, including health, vision, and dental insurance. A 403(b) retirement plan, professional development, and an employee assistant program is also included.