Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer (Volunteer)

Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer (Volunteer)

PromisePeople | Human Resources, Talent Strategy & Organizational Development

Organization: Mentor A Promise (MAP)

Division: PromisePeople — Human Resources & People Operations

Location: Fully Remote — United States, with NYC-based collaboration as needed

Type: Executive Volunteer Leadership Position (Unpaid)

Commitment: Approximately 5–10 hours per week

Minimum Commitment: 6 months

Reports To: Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO)

Supervises: Assigned HR Directors, Managers, Specialists, and Volunteer Team Members

Works Closely With: Chief of Staff, Executive Leadership, PromiseOperations, PromiseGovernance, PromiseTrust, and Divisional Chiefs

About Mentor A Promise

Mentor A Promise (MAP) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting children and youth ages 5–18 experiencing housing instability through mentorship, education, literacy, social-emotional learning, creative expression, advocacy, and community-centered opportunities.

Our mission depends on the dedication, expertise, and collaboration of volunteers and leaders across our organization.

As MAP continues to expand, building strong people systems, effective leadership structures, and a positive organizational culture is essential to delivering meaningful and sustainable impact.

About PromisePeople

PromisePeople is responsible for strengthening MAP's workforce through talent acquisition, onboarding, volunteer engagement, professional development, organizational culture, HR operations, and people-related policies and practices.

The division works across MAP to ensure that team members are appropriately recruited, supported, developed, and held accountable.

Our guiding question is:

How do we build, support, and sustain an exceptional team capable of delivering on our mission?

Role Overview

Mentor A Promise is seeking an experienced, strategic, and results-oriented Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer to support the leadership, development, and operational effectiveness of PromisePeople.

Reporting directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Deputy Chief will serve as the division's second-in-command, helping translate organizational workforce priorities into coordinated, measurable execution.

This position combines executive HR leadership, talent strategy, organizational development, volunteer workforce management, operational improvement, and cross-divisional collaboration.

The Deputy Chief will help ensure that MAP maintains consistent HR practices, responsive recruitment processes, effective onboarding, strong volunteer engagement, and clear accountability throughout the organization.

The ideal candidate is an experienced HR leader who can develop systems, guide teams, resolve operational challenges, and build a professional, mission-aligned organizational culture.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive HR Leadership & Strategic Execution

• Support the CHRO in developing and executing MAP's human resources strategy.
• Translate organizational priorities into measurable HR objectives, initiatives, and work plans.
• Oversee assigned HR departments, leaders, and operational responsibilities.
• Establish clear priorities, performance expectations, and reporting processes.
• Identify workforce challenges and recommend practical, sustainable solutions.
• Represent PromisePeople in approved leadership meetings and cross-divisional initiatives.
• Exercise delegated authority while escalating significant decisions to the CHRO.

1. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Strengthen recruitment strategies for volunteer, leadership, specialist, and program-support positions.
• Coordinate with divisional chiefs to assess workforce needs and staffing priorities.
• Improve recruitment workflows, candidate screening, interview coordination, and selection processes.
• Monitor vacancies, recruitment pipelines, hiring timelines, and candidate communication.
• Establish consistent recruitment service standards and follow-up expectations.
• Identify opportunities to improve candidate experience and reduce recruitment delays.
• Support succession planning and leadership continuity.

1. HR Operations & Organizational Systems

• Oversee assigned HR workflows, administrative procedures, and operational standards.
• Improve onboarding, offboarding, role changes, internal transfers, and personnel documentation.
• Establish clear ownership and accountability for HR requests and deliverables.
• Develop standardized procedures, checklists, templates, and escalation pathways.
• Coordinate with PromiseOperations on process improvements and organizational systems.
• Support secure, accurate, and appropriately restricted personnel records.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and implement approved corrective improvements.

1. Volunteer Engagement & Retention

• Develop strategies to strengthen volunteer participation, engagement, and long-term commitment.
• Support meaningful recognition, professional development, and volunteer experience initiatives.
• Identify factors contributing to disengagement, inconsistent participation, or turnover.
• Establish appropriate volunteer check-in and feedback processes.
• Support divisional leaders in addressing participation and performance concerns.
• Promote a respectful, inclusive, and supportive organizational environment.
• Strengthen communication between volunteers, managers, and HR leadership.

1. Leadership Development & Performance Accountability

• Support managers and divisional leaders in setting clear role expectations.
• Develop consistent approaches to performance feedback, coaching, and professional development.
• Help establish appropriate performance improvement and accountability procedures.
• Support leadership training in communication, supervision, conflict management, and team development.
• Identify organizational leadership gaps and recommend development opportunities.
• Coordinate sensitive personnel matters through approved HR procedures.
• Promote fairness, documentation, confidentiality, and appropriate review.

1. HR Policy, Compliance & Risk Management

• Support the development, implementation, and periodic review of HR policies and procedures.
• Coordinate with PromiseTrust and PromiseGovernance on employment, volunteer, privacy, and organizational compliance matters.
• Help ensure HR practices reflect applicable legal requirements and organizational policies.
• Support appropriate volunteer classification, screening, safeguarding, and confidentiality procedures.
• Identify potential HR risks and promptly escalate significant concerns.
• Maintain appropriate boundaries concerning legal advice, investigations, and disciplinary authority.
• Support consistent application of approved organizational standards.

1. Organizational Culture & Employee Relations

• Promote professionalism, mutual respect, transparency, and accountability.
• Support constructive communication between leadership and team members.
• Help address workplace concerns through established reporting and escalation procedures.
• Identify recurring communication challenges and recommend systemic improvements.
• Support organizational initiatives focused on inclusion, belonging, and team effectiveness.
• Reinforce MAP's commitment to ethical leadership and mission-centered collaboration.

1. HR Analytics & Organizational Performance

• Establish meaningful HR performance indicators and reporting practices.
• Monitor recruitment activity, onboarding completion, vacancies, retention, and volunteer engagement.
• Develop HR dashboards and executive summaries using appropriately protected data.
• Identify workforce trends, operational weaknesses, and improvement opportunities.
• Collaborate with PromiseMeasure and PromiseOperations on approved data systems and reporting.
• Provide the CHRO with regular updates on priorities, performance, risks, and outstanding decisions.

1. Cross-Divisional Leadership & Coordination

• Partner with divisional chiefs to address workforce planning and HR support needs.
• Coordinate with the Chief of Staff on executive priorities and organizational alignment.
• Collaborate with PromiseOperations on systems and execution.
• Work with PromiseTrust on legal and regulatory considerations.
• Coordinate with PromiseGovernance on applicable organizational policies.
• Support consistent communication, timely follow-through, and clear decision-making across divisions.

Reporting Structure & Decision-Making Authority

The Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer reports directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer.

The Deputy Chief is responsible for managing assigned HR operations, supervising delegated teams, and implementing approved organizational priorities.

The CHRO retains ultimate divisional accountability and authority over HR strategy, major policy decisions, sensitive personnel actions, and matters reserved for executive approval.

The Deputy Chief may act on behalf of the CHRO only within expressly delegated authority.

Significant personnel matters, legal concerns, organizational restructuring, and decisions requiring executive approval must be escalated through established channels.

First 90-Day Priorities

Days 1–30: Assessment & Alignment

• Meet with the CHRO to establish responsibilities, delegated authority, and performance expectations.
• Review PromisePeople's organizational structure, staffing, and active priorities.
• Assess recruitment, onboarding, retention, and HR communication workflows.
• Identify operational gaps, unresolved requests, and immediate workforce challenges.
• Establish regular leadership check-ins and reporting procedures.

Days 31–60: Systems & Accountability

• Develop a prioritized HR operational improvement plan.
• Establish or strengthen recruitment and onboarding trackers.
• Clarify HR team responsibilities, deadlines, and escalation procedures.
• Introduce consistent HR response and follow-up standards.
• Identify opportunities to improve volunteer engagement and retention.
• Begin implementing approved process improvements.

Days 61–90: Execution & Performance

• Implement priority improvements to HR operations.
• Establish a basic HR performance dashboard.
• Review recruitment and onboarding performance against established baselines.
• Strengthen coordination with divisional leadership.
• Develop a six-month HR improvement roadmap.
• Present findings, accomplishments, risks, and recommendations to the CHRO.

Required Qualifications

• Significant professional experience in human resources, people operations, talent management, organizational development, or related leadership functions.
• Demonstrated experience managing HR teams, operations, or complex workforce initiatives.
• Strong understanding of recruitment, onboarding, workforce planning, and employee or volunteer engagement.
• Experience developing HR policies, processes, and performance management practices.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and coordinate across multiple departments.
• Experience handling sensitive personnel matters with discretion and professionalism.
• Strong judgment, accountability, and commitment to ethical leadership.
• Proficiency with digital collaboration tools and HR tracking systems.
• Commitment to MAP's mission and organizational values.

Preferred Qualifications

• Senior HR leadership experience, including Director, Vice President, Head of People, or equivalent roles.
• Experience in nonprofit organizations, volunteer management, or mission-driven institutions.
• Familiarity with New York and federal employment-related requirements.
• SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, SPHR, PHR, or comparable professional credentials.
• Experience with HR transformation, organizational scaling, and change management.
• Knowledge of HR analytics, workforce planning, and succession development.
• Experience building HR departments, developing leaders, and implementing enterprise-level people systems.

Executive Leadership Expectations

The Deputy Chief is expected to demonstrate:

Strategic Leadership: Connect HR priorities to MAP's broader organizational mission and long-term goals.

Operational Excellence: Build reliable systems, establish clear responsibilities, and ensure timely execution.

Accountability: Take ownership of assigned responsibilities, communicate challenges early, and follow through on commitments.

Professional Judgment: Handle sensitive matters fairly, confidentially, and consistently.

Collaboration: Build productive relationships across departments and leadership levels.

People Development: Support team members through guidance, coaching, recognition, and constructive feedback.

Organizational Integrity: Uphold MAP's policies, values, safeguarding responsibilities, and professional standards.

Measures of Success

Success in this position will be evaluated through:

• Improved recruitment coordination and candidate communication.
• More consistent onboarding completion and volunteer activation.
• Clear HR responsibilities, workflows, and accountability structures.
• Timely responses to HR requests and escalations.
• Stronger volunteer engagement and retention practices.
• Improved HR documentation, reporting, and operational visibility.
• Effective supervision and development of assigned HR team members.
• Measurable progress on approved HR strategic initiatives.
• Strong collaboration and confidence among divisional leaders.

Performance measures will be established with the CHRO based on organizational priorities, available resources, and appropriate baseline data.

Volunteer Commitment & Expectations

• Commit approximately 5–10 hours per week for at least six months.
• Participate in relevant PromisePeople and senior leadership meetings.
• Maintain consistent communication with the CHRO and assigned teams.
• Complete assigned responsibilities and provide timely progress updates.
• Follow MAP's confidentiality, safeguarding, privacy, HR, and organizational policies.
• Use approved organizational communication and documentation systems.
• Respect delegated authority and established reporting structures.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and protect sensitive personnel information.
• Provide at least two weeks' notice when ending volunteer service whenever possible.

What You'll Gain

• Executive-level experience supporting the development of a growing nonprofit's human resources function.
• Opportunities to lead HR transformation, talent strategy, and organizational improvement initiatives.
• Experience collaborating with senior executives and multidisciplinary leadership teams.
• Opportunities to strengthen enterprise-level HR systems and volunteer workforce practices.
• Meaningful leadership experience in organizational development and change management.
• Potential professional references based on demonstrated contributions.
• The opportunity to apply your professional expertise toward lasting social impact.

Why This Role Matters

An organization's ability to fulfill its mission depends on the people who make that mission possible.

At Mentor A Promise, our volunteers, educators, specialists, and leaders contribute their time and expertise to creating meaningful opportunities for children and families experiencing housing instability.

As MAP grows, our responsibility is to ensure that the people supporting this mission receive clear direction, consistent communication, professional support, and opportunities to succeed.

The Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer will help build the systems, leadership practices, and organizational culture necessary to support a growing, high-performing team.

This is an opportunity to move beyond traditional HR administration and help shape how an entire organization recruits, develops, supports, and empowers its people.

When we invest in our people, we strengthen every promise we make to the children and families we serve.

Acknowledgment of Role

By accepting this position, the Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer acknowledges the responsibilities, executive leadership expectations, reporting structure, confidentiality obligations, professional standards, and mission alignment associated with serving Mentor A Promise.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly through Idealist and submit a resume or CV and cover letter.

Please highlight your experience in senior HR leadership, people operations, organizational development, talent acquisition, workforce management, or HR transformation.

Candidates with demonstrated experience building HR systems, leading teams, and improving organizational performance are especially encouraged to apply.

This is an unpaid volunteer opportunity limited to individuals based in the United States due to legal, safeguarding, data-privacy, and programmatic requirements.

Join Mentor A Promise and help build a people-centered organization where leadership, accountability, and collaboration create lasting impact.

Because every child deserves a promise kept.