Director of HR & Culture

Mixteca Organization Inc. is a 501(C)3 organization founded in 2000 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, which seeks to support sustainable livelihoods for Spanish-speaking immigrants, regardless of status. Mixteca provides free and culturally-sensitive programming to respond to the host of critical health, educational and immigration needs for Spanish-speaking families in Brooklyn and the broader NYC metropolitan area.

At Mixteca, we are building a more just society by strengthening the migrant community. As the organization continues to grow in scope, impact, and complexity, ensuring that we have the right team, structure, and internal systems in place is critical to delivering our mission effectively and sustainably.

The Director of HR & Culture plays a central role in this effort. This position is responsible for designing, and implementing the people strategy and organizational systems that enable Mixteca to grow. This includes shaping how the organization hires, develops, supports, and retains talent, while also establishing the processes, structures, and cultural foundations needed for long-term sustainability.

This is both a highly strategic and hands-on role. As the sole owner of the HR & Culture function, the Director will both define direction and execute day-to-day operations, ensuring that systems are not only well-designed, but effectively adopted and sustained across the organization. We are looking for someone that is as passionate about Mixteca’s mission and working in a mission-driven organization as to Talent and Culture processes.

This position reports to the Managing Director, Impact & Advancement.

Why work with us

Mixteca reaches more than 15000 community members annually through dynamic, culturally grounded programming across immigrant justice and advocacy, education and skill-building, workforce development, mental health, and health and wellness. For over 25 years, it has served as a trusted agent of change, consistently at the forefront of efforts to support, empower, and advocate for New York City’s Latinx and Indigenous communities. Through strong and passionate team, community trust, strategic partnerships, and innovative, community-centered programming, Mixteca has solidified its position as a leading organization in migrant support and advocacy in New York. If you want to be part of this impact, come work with us!

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

People strategy & organizational design

• Lead the design and implementation of a People & Culture strategy aligned with Mixteca’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities, ensuring that organizational capabilities evolve alongside programmatic and operational growth.
• Design and continuously refine the organizational structure to ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines, enabling effective execution and coordination across teams.
• Identify critical roles and workforce needs, and support strategic workforce planning aligned with organizational priorities.
• Develop and institutionalize policies, protocols, and internal systems that create consistency, clarity, and alignment across the organization.
• Continuously assess organizational effectiveness and recommend structural, process, or policy adjustments to improve performance and sustainability.

Talent management

• Design and implement end-to-end talent processes, including recruitment, onboarding, development, performance management, and retention.
• Build and manage hiring processes that ensure role fit and organizational alignment.
• Develop onboarding systems that integrate employees effectively into Mixteca’s culture, expectations, and ways of working.
• Identify organization-wide development needs and implement targeted learning solutions.
• Create and sustain a performance management approach that supports both accountability and growth.
• Oversee compensation, benefits, and employee-related processes in a way that supports equity, transparency, and sustainability.

Operations & compliance

• Ensure full compliance with all applicable labor laws and regulations by developing, reviewing, and maintaining HR policies, contracts, and practices.
• Monitoring legal requirements, and implementing necessary adjustments to keep the organization aligned with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Prepare and manage HR-related documentation and reporting as required.
• Ensure that administrative and operational aspects of the People & Culture function run effectively and reliably.

Leadership support & organizational effectiveness

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Executive Director and Leadership Team, providing guidance on organizational design, talent decisions, team dynamics, and people-related challenges.
• Support leaders in strengthening their management and leadership practices, including coaching, feedback, and decision-making.
• Facilitate alignment across leadership, helping translate strategy into coordinated execution across teams.
• Help leaders navigate competing priorities, balancing organizational needs and employee experience.
• Support the resolution of conflicts and organizational challenges in a constructive and effective manner.

Culture, communication & engagement

• Design and strengthen systems that support a healthy, aligned, and high-performing organizational culture.
• Assess and improve internal communication practices and structures to ensure clarity, transparency, and effective coordination across teams.
• Implement mechanisms for continuous feedback, employee voice, and engagement.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and shared purpose, grounded in Mixteca’s values and community-centered identity.
• Ensure that culture practices and internal dynamics support both employee well-being and organizational performance.

Change management & implementation

• Lead and support the implementation of organizational changes, including new systems, processes, structures, and ways of working.
• Ensure that changes are implemented in a way that is sustainable, well-communicated, and aligned with organizational capacity.
• Monitor the effectiveness of implemented initiatives and continuously adjust based on feedback and results.

Join our team if you…

• Have the ability to independently lead and execute projects from design through implementation with minimal guidance
• Strong systems thinking and ability to connect strategy with execution
• Can manage multiple priorities and navigate complexity in a dynamic environment
• Are highly organized, structured, and attention to detail
• Are resourceful and creative in solving complex organizational challenges
• Are very good at interpersonal and communication skills, and have the ability to influence and build trust across different levels of organizations
• Are flexible and adaptable in fast-changing contexts

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong understanding of People & Culture / HR functions, including both strategic and operational components
• Experience designing and implementing organizational systems (e.g., performance management, hiring processes, org design, feedback systems)
• Experience with project management software (e.g. Asana)
• Previous experience working in non-profit organizations.
• 3+ years in a generalist HR, People Operations, or Organizational Development role
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Psychology, or related field
• Bilingual: proficiency in English and Spanish

Full benefits (100% health premium paid for individual).

Spanish: proficient.