Job description

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: CHIEF PEOPLE & CULTURE OFFICER

R eports to: Interim Executive Director
Manager to: Senior HR and Operations Manager
Location: This is a full-time telecommuting position
FLSA/Classification: Exempt, Full-time, Regular
Salary: $150,000-$185,000 annually, commensurate with experience
Apply by: March 17, 2023

Overview: For 15 years, Groundswell has put intersectional grassroots organizing led by women of color, including transgender and gender expansive people of color, at the center of our giving. We have provided an essential irrigation system for social justice movements – a channel into which individual donors and foundations can pour resources to reach vital work at the grassroots. In the process, we have modeled and manifested a remarkable kind of philanthropy.

With 800 individual donors and 40 national foundations giving into Groundswell; women of color and TGNC people of color who come out of grassroots organizing deciding where those resources go; and over 200 grantees led mostly by WOC and TGNC people of color receiving our support; Groundswell is proof that solidarity and beloved community across lines of race, class and gender is indeed possible.

Building on our 15-year track-record of success ($100M in grants and capacity-building moved to the field thus far), in December 2020, Groundswell launched our new 2020-2025 Blueprint to move $100M to the field (through our c3 and c4 entities) by 2025. The Blueprint offers a pathway for Groundswell to stay the course in our existing successful strategic direction and to innovate in response to new learnings and the unique needs of this historic moment.

A new chapter in Groundswell’s journey is beginning as we have a new staff union, Groundswell Workers United/Communication Workers of America (Local 9415); a visionary and transformative new Interim Executive Director, Yamani Yansá Hernandez; and are committed to launching the search for a new permanent leader to wrap up in 12-18 months. In this season of broad change, Groundswell is more committed than ever to fulfilling our mission and building a sustainable organization.

Position Summary: At Groundswell, we recognize the crucial roles that values-aligned human resources and organizational infrastructure building play in supporting healthy organizational ecology. We seek an equity-focused radical visionary and bridge builder with high emotional intelligence as Chief People & Culture Officer (CPCO). The CPCO will lead and manage all human resources functions for Groundswell and Groundswell Action Fund creatively ensuring alignment of culture, structures, and systems with our values and mission. Accountable for Groundswell’s HR function, the CPCO will serve as a key thought partner to the Interim Executive Director; Senior HR and Operations Manager; and senior management listening to the needs of the team and helping to create sustainable HR infrastructure deeply aligned with the principles of social change movements. The CPCO will also be critical in supporting Groundswell’s search for a new permanent leader, ensuring the organization is staffed effectively to manage growth, and leading labor relations requiring a passion for workers’ rights and experience within or in close proximity to labor movements, unions, or worker organizing campaigns.

The CPCO must be an innovator with experience creating and leading bold HR policies and initiatives; developing nimble and responsive systems for scaling; creating and implementing policies and procedures; identifying opportunities for greater efficiency in operations; ensuring legal compliance with all relevant local, state, and federal laws; and implementing best practices to recruit, develop, train, and retain a diverse and high-performing team. The CPCO must be comfortable operating in high-stakes, fast-paced environments and well-suited to providing a trustworthy, stabilizing presence for the team during a period of leadership transition. The role requires a skilled strategist who can hold the balance between the long-term vision and goals of the organization and the on-the-ground and daily functional needs and between the needs of the organization and desires and concerns of staff. Keys to success are superior communication skills; the ability to foster respect, trust, and collaboration among team members and departments; and the ability to problem-solve creatively while setting the tone for clear articulation of our culture and values. Experience with and/or knowledge of the unique cultural experience of running HR in a fully remote environment is a plus.

Responsibilities:

I. Human Resources (35% of FTE)

● Lead on the full scope of Groundswell’s HR functions, including policy development and implementation, systems development and application, talent management, recruiting, hiring, onboarding and offboarding, employee benefits and compensation, employee relations, performance management, and professional employer organization (PEO) and benefits management

● Work with Interim Executive Director, senior leadership, and staff to identify growth and development needs, workplace challenges, talent gaps, and collaborate to develop solutions that address needs

● Partner with Interim Executive Director and Senior HR and Operations Manager to identify, prioritize, and implement key HR initiatives that will support and drive organization wide efforts to deliver a values-aligned, best-in-class employee experience

● Lead revision of salary compensation philosophy and implementation in partnership with union (as with all workplace policies), to ensure equitable, competitive wages and benefits through our growth

● Manage relationships with our PEO and benefit brokers and obtain and provide competitive and cost-effective employee benefits plans and programs

● Conduct biannual industry compensation and benefits studies

● Create and lead an organizational approach or system to solicit and integrate periodic staff and consultant feedback via employee engagement surveys, polls, focus groups, etc.

● Provide guidance to organizational leadership teams on employee relations and performance management issues

● Collaboratively develop and administer all aspects of the annual evaluation process

● Oversee employment-related inquiries from applicants, employees, and supervisors, referring complex and/or sensitive matters to the appropriate staff

II. Labor Relations (35% of FTE)
● In partnership with labor attorney, lead ongoing staff unionization process from start to finish including finalizing the contract and implementing it alongside newly established union members/workers

● Serve as Board appointed manager and approver of labor relations (unionization) process

● Manage staff and leadership education around Unionization process, including legal compliance, NLRB/NLRA regulations, timelines, process, and more

● Handle routine labor relations and human resource inquiries related to policies, procedures, and bargaining agreements; refers complex matters to appropriate management staff

● Serve as the initial contact and liaison for intake and assessment of employee complaints

● Collect information and data to assess cost and policy implications of negotiations and disputes which may include management and union proposals, pay scales and wages, benefits, working conditions, and other mitigating circumstances

● Maintain knowledge and understanding of laws and regulations related to EEO, ADA, affirmative action, collective bargaining, unions, labor relations, and human resources

● Assist with preparation of documents and records required for contract negotiations, meetings, and negotiations with employee and labor organizations

III. Management (20% of FTE)

● Serve as an exceptional leader, manager, and coach, investing deeply in supporting and training others and building out capacity and skill set and thus the capacity of the department

● Serve as the HR liaison and representative at Groundswell’s Director Team meetings

● Collaborate with the Interim Executive Director and Senior HR and Operations Manager to investigate a variety of employee-related issues, incidents, and complaints, and resolve disputes through mediation, by recommending appropriate actions, and/or, where applicable, conducting effective, thorough, and objective investigations

● Partner with Interim Executive Director, union leaders, and legal counsel to lead decision making processes around employee disciplinary actions, meetings, terminations, and investigations, in alignment with the union contract

● Develop and implement a supervisor handbook and trainings to solidify inhouse management upskilling

IV. Compliance (10% of FTE)

● Ensure fair application of personnel policies and procedures consistently across staff

● Oversee compliance with compensation guidelines and related regulatory requirements (FLSA, Employee v. Consultant, etc.)

● Partner with legal counsel to maintain compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations; recommended best practices; and review policies and practices to maintain compliance

● Partner with PEO to enforce compliance with all existing government and legal reporting requirements, including any related to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Paid Family Leave (PFL), Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Department of Labor, worker compensation, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and other relevant local and state labor laws

Qualifications:

Experience and Education
● At least 7-10 years of experience in HR inclusive of key functions such as hiring, benefits, and policy development
● At least 3-5 years in an HR management capacity leading and building an HR department/systems
● Understanding of and experience within or in close proximity to labor movements, unions, worker campaigns, etc., ideally including at least 1 year of HR experience in a non-profit unionized environment ● PHR/SHRM-CP or SPRH/SHRM-SCP certification highly preferred or you will be required to obtain certification within 6 months of onboarding

Skills and Attributes
● Experience leading in the midst of transition with demonstrated change management and organizational culture change experience
● Passion for social justice, reproductive justice, and gender justice with an ability to integrate and infuse social justice values into the fabric of human resources
● Ability to initiate, facilitate, and mediate difficult conversations with staff at every level of the organization, knowledge of different conflict facilitation frameworks a plus
● Superior communication skills – including expert-level writing and editing (need to be able to write policy documents quickly and effectively) – with knowledge of best practices around communication in virtual environments ● High level of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and ability to translate difficult and complex HR concepts in ways that are easily digestible for diverse stakeholders ● Ability to anticipate needs and proactively develop and implement solutions
● Unwavering commitment to excellence, ethics, integrity, and attention to detail producing high quality work products and bringing objectivity to professional relationships with an equity lens
● Ability to align decisions on short-term priorities and resource allocation with long-term organizational goals, scale, and sustainability
● Strong analytical, critical decision making, project management, and process improvement skills
● Comfort with technology and learning new methodologies
● Experience working remotely and across time zones preferred
● Bilingual Spanish/English a plus

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Hired candidates should be willing to perform any other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Computer Skills: To perform this job successfully, the candidate should have comfort and a high level of proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of programs, the ability to work with basic web platforms, database software, web browsers, social media, and conferencing software. Experience with HR
Management software, Slack, and Asana is also desired.

Work Schedule: Groundswell is a completely virtual organization, allowing for flexibility in work schedules for our staff across differing U.S. time zones. While work can usually be completed during standard business hours (8 am - 5 pm, including a lunch) of the applicant's time zone, there may be times where early morning, evening, and/or weekend work may be needed to ensure organization- wide collaboration, to staff or attend events, and/or to meet organization workload needs during busy times of the year. We are also piloting a 4-day work week, Monday - Thursday. Work schedules and conditions will be included in the union bargaining process and may change.

Travel: When travel is safe again, travel will be at least four times/year for overnight events/meetings across the U.S. Staff whose jobs require travel can expect longer hours, as travel may happen outside of business hours and on weekends. Travel needs will be evaluated and determined on an ongoing basis with an eye toward staff safety as we continue navigating COVID-19.

Compensation/Benefits: Annual salary is within the range of $150,000 to $185,000, commensurate with experience. Very generous benefits include fully paid for employee and family health, dental, vision, matching 401K plan, as well as additional employer-provided reimbursements for fertility expenses, transgender health care costs and midwifery/doula expenses that are not covered by insurance. Three weeks of vacation upon hire and a generous holiday schedule including a week during the summer and the last two weeks of December, as well as a flexible work schedule.

To Apply: We are partnering with values-aligned Black- and woman-owned and -led strategic management consulting and executive search firm Walker and Associates Consulting on this search. Please email a cover letter that includes your salary expectations and describes why you feel you are a strong candidate for this position, resume, and list of three professional references by Friday, March 17, 2023.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The Groundswell Fund is a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. We are committed to attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and that enables each of us to realize our potential. Our work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of races, ethnicities, national origins, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, beliefs, religions, faiths and ideologies, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, and levels of physical ability.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $150,000.00 - $185,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: Remote

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