Director, People Operations

The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work and may come from several different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you believe you must meet every qualification for the position.

About The Opportunity

The Director of People Operations will play a pivotal role in orchestrating an equitable, consistent, and inclusive operational employee lifecycle that resonates with the Academy’s mission and people strategy. This multifaceted role entails overseeing recruitment, compensation, onboarding, benefits, people analytics, and systems. As a leader, you will spearhead a spectrum of strategic and tactical initiatives to provide seamless support to our employees and managers, all in alignment with our organizational goals. Reporting directly to the Chief People & Culture Officer (CPCO), you will be instrumental in shaping our workforce's journey.

Organizational Culture

Join a team dedicated to the Academy’s mission, vision and values ! Currently, the Academy has a new strategic plan including three initiatives – Hope for Reefs, Thriving California, and Islands 2030 – that leverage biodiversity science, environmental learning, and collaborative engagement to regenerate fragile ecosystems around the world. Learn more at https://www.calacademy.org/about-us/major-initiatives .

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are intrinsic to Academy culture and operations, from recruitment and retention to science and advocacy.

We hope you are inspired by what we do and are excited to contribute to our mission. The mission of the California Academy of Sciences is to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration. The Academy is looking for candidates who do great work, and we know they may come from a number of different backgrounds and experiences. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet every one of the qualifications for the position.

This position is based in San Francisco, California. This exempt, full-time position reports to the Chief People & Culture Officer. This is a hybrid role and you are expected to work from the Academy offices at least 3 days per week, and remain flexible to be onsite other days based on people and business needs. Please do not apply if you are not able to work onsite. Candidates are required to have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment, absent qualifying exemptions in accordance with applicable laws. Individuals receiving a conditional offer of employment from the California Academy of Sciences will be provided the full text of the vaccination policy. The California Academy of Sciences is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace, to protect its employees, volunteers and guests.

About

About the People & Culture Team (PACT):

The People & Culture team collaborates across the Academy to: 1) build a thriving culture in which all staff members feel cared for and respected, with opportunities for growth: and 2) deeply connect employees to the Academy’s purpose of regenerating the natural world.

As Director, People Operations, You

• Are passionate about scaling initiatives, leveraging your comprehensive knowledge of People Operations and systems to support Academy endeavors, and streamlining processes for enhanced efficiency and user-friendliness.
• Embrace an equity-centered approach to leadership and employee engagement.
• Excel at nurturing warm, collaborative relationships across all organizational levels and departments.
• Approach challenges with a spirit of inquiry and collaborative problem-solvi ng.
  
  

Strategic Leadership

• Collaborate with the Chief People and Culture Officer to implement the organization’s strategic goals across the entire employee lifecycle, continually evaluating systems and processes for improvement and ensuring alignment with our mission and initiatives.
• Conceptualize and implement policies and programs that prioritize the well-being of our colleagues.
• Champion impactful initiatives that advance our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for all Academy colleagues
  
  

Position Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversee or administer the People & Culture operations programs including, but not limited to: recruitment, compensation, onboarding, benefits and leaves, policy management, and people systems and analytics.
• Monitors and ensures the organization's compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations and recommends best practices; reviews and modifies policies and procedures with an equitable lens
• Maintains knowledge of trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies in people & culture and talent management; applies this knowledge to communicate policy, practice, and resource changes to all levels of the Academy
• Provide guidance to the Talent Acquisition function for developing and implementing equitable recruitment practices, processes, guidelines, evaluation methods, and training for hiring managers.
• Lead the administration of employee benefit programs, managing plan design, implementation, and open enrollment processes, and addressing employee inquiries.
• Coordinate internal audits and produce necessary reports or information as required.
• Plan manager for the 403b Plan, participates in quarterly meetings and ensures timely updates and reporting responsibilities are managed
• Oversee and project manage large, often cross-functional, organization-wide PACT projects or initiatives; bring together essential stakeholders and prioritize project plans
• Establish key People metrics to measure program effectiveness, utilizing data and analytics to drive informed decision-making.
• Provide guidance to the Compensation Manager and assist in any compensation analysis, program reviews, policies projects, and rollouts, including the annual increase process
• Responsible for overseeing and ensuring the smooth rollouts of any system implementations, upgrades, implementation, and rollout for PACT systems and analytics.
• Manages and reports on the department budget and provides quarterly check-in meetings with the CPCO
• Establish key People metrics to measure the effectiveness of programs and initiatives.
• Analyze data and provide insights to drive informed decision-making.
  
  

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Build, coach, and lead a high-performing team that includes Senior Talent Acquisition Manager, Compensation Manager, People Systems & Analytics Manager, to drive key initiatives within PACT and across the Academy
• Lead workstreams across the employee lifecycle, from compensation to recruitment and onboarding, policies and compliance, benefits and wellness, systems and analytics.
• Act as a thought leader within the People & Culture team, consulting across all centers of excellence and making informed decisions to drive progress.
  
  

Qualifications

Experience and Education:

• Minimum of 10 years experience of People & Culture experience, with 5+ years in people management within a PACT, nonprofit, social impact preferred but remain flexible to different experiences and environments.
• Undergraduate degree, preferred, advanced degree in HR/People Management or equivalent with SPHR/SHRM-SCP certification a plus
• Experience working in a union environment is a plus
  
  

Skills And Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of Human Resources processes, systems, and best practices; proven ability to advise, direct, and lead across a broad range of People functions.
• Brings a strong equity lens that informs your decision-making
• Demonstrates strong knowledge of federal, State, and City of San Francisco l abor, benefits and employment laws, ability to research other state labor
• Demonstrated experience in talent acquisition and management
• Experience with compensation best practices and programs
• Excellent communication, presentation, coaching, and influencing skills
• A high degree of emotional intelligence, empathy, and care for people
• Display sound judgment, including the ability to maintain total confidentiality concerning highly sensitive information and the ability to act with discretion
• Ability to identify opportunities and challenges, adapting plans accordingly
• Highly organized with a proactive sense of initiative and follow-through
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while retaining flexibility.
  
  

Physical Environment

The Academy complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable

accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is

needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job

functions, and/or to receive other benefits of employment, please contact our People & Culture team at recruiting@calacademy.org .

• Ability to perform repetitive motions 80% of the time.
  
  

Compensation And Benefits

The salary range for this position is $150K - $170K. Actual compensation will be commensurate with experience, skills/knowledge set, and internal equity. We believe in fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to providing competitive salaries within the industry and market standards. The Academy offers a total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits based on the hours per week worked. Further details regarding compensation and benefits will be discussed during the interview process.

Please scroll down to "Other details" for this position's hiring range.

Application Process

Please upload your resume, optional cover letter, and complete the brief online application

The California Academy of Sciences will give full consideration for employment to all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).

We are committed to ensuring that all employees and applicants shall receive equal consideration and treatment. All terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, placements, transfers, promotions, compensation, benefits, terminations, training, and social and recreational programs, will be on the basis of qualifications of the individual for the positions being filled. The Academy does not discriminate against qualified applicants or employees with respect to any terms or conditions of employment on account of any characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. Read our full Equal Opportunity Statement here .

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