Fast Facts

City Year Chicago is seeking a Senior Director of People and Operations to enhance site culture and administrative practices, ensuring operational efficiency and employee satisfaction.

Responsibilities: The role encompasses developing and implementing people strategies, managing talent acquisition, overseeing site operations, and leading culture-building initiatives for staff and AmeriCorps Members.

Skills: Candidates should possess strong project management skills, knowledge of HR practices, excellent communication abilities, and a keen attention to detail.

Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree is required, with a preference for HR certification and at least seven years of relevant HR experience in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.

Location: Chicago, IL

Compensation: $82000 - $91000 / Annually

Application Instructions

Click Apply to submit your online application. Please attach a resume and thoughtful cover letter on the "My Experience" page in the "Resume/CV" field.

Active City Year Staff members must login to Workday to apply internally.

Number of Positions: 1Work Location: 100% On-Site

Position Overview

The Senior Director of People and Operations will serve as City Year Chicago’s main owner of site culture and operational practices to drive outcomes and people satisfaction. This leader will work collaboratively with other department heads to ensure the site is engaging in ways that align to organizational values and aspirations. The SD POps will lead the day-to-day operations of the site and play a critical role in ensuring staff and AmeriCorps Members have the necessary tools and resources to drive student impact. This is the perfect position for a culture-loving, people-centered, detail-oriented, highly-collaborative individual who is excited about building operational policies and processes at a mission-driven organization that’s partnering with AmeriCorps members, students, and schools to improve educational outcomes for youth in Chicago.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff and serving on the executive leadership team, you will be responsible for developing and implementing a long-term people and culture plan, implementing an operations plan, as well as the day-to-day management of all-office related issues such as: technology, resources, and expense tracking, vendor relations, and facilities. You will also play a key role in site culture and staff experience through hiring, onboarding, and culture-building initiatives. This role has 3 direct reports and oversees the People and Operations Department consisting of: the People and Operations Director, the Senior Manager of Corps Operations and the Senior Manager of Site Operations.

The salary range for this role is $82,000-$91,000 annually, contingent upon experience.

Job Description

Responsibilities

The Senior Director of People & Operations will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

Site Strategy and Initiatives: thinking through people and operations strategy with a lens on reaching our goals, the SD POps will:

• Manage the development and implementation of a people strategy that supports the site’s strategies and outcomes. 
• Support the creation of a scope and sequence for staff meetings and spaces to drive site goals. Facilitate monthly staff meetings aligned with site goals
• Support effective internal communications processes at all levels and point for staff communications; oversee the creation & distribution of a site newsletter
• Maintain a holistic eye on the aspects of people and operations, and adjust processes and practices as needed

Talent Acquisition and People Experience: Serving as the main HR point of contact, the SD POps will maintain a focus on the higher level people needs and strategies and will:

• Alongside the POps director, partner with hiring managers to develop and coordinate hiring process and applicant interviews for open positions (support varied from resume reviews and developing interview processes to ensuring best practices are followed to support a positive candidate experience)
• Works closely with Executive Director and site leadership on engagement strategies for staff and data driven decision making from staff feedback.
• Oversee the site performance review process. Create timelines, protocols and communication around site PMPs, scorecards and job descriptions.
• At a high level, coordinate new staff onboarding to ensure all new staff have the necessary materials, information, and support to start strong. (Duties may include reviewing I-9 documents, distributing office equipment, training new hires on office protocols and policies, assisting in orientation / onboarding of new hires, maintaining records, ensuring compliance with mandatory trainings, etc.)
• Liaison between HQ to support staff with understanding and navigating City Year benefits and HR policies and resources. 
• Partner with Managing Directors and City Year HQ’s People Team to proactively resolve employee relations issues, HR investigations, and disciplinary proceedings  
• Serve as liaison with City Year headquarters as a part of the People Points community, helping to weigh-in on, develop and communicate out organization-wide policies and practices. 
• Design and lead staff culture-building initiatives and events, including celebrations and appreciations 

Site Purchasing Management: With an eye for tracking and resource management, the SD POps will:

• Lead on and/or support contract negotiations as needed. 
• Oversee the purchasing for all ELT, SLT & impact department members
• Collaborate with the Chief of Staff to ensure site budget and purchasing aligns with site priorities

Site Operations and Office Management: With a balance of individual and collective needs, the SD POps will:

• Lead office management protocols, documentation, and communication related to, but not limited to, office space, office equipment, common area maintenance, staff contact information and records, email distribution lists, emergency preparedness, staff onboarding, and mandatory staff training. 
• Maintain and improve operational processes and procedures to ensure the site runs smoothly and efficiently, including ensuring staff and corps are fully trained and comply with site and headquarters processes & procedures. Serve as a resource to staff and AmeriCorps members regarding office operations questions and needs and ensure overall site compliance with HQ operational policies and practices. 
• Maintain quality operations of office IT equipment (computers, printers, etc.) and ensure that the office is well equipped with office supplies and materials. 
• Manage relationships with building management staff and vendors. 
• Support maintaining City Year’s content management system to ensure effective collaboration and information sharing. 
• Lead special projects and change management initiatives including system and equipment upgrades. 

Corps Operations Management:

• Oversee the onboarding & offboarding of our AmeriCorps members ensuring we follow all City Year and grant requirements
• Coach, train and advise managers and staff regarding employee relations, talent management and human resources issues using sound judgment, confidentiality, and ensuring counsel is in line with City Year policies and applicable laws/regulations 
• Consult and support communication and problem solving between Impact department leaders and City year Headquarters. Serve as a point person for HR related policies, accommodations and questions as needed. 

Operations Team Management

• Hold consistent 1:1 spaces with all direct reports and 3 times a year performance management meetings, ensure these spaces direct workflow, build clarity, provide feedback and professional development
• Facilitate the Operations team meetings, retreats, ext.
• Create and train staff around the Operations Service Desk Ticket
• Alongside other members of the Operations team, serve as a rapid response team for crisis management
• Support team members and perform other duties assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required
• HR Certification (PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP) preferred
• Minimum of seven (7) years of strategic, high-volume human resources business partner level experience in a fast-paced work environment is required
• Project management experience and proven record of building strategic HR systems and programs is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of human resources practices and state and federal labor and employment laws.
• Dedicated, entrepreneurial self-starter with excellent project management skills and a drive to succeed
• Impeccable judgment, integrity, curiosity and professionalism
• Ability to make sound decisions and discern when a matter should be escalated to the next level.
• Has a strong regard for confidentiality and employs sound reasoning to make quick determinations.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and establishing a direction on one's own, with frequent support but without requiring constant supervision
• Ability to initiate, build, and manage cohesive partnerships and professional relationships at all levels of the organization both internally and externally
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to facilitate/present information to audiences at all levels of the organization
• Gears communication towards the target audience
• Communicates at a high level with an impeccable detail-orientation and a focus on staff experience, service and relationships
• Ability to analyze a problem/question, prioritize, and determine the level of intervention or escalation necessary

Required Documents

 A cover letter and resume must be submitted to be considered for this position. Preferred resume formats will depict not only a candidate’s responsibilities and job functions in previous work, but will include specific, quantitative results where applicable. Additional quantitative context around specific budget sizes, team sizes, or other work environment information will help City Year compare the scale of your work environment with our operations.

Compensation and Benefits

Full time employees are entitled to compensation commensurate with experience. Benefits for full time employees include health insurance with Flexible Spending Account, paid vacation, holidays, parental leave, 401K, and more. City Year is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to a diverse workforce.

Benefits

Full-time employees will be eligible for all benefits including vacation, sick days and organization holidays. You may participate in all benefit programs that City Year establishes and makes available to eligible employees, under (and subject to all provisions of) the plan documents that govern those programs. Currently, City Year offers medical, dental, vision, life, accidental death and dismemberment and disability coverage, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and other benefits including 401(k) plan(s) pursuant to the terms and conditions of company policy and the 401(k) plan document. For more information, click here.

Employment at City Year is at-will. 

City Year does not sponsor work authorization visas.