Director of People Operations

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary

Sasha Bruce Youthwork (SBY) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing safe homes, life-saving services, and opportunities for homeless, runaway, abused, and vulnerable youth throughout the Washington metropolitan region. The Director of People Operations is responsible for leading all aspects of the organization's human resources function, ensuring that people practices support SBY's mission while maintaining compliance with applicable employment laws, funding requirements, and licensing standards.

The Director serves as a trusted advisor to leadership, coaches supervisors, develops and implements people strategies, and manages the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, compensation and benefits, leave administration, compliance, and offboarding. The position also supports regulatory and licensing activities, including Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) licensing requirements for residential programs.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• In close partnership with the Executive Director, develop and implement people strategies aligned with organizational goals.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, systems, and employee experience.
• Manage HR vendors and consultants.
• Prepare departmental budgets and monitor expenditures.
• Participate as a member of the organization's leadership team.
• Perform other duties as required.

Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture

• Lead initiatives that foster employee engagement, belonging, wellness, and organizational culture consistent with Sasha Bruce Youthwork's mission and values.
• Design, administer, and analyze periodic employee engagement surveys and recommend action plans based on survey results.
• Partner with leadership to develop employee recognition, retention, and professional development initiatives.
• Identify trends impacting employee morale and engagement and recommend strategies to improve the overall employee experience.
• Support organizational change management initiatives and promote effective communication throughout the organization.

Compliance, Employment Law, and HR Policies

• Develop, implement, and maintain human resources policies, procedures, and employee handbook materials.
• Ensure organizational compliance with applicable federal, District of Columbia and applicable state employment laws, including required notices, wage and hour regulations, anti-discrimination laws, leave laws, and workplace safety requirements.
• Monitor changes in employment legislation and recommend policy and operational updates.
• Lead internal HR compliance reviews and coordinate responses to external audits and regulatory inquiries.
• Maintain compliance with grant and contractual personnel requirements as applicable.

Employee Relations

• Promote and model a respectful, inclusive, and legally compliant workplace culture.
• Serve as the primary resource for employee relations matters.
• Conduct or oversee workplace investigations involving employee reports, policy violations, and misconduct.
• Advise managers on conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, performance concerns, and corrective action.
• Mitigate organizational risk through consistent application of policies and sound employment practices.

Leadership Coaching and Supervisor Support

• Coach supervisors and managers on effective leadership practices, performance management, employee engagement, communication, documentation, and legal compliance.
• Develop and deliver periodic supervisory training on employment law, supervisory responsibilities, and organizational policies.
• Partner with leadership to address organizational effectiveness and workforce planning initiatives.

Recruitment Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the organization's recruitment and talent acquisition function.
• Supervise the recruiting team and establish recruiting priorities, performance expectations, standard reporting, and service standards.
• Develop and implement recruiting strategies that attract diverse, mission-driven candidates while supporting organizational workforce needs.
• Partner with hiring managers to develop job descriptions, interview processes, and selection strategies.
• Monitor recruitment metrics, including time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, source effectiveness, candidate experience, and quality of hire, and recommend continuous process improvements.
• Ensure recruitment processes comply with all applicable regulations.

Onboarding, and Offboarding

• Support, as needed pre-employment screenings, reference checks, licensure confirmation and employment offers.
• Manage comprehensive onboarding processes to ensure successful employee integration.
• Oversee separation processes, including exit interviews, final documentation, and coordination of benefit terminations and COBRA notifications.

Performance Management

• Manage the organization's performance feedback process.
• Develop tools and resources to support goal setting, coaching, and annual performance evaluations.
• Ensure timely completion of evaluations and performance documentation.
• Support managers in addressing performance deficiencies through coaching and corrective action.

Total Rewards

• Administer employee compensation, benefits, and retirement programs.
• Lead annual salary review and merit increase processes.
• Conduct compensation benchmarking and market analyses.
• Oversee employee benefit administration, open enrollment, vendor relationships, and employee communications.
• Recommend improvements to compensation and benefits programs to support recruitment and retention.

Leave Administration

• Administer all employee leave programs, including:
  • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA and DC FMLA)
  • District of Columbia Paid Family Leave
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations
  • Workers' Compensation
  • Military leave
  • Jury duty and other statutory leaves
  • Organizational paid leave programs
• Coordinate interactive accommodation processes and maintain required documentation.
• Work collaboratively with supervisors and employees to facilitate successful return-to-work planning.

Records Management and HR Administration

• Maintain accurate and confidential employee personnel files and HRIS records.
• Ensure compliance with record retention requirements and confidentiality standards.
• Prepare HR reports and workforce metrics for executive leadership and the Board of Directors as requested.
• Maintain required employment documentation, including I-9 records and personnel files.

Human Resources Metrics and Reporting

• Develop and maintain meaningful human resources dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs) to support organizational decision-making.
• Analyze workforce data, including turnover, vacancy rates, retention, recruiting effectiveness, compensation, leave utilization, employee relations trends, and diversity metrics.
• Prepare regular reports and presentations for executive leadership regarding workforce trends and human capital initiatives.
• Utilize HR data to identify opportunities for operational improvements, workforce planning, and risk mitigation.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of HRIS data and reporting systems.

Regulatory and Licensing Support

• Support compliance with Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) licensing requirements for residential programs.
• Coordinate HR-related documentation required for licensing reviews, renewals, audits, and inspections.
• Ensure timely completion of required employee background checks, health screenings, mandated trainings, and credential tracking.
• Collaborate with program leadership to maintain compliance with applicable licensing and accreditation standards.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field.
• Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including at least three (3) years in a leadership or management role.
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal and District of Columbia employment laws and regulations.
• Experience handling complex employee relations matters and workplace investigations.
• Experience administering employee benefits and leave programs.
• Strong knowledge of performance management and supervisory coaching.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
• Highly proficient with HR technology and use of Microsoft Office suite.

Preferred Qualifications

• SHRM-SCP or SPHR certification.
• Human resources leadership experience in a nonprofit organization.
• Familiarity with Child and Family Services Agency (CFSA) licensing requirements.
• Experience with HRIS and payroll systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of employment law and human resources best practices.
• Ability to interpret and apply laws, regulations, and organizational policies.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent presentation and training skills.
• Ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organization.
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, and discretion.

Physical Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to:

• Be stationary for extended periods while working at a computer.
• Operate a keyboard, telephone, and standard office equipment.
• Frequently communicate in person and virtually, both verbally and in writing with employees, applicants, and external partners.
• Read, review, and prepare written documents and electronic records.
• Occasionally access program sites.
• Occasionally lift, carry, or move materials weighing up to 20 pounds, such as files, training materials, or office supplies.
• Travel periodically between SBY locations and attend meetings throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
• Work in both office and residential program environments.

Work Environment

The work is performed primarily in a professional office environment with artificial light and conditioned air with periodic visits to residential and community-based program locations. Program and residential locations may have stairs. The position may occasionally require evening or early morning meetings, attendance at organizational events, or urgent response to employee relations matters outside normal business hours.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Sasha Bruce Youthwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal or District of Columbia law. SBY is committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all employees are valued and respected.