Vice President, HR and Talent

Location: Flexible within the US

Type: Full-time

Team: HR and Talent

Job level: LSS5 - Vice President

Start date: January 2027

Priority Application Review Deadline: November 6, 2026

About Us

Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is an accredited not-for-profit institution of higher education serving thousands of educators from across the country, from pre-service teachers to system-level leaders. Relay is integrating with Teaching Lab, a leading national education non-profit providing teacher and leader coaching. Together, Relay and Teaching Lab help school system partners build coherent systems that support educators throughout their educator journey, from a first-year teacher finding their footing to experienced instructional, school, and system leaders. By bringing together the talent, infrastructure, and institutional knowledge of both organizations, we will strengthen our collective ability to help educators learn, grow, and lead—so that all students have the opportunity to thrive.

Summary of Position

The Vice President, HR and Talent owns the organization's HR and Talent department, running consistent processes, governing accurate and accessible people data, and acting as a strategic partner that helps leaders, managers, and team members navigate their own people decisions. This role owns the vision for HR and Talent across four functional pillars: Talent Attraction & Acquisition, People Operations & Compliance, Compensation & Benefits, and Business Partnership & Employee Relations. As Relay and Teaching Lab integrate, the VP owns the HR and Talent aspects of integration, ensuring one coherent people function across the combined organization. This role shapes organization-wide strategy and resolves cross-departmental tradeoffs on workforce planning, organizational design, and compensation, in partnership with the Chief Operating Officer and the Executive Team. The VP is accountable for the performance, sustainability, and results of the HR and Talent department.

Essential Projects, Duties, and Responsibilities:

Specifically, the Vice President, HR and Talent will hold responsibilities in the following functional areas:

Own HR and Talent Department Strategy & Integration

• Own the vision and multi-year strategy for the HR and Talent department, spanning Talent Attraction & Acquisition, People Operations & Compliance, Compensation & Benefits, and Business Partnership & Employee Relations
• Own the HR aspects of the Relay/Teaching Lab integration, ensuring one coherent people function, policy set, and system of record across the combined organization
• Shape organization-wide strategy and resolve cross-departmental tradeoffs on workforce planning, organizational design, and compensation, in partnership with the COO and the Executive Team
• Hold accountability for the performance, sustainability, and results of the HR and Talent department, including whether team members experience HR and Talent as a responsive and trusted resource

Compensation & Benefits Strategy

• Own compensation philosophy, job architecture, and pay equity practices, ensuring fair and consistent pay across the organization
• Own total rewards strategy in partnership with the Executive Team, designing direct and indirect compensation programs that fairly pay employees and contractors
• Oversee benefits design, eligibility, and ACA compliance, and oversee management of compensation and benefits vendors and data accuracy

Talent Attraction & Acquisition Strategy

• Set the vision and strategic direction for talent acquisition, ensuring recruitment priorities align with organizational goals, evolving workforce needs, and long-term talent requirements.
• Establish an org-wide talent strategy that strengthens the organization’s ability to attract, assess, and retain high-quality talent across functions and leadership levels.
• Shape workforce planning and talent forecasting in partnership with executive leadership, connecting organizational priorities, future capabilities, and staffing needs.
• Define the principles, standards, and success measures that promote equitable hiring practices, a strong candidate experience, and consistent recruitment outcomes across the organization.
• Evaluate talent acquisition effectiveness using data, market insights, and organizational outcomes to inform strategic decisions and continuous improvement.

People Operations & Compliance Strategy

• Set the vision and strategic direction for people policies and the employee/contractor handbook, ensuring they are current, legally compliant, and clearly communicated
• Set the vision and strategic direction for people data and data integrity, ensuring the organization has one accurate system of record
• Oversee the compliance calendar and lead efforts to manage organizational risk and comply with federal, state, and local legal requirements for a multi-state, multi-entity workforce
• Set the vision and strategic direction for onboarding, offboarding, and Tier 1 employee support, ensuring a consistent and welcoming employee lifecycle experience
• Oversee management of the performance review cycle end-to-end, including calibration support

Business Partnership & Employee Relations Strategy

• Set the vision and strategic direction for how HR and Talent Business Partners serve as embedded strategic partners to function leaders on org design and workforce planning
• Set the vision for the organization's approach to employee relations and manager coaching, ensuring issues are addressed early, and coaching measurably reduces repeat issues
• Oversee calibration of performance conversations and ratings across teams to ensure consistency and fairness
• In consultation with the COO, Executive Team, and General Counsel, provide guidance on the most complex employee relations, conduct, and performance matters, including investigations of alleged misconduct

People Leadership: Lead Directors and Senior Directors

• Provide vision, direction, and oversight for direct reports and project team members
• Model people-manager competencies that support a positive culture and high productivity, including coaching, feedback, and development planning
• Ensure direct reports and project team members successfully achieve annual goals
• Monitor team capacity and workload to sustain effectiveness without burnout
• Oversee hiring for open roles within the team

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with the Executive Team, department leaders, and team members at every level to generate ideas, strategies, and systems that meet organizational goals related to HR and Talent
• Provide HR and Talent written updates through various reporting channels (e.g., internal newsletter, progress monitoring, Executive Team reports), incorporating metrics on progress
• Serve as the primary point of contact for HR and Talent matters relating to organizational initiatives, policies, practices, and employee relations issues
• Lead efforts that build inclusion and belonging for all team members, embedding this lens into HR and Talent's systems and practices

Continuous Learning

• Stay abreast of key research and guidance in HR, talent acquisition, compensation, and employee relations; attend learning experiences to build relevant skills and competencies
• Continuously update job knowledge through conferences, professional publications, and professional networks

Perform other duties as assigned by the Manager, Department leadership, and/or Executive Team.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Organizational Psychology, or a related field
• 10+ years of progressively responsible HR experience, including 5+ years at the Director level or above leading HR operations and employee programs throughout the employee lifecycle
• 5+ years managing people, including experience managing other people managers
• 5+ years of experience aligning and supporting business operations for a geographically dispersed, multi-entity workforce
• 5+ years advising leaders on complex employee relations matters related to conduct and/or performance
• Professional HR certification (e.g., PHR, SHRM-CP, or a senior-level equivalent)
• Multi-state HR experience, with knowledge of compliance across varied jurisdictions
• Demonstrated experience setting multi-year HR Talent strategy and building durable, scalable systems (e.g., HRIS, compensation architecture, compliance systems)
• Demonstrated experience leading HR through a merger, acquisition, or large-scale organizational integration
• Demonstrated ability to lead inclusion and belonging initiatives, including equitable hiring practices, pay equity audits, and employee inclusion programs, using metrics to track success
• Advanced knowledge of and experience applying Federal and State employment law across multiple jurisdictions
• Experience managing HR systems (HRIS/HRM) and overseeing HR systems integrations
• Proficient with Google Suite and Microsoft Office Suite

Desirable Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related field
• Senior-level professional HR certification (e.g., SPHR, SHRM-SCP)
• Experience in higher education or K-12 education context
• Experience leading HR and Talent during a merger or acquisition

Compensation

Relay and Teaching Lab are committed to creating and maintaining a compensation and benefits system that supports our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented team. As we make decisions about compensation, we will be guided by the following values: clarity, consistency, and internal equity. The salary range for this role is $144,700 to $247,700.

Relay and Teaching Lab offer a comprehensive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes health insurance benefits, disability and life insurance, retirement plan, professional development, gym reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid time off (PTO), parental leave, etc.

Work Location Policy

Employees must have a primary work location within the U.S., where they are legally authorized to work.

Relay Graduate School of Education and Teaching Lab provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees.