Director, People & Culture

About BRIC:


BRIC is a leading arts and media institution anchored in Downtown Brooklyn whose work spans contemporary visual and performing arts, media, and civic action. For over forty years, BRIC has shaped Brooklyn's cultural and media landscape by presenting and incubating artists, creators, students, and media makers. As a creative catalyst for their community, BRIC ignites learning in people of all ages and centralizes diverse voices that take risks and drive culture forward. BRIC is building Brooklyn's creative future.

About the Director, People & Culture Role:


BRIC seeks a strategic and employee-centered Director, People & Culture to lead all aspects of the organization's human resources function. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role oversees employee relations, talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, compliance, labor relations, workforce planning, and organizational culture initiatives. The Director will serve as a trusted partner to staff and leadership while fostering an inclusive, engaging, and high-performing workplace.


What You'll Do in the Role:

The Director, People & Culture will be responsible for the following in addition to any other project as assigned by the Chief Operating Officer:

Departmental Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Lead the department with an employee-first mindset, fostering a positive, collaborative work culture that prioritizes open communication, inclusivity, and the well-being of all staff members.
• Serve as the departmental leader, acting as the primary point of contact for staff concerns, conflicts, and requests.
• Maintain full oversight of departmental projects, prioritizing initiatives and identifying key areas of focus to ensure alignment with organizational goals (examples: ADP system optimization, NABET (union) adherence review, exempt vs. non-exempt audit, payroll classification review, and handbook review, Cultural Institutions Group (CIG) Obligation Plan and any additional reports for CIG).
• Manage a team consisting of one full-time Generalist, one part-time staff members and one seasonal administrator.
• Develop and maintain efficient systems for all departmental management processes, including onboarding, offboarding paperwork, paperwork, personnel file management, internship support, performance tracking, and any other relevant administrative functions.
• Providing support with executive team coaching and operational strategies.

Total Rewards, Compliance & Administration

• Manage and respond to all departmental legal notices, including but not limited to garnishments, unemployment claims, workers' compensation, and leave insurance.
• Process biweekly payroll, ensuring accuracy, necessary adjustments, and meticulous recordkeeping.
• Oversee all employee benefits programs, including health, life, FSA, dental, vision, 403b and transit benefits. Merge and maintain benefits from CIG (including pension).
• Collaborate with employment lawyers to ensure compliance with labor laws, address legal concerns related to employee relations, and provide guidance on employee matters.
• Administer, record, and process payments for all benefits-related billing.
• Collaborate with the Finance team to develop budgets, projections, and reforecasts for personnel and departmental expenses.
• Work closely with the payroll administrator to process and ensure timely and accurate submission of 1094/95 tax forms, ensuring compliance with ACA reporting requirements.
• Ensure all terms in the union agreement(s) are actualized, including detailed tracking of benefits and contractual terms for union staff.
• Pull and analyze data to create detailed reports for grant requests, ensuring accurate and compelling representation of organizational impact and financial needs.
• Support the completion of grants and reporting (including CIG and government grants) as they pertain to personnel

Employee Relations & Issue Resolution

• Serve as the primary point of contact for addressing and resolving employee concerns, conflicts, and grievances in a timely and professional manner.
• Facilitate mediation and conflict resolution processes, promoting a positive and respectful work environment.
• Collaborate with leadership to implement corrective actions and performance improvement plans when necessary.
• Monitor and assess employee satisfaction, morale, and well-being, recommending strategies to enhance workplace culture, engagement, and overall employee experience, including organizing all-staff events, culture-building activities, and wellness initiatives.
• When needed, work with employment lawyers to negotiate the CBA (every 5 years)

Workforce Planning & Talent Acquisition

• Lead workforce planning initiatives, forecasting staffing needs and aligning talent acquisition strategies with organizational goals.
• Oversee the hiring process from job requisition to offer acceptance, ensuring an equitable, compliant, and efficient candidate experience.
• Manage onboarding processes for new hires, ensuring they receive the necessary training, resources, and support to succeed.

• Develop and execute interim support plans, providing close support to staff during transitional periods and ensuring minimal disruption to workflow.
• Oversee offboarding processes, ensuring smooth transitions, exit interviews, and compliance with organizational policies.
• Create and execute annual performance review methodology and rubrics. Guide department heads through execution of performance evaluations ensuring strong management skills.

You'll Bring these Skills and Strengths to the Role:

• Experience & Qualifications:
  • 7+ years of progressive Human Resources, People Operations, or People & Culture experience, including people management experience.
  • Strong knowledge of employee relations, employment law, benefits administration, payroll, compliance, and talent acquisition.
  • Experience supporting unionized environments and interpreting collective bargaining agreements preferred.
  • Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, build strong relationships, and handle sensitive matters with professionalism and discretion.
  • Experience with HRIS and payroll systems; ADP Workforce Now experience preferred.
  • SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or similar HR certification is a plus.
  • Commitment to fostering an equitable, inclusive, and employee-centered workplace culture.
  • Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Mission & Values Alignment: A passion for BRIC's support of the arts in Brooklyn and a deep commitment to building community, igniting learning and making change through the arts and creativity.
• Commitment to Equity & Inclusion: Desire to operationalize equity within the People & Culture function
• Strong Communicator: Excellent written and verbal communications skills with the ability to listen, question, and synthesize information in a compelling manner.

Other Things to Know:

• Compensation: $100K-130K
• Status and location: This is a full-time exempt role based in our Brooklyn office.

• Benefits: BRIC has a comprehensive benefits package, including: paid time off, 403B retirement plan, pre-tax transit cards, medical flexible spending plans and more. BRIC currently pays 100% of the premium for employee medical, dental and vision coverage starting on the first of the month after 2 months of employment.
• Mission & Values: BRIC is committed to building Brooklyn's creative future. We advance opportunities for visual artists, performers, and media makers. We present bold work that reflects diverse audiences and speaks to the world. We ignite learning in people of all ages. We unite Brooklyn through art and creativity to build community and make change.

How to Apply:

All applicants must submit a resume together with a cover letter outlining the ways in which their skills and experience align with our specific needs via our online application portal found here on our website. Candidates of color and from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply.

BRIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, military and veteran status, genetic information or any other factor which cannot be used as a basis for an employment decision.