Head of People and Culture

Legal Defense Fund’s bold vision for its Human Resources team is for the organization to be known for its vibrant culture, for supporting its people, and for being a place where top talent comes to make civil rights history. The Head of People and Culture is a strategic and operational leader responsible for building, modernizing, and stewarding a high-performing, mission-aligned people function that utilizes best practices, improves the employee experience, and builds on the organization’s legacy and established culture to reach our vision.

This leader will partner with the Chief Operations Officer & General Counsel, executive and senior leadership, and HR staff to set forth and implement an actionable plan to achieve this vision and attract, grow, and retain the right talent in the right roles. In addition to deep expertise in human resources best practices and compliance requirements, a successful leader will have a strong understanding of and experience with change management, recognize the importance of stakeholder engagement and experience, have deep experience in talent and culture, and will be able to take a long-term view of culture and organizational change.

This role will oversee all aspects of human resources, includingtalent acquisition, people development and culture, employee relations, HRIS and data analytics, operations and compliance, and total rewards.The Head of People and Culture will strengthen organizational culture; elevate employee morale and engagement; and ensure that policies, systems, and practices support equity, accountability, and performance.

This leader will be responsible for strengthening foundational HR practices while leading the continued evolution of the People function in service of the needs and structures of LDF. This includes addressing opportunities to enhance consistency in operational processes, decision-making, and internal trust, while advancing a more proactive, strategic, and data-informed approach.

Responsibilities:

THE HEAD OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE WILL:

Establish strong HR capacity and execution.

• Build a strong team by investing in staff and filling vacancies with top talent to establish a capacity-based structure that supports LDF’s vision.
• Serve as a coach and champion for the team with a focus on supporting staff to capitalize on their strengths, strive for excellence, and deliver a high level of service to staff across the organization.
• Execute exceptional management practices to drive accountability and goal attainment.
• Implement change management practices to strengthen core human resources practices and evolve the function into a proactive, consistent, and trusted partner to staff and leadership.
• Set and monitor goals for all team members in conjunction with other managers.
• Establish service standards and ensure responsive, high-quality internal client service.

Improve HR operations and execute the strategic plan.

• Refresh, implement, and report on a comprehensive talent strategy and strategic plan aligned with organizational goals and plans.
• Evaluate department operations and implement improvements that modernize operations for increased effectiveness and efficiency across the entire employee lifecycle.
• Ensure continuous compliance and consistent application of compliance practices across all HR functions, including but not limited to maintaining ongoing compliance with employment laws, regulations and internal policies; ensuring HRIS data integrity; partnering with Payroll (housed in Finance) to deliver an accurate, on-time payroll; and overseeing accurate employee classifications.
• Establish clear metrics and dashboards to measure workforce health, engagement, retention, performance, and other critical data points; implement data-driven decision-making and analytics across all HR functions.
• Lead tactical execution of all HR initiatives, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
• Oversee HRIS implementation, optimization, and data integrity.
• With COO&GC and Risk & Compliance, maintain and update employee handbooks, policies, and procedures.
• Proactively identify reoccurring organizational needs and develop policies to drive consistency, support decision making, and align with organizational priorities.
• Manage the HR department budget and external vendor relationships.
• Translate workforce data, including exit interviews, engagement surveys, and employee relations trends, into actionable insights and regularly communicate findings to leadership to inform decision making.
• Establish and standardize processes for employee relations, including clear escalation pathways, documentation practices, and communication protocols to ensure consistency and transparency.

Drive high performance capability across the organization.

• Oversee the development of professional development and training programs to grow LDF’s managers and individual contributors to excel in their roles across all teams.
• Design and deliver targeted training for managers and directors, particularly in navigating indirect supervision, employee relations, and complex decision making in a matrixed environment.
• Establish a culture of continuous and impactful feedback.
• Enhance performance management systems that promote accountability, feedback, and growth.
• With the COO&GC, lead initiatives that strengthen collaboration, cross-functional effectiveness, and capacity-building.
• With the COO&GC, oversee employee relations matters and investigations, ensuring consistent, well-documented, and defensible practices, supported by sound judgment in complex and sensitive situations.
• Advise managers on conflict resolution, performance issues, and disciplinary actions.
• Serve as a trusted mediator in complex and sensitive situations, including leadership-level conflicts, balancing employee advocacy with organizational risk and exercising sound judgement in nuanced scenarios.

Promote a culture of wellness, inclusion & joy.

• Nurture organizational culture to drive employee engagement and performance, while reinforcing a workplace environment where employees feel seen, valued, and heard.
• Oversee the development of engagement events and opportunities that are high-impact and meet the needs of employees in our high-intensity workplace.
• Oversee the implementation of regular all-staff surveys and feedback opportunities, share key insights with leadership to inform organizational decisions and priorities, and translate findings into actionable initiatives.
• Develop a measurable plan that establishes a baseline for employee engagement and continues to improve it over time.
• Oversee employee recognition and wellness activities.
• Leverage engagement data, exit feedback, and employee insights to identify trends and proactively address areas impacting retention, morale, and organizational effectiveness.

Advance Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning.

• Oversee recruitment and development strategy to attract, grow, and retain high-caliber, mission-aligned talent, aligning hiring practices with organizational needs
• Implement proactive workforce planning and succession planning frameworks.
• Oversee the enhancement of recruitment processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, strong partnership with hiring managers, and an improved candidate experience.
• Partner closely with hiring managers to strengthen hiring decision‑making, ensuring clarity in role expectations, candidate evaluation, and alignment across stakeholders.
• Leverage hiring, onboarding, and retention data to continuously refine talent strategies and improve long-term employee outcomes.
• In partnership with the COO&GC, be responsible for the continued implementation and improvement of LDF’s compensation philosophy and framework.
• In partnership with the COO&GC, create and continually improve job leveling, titling, and career pathing programs for employees.

Support organizational growth and strategy.

• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner to senior leadership by providing thought leadership, expert insight, deep expertise, and related people and culture recommendations.
• Actively build trust in the human resources function by fostering a reputation as an approachable, solutions-oriented partner to both employees and leadership.
• Balance the larger mission and vision of LDF with the intricate details of human-resources-related legal and regulatory matters.
• Advise the COO&GC and organizational leadership on workforce planning, organizational design, and talent strategy, leveraging HR analytics and expertise to inform decisions and drive organizational effectiveness.
• Navigate complex organizational dynamics with discretion and influence, building alignment across leadership and supporting effective decision‑making.

Qualifications:

Education and Professional experience

• Graduate degree or equivalent professional experience required; Bachelor's degree required
• Minimum five years' experience as a head of human resources with a proven track record of partnering directly with senior leadership to develop, align, and implement HR and organizational development strategies;
• Minimum ten years' experience in human resources or related functions;
• Background working in human resources at a law firm, legal services organization, and/or a non profit strongly preferred

Other qualifications and competencies

• Commitment to the racial justice mission of LDF;
• Significant experience overseeing high-performing, compliant HR operations throughout the full employee lifecycle that are aligned with HR best practices and use a data-driven approach to continuous improvement
• Knowledgeable about employment law and compliance requirements in LDF jurisdictions, including all applicable federal and state laws and regulations;
• A strategic thinker with demonstrated experience in translating strategy into execution and drive measurable outcomes;
• A transformative change‑maker not hesitant to roll up their sleeves and tackle tough challenges;
• An excellent communicator who creates optimal comprehension with various audiences;
• A relationship-builder with strong influencing skills and the ability to gain credibility with a wide range of colleagues at all levels;
• Experience with employee experience and culture programs;
• Adept at problem-solving, conflict‑resolution, and coaching managers, with demonstrated experience leading Human Resources teams and ensuring all aspects of the human resources function operates effectively, consistently, and in alignment with organizational needs;
• Proficient in general office technologies, with experience with HRIS;
• Fluent in HR data analytics;
• Experience operating in complex, matrixed environments, particularly in legal or advocacy settings, with the ability to support indirect management structures and cross functional teams;
• Demonstrated ability to rebuild or evolve human resources functions into trusted, strategic, and approachable partners;
• Experience navigating employee relations matters, including nuanced dynamics and sensitive investigations;
• Based in New York, NY or willing to relocate there required;
• Willing and able to travel regulary for work including to LDF offices in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

This position is based in LDF's New York, NY office. The anticipated salary range for this role is $210,000 - $225,000, depending on professional credentials and experience. The salary offered to a selected candidate will be contingent upon the candidate's experience and qualifications.

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. This description does not constitute a contract of employment, and LDF may exercise its employment-at-will rights at any time.

LDF offers all eligible employees a generous benefits package.

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The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.

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