Senior Director, People

Who We Are:
Yoga Alliance is the largest nonprofit membership association of yoga professionals, practitioners, and advocates around the globe. We believe if more people practice yoga, the better the world will be. We’re here to amplify the power of yoga and to make it accessible to anyone wherever they are, under whatever circumstances by:  

• Uplifting the transformative power of yoga, 
• Surfacing and reducing barriers to the practice, and  
• Building, engaging, and supporting the yoga community. 

Our member-driven community is a diverse collective of wisdom holders, yoga educators, and teachers expanding their expertise; a welcoming space for those newly exploring yoga; a place for seasoned practitioners to deepen their practice; and a supportive hub where community leaders, organizations, and businesses can leverage yoga for social good. 

At the core of Yoga Alliance lies a profound commitment to our people. Here, every team member is empowered to lead, innovate, dream, create, and grow. Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging guide our way of being in work and in working with each other. We champion a culture of collaboration, where learning from failures is as valued as achieving success. Together, we challenge the status quo and push the boundaries of what is possible. 

About the Role: 
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Yoga Alliance is seeking a Senior Director of People to join its team. 

In partnership with the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Director of People will lead the strategy, planning, and execution on identifying, attracting, engaging, developing, and retaining talent at Yoga Alliance. 

The Senior Director of People will be the subject matter expert on every facet of human resources, which includes but is not limited to, performance management, learning and development, organizational design and development, talent acquisition, talent engagement and retention, succession planning, talent relations, talent operations (e.g., payroll and systems), and total rewards.  

This individual will provide thought leadership, serve as a trusted advisor and business partner, and ensure that all human resources practices, policies, systems, tools, and resources are in alignment with Yoga Alliance values and prioritize inclusion and belonging.  

Yoga Alliance’s team is based remotely across the United States. Our team is composed of diverse individuals who are mission-driven and bring a wealth of lived experiences. Our team is our superpower, and the Senior Director of People will be instrumental in ideating, crafting, coaching, and implementing with individuals and teams to cultivate an engaged team while honoring each unique human.  

What You Will Do:

• Build a team that will meet the growing People needs at Yoga Alliance: 
  • Hire, onboard, and develop a People team, 
  • Provide rich and robust coaching to foster professional development and growth 
• Lead, build, iterate, and grow People subject areas, including but not limited to:  
  • Benefits 
  • Employer Branding 
  • Performance Management  
  • Learning and Development  
  • Talent Acquisition  
  • Talent Experience (e.g., orientation, onboarding)  
  • Talent Relations  
  • Total Rewards  
• Define, establish, plan, and execute Yoga Alliance People strategy over the short and long-term and be the go-to resource for Yoga Alliance employees, on all matters related to People.  
• Partner closely with Yoga Alliance leadership team and the Senior Director of Operations to shape, plan, and execute organizational design and structure.  
• Partner closely with the leadership team to ensure that diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging objectives are integrated across all People policies, practices, programs, systems, tools, and resources.  
• Leverage resources and partners to understand, assess, enhance, and continually audit and iterate People policies, practices, programs, systems, tools, and resources to ensure that they meet federal, state, and local requirements, remain relevant, and innovative in order to effectively identify, attract, engage, develop, and retain talent. 
• Identify areas of opportunities, propose, plan, and execute ideas to continually strengthen Yoga Alliance culture and be an employer of choice.  
• Stay abreast of new and emerging employment laws and People compliance and ensure the timely integration of applicable requirements as appropriate.  
• Facilitate People meetings, events, and programming.  
• Lead, drive, project manage, and bring to successful conclusion all People initiatives, projects, and events.  
• Identify, propose, and activate technology and other innovative approaches to reduce friction and streamline People processes and practices while increasing high-touch individual attention where it matters. 

What You Will Bring:

• 12 + years of People experience with a minimum of: 
  • 5+ years Generalist experience 
  • 5+ years of business partner experience, leading, planning, and driving People strategy, project management, execution, and talent relations 
  • 5+ years' experience successfully leading, coaching, and developing a team of People professionals 
• Experience working with and building systems to increase and sustain engagement among a talent population that is distributed and remote across the United States. 
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in talent relations, staying abreast of emerging and new employment laws, and People compliance with an ability to integrate applicable requirements effectively and in a timely manner.  
• Experience developing and integrating People practices through a lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging.  
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with the proven ability to identify, initiate, and cultivate internal and external relationships at all levels.  
• Exceptional ability to maintain confidentiality and objectivity, practice sound judgment, build and foster trust.  
• Outstanding communication and coaching skills with the ability to listen to understand, positively influence, and use good judgment.  
• Outstanding facilitation and conflict resolution skills with the ability to engage all levels of the organization.  
• Strong project management skills with the ability to map out multi-phase projects from beginning to end, effectively manage stakeholders’ expectations, harmoniously drive toward completion, and ensure project objectives are met.  
• Strong business acumen with the ability to effectively practice critical thinking to research, leverage, and synthesize macro events and activities to enhance and strengthen People policies, practices, programs, systems, tools, and resources.  
• Strong initiative and solutions-oriented -- comfortable working with ambiguity, is resourceful, and creatively finds solutions and partnerships to meet the needs and challenges of the tasks at hand.  
• Operationally savvy:  
  • enjoys and is comfortable designing, building, launching, and facilitating training around new People policies, practices, programs, systems, tools, and resources.  
  • Is actively engaged and stays abreast of progressive People practices, systems, technology, and trends, and enjoys experimenting and incorporating innovation. 
• Ability to work onsite in Yoga Alliance's offices up to three days a week  
• Experience working on the following platforms: Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Outlook, etc.), JazzHR, Culture Amp, BambooHR, Paychex, Monday, or similar platforms as listed.   

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working in an association or membership environment.  
• Advanced degree in Human Resources or related field.  
• Human Resources Certification, such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR.  

We encourage individuals to apply even if they do not have any of the desired qualifications. 

 

What We Offer:
Yoga Alliance provides robust employee benefits including comprehensive health insurance plan offerings that are 100% employer paid for employees and 65% paid for dependents, a matching 401K plan, a generous paid-leave program including parental leave and sabbatical leave, and reimbursement for professional development opportunities. Employees enjoy a casual dress code so they can arrive to work as their most authentic selves. Our organizational culture is supportive and collaborative with conscious attention to body and mind health.

Location:
This position is hybrid and will require the individual to be able to work in the office up to 70% of the time. Yoga Alliance is based in Arlington, Virginia within sight of the historic northwest region of Washington, DC.

Salary Range:
$147,000 – $164,000 (commensurate with experience). This position is a full-time, exempt position.

Application and Timeline: 
Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by August 21 to ensure priority consideration of your application. We will continue to review applications on a rolling basis after this priority deadline until the position is filled.

A cover letter is required and all cover letters will be read during the application review process.

Please, no phone calls or walk-ins.

 

Our Commitment to an Inclusive Workplace:
At Yoga Alliance, we value a diverse team and a culture of inclusivity and belonging. We encourage applications from all individuals without regard to an individuals' race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply.