Director of People and Culture

The ACLU of Maryland exists to empower Marylanders to exercise their rights so that the law values and uplifts their humanity.

The Director of People and Culture will oversee the strategy and delivery of an exceptional employee experience; one that is rooted in transparency, collaboration, equity, integrity, and accountability, and operates within a Union environment.

This is a rare opportunity for a strategic, innovative, and progressive leader to play a key role in developing a streamlined human resource infrastructure and culture of belonging, and to build on the organizations past work, using the ACLU of Maryland’s newly adopted Strategic Plan as a roadmap for progress.

The Director of People and Culture will cultivate a work culture that empowers and values staff through meaningful work exchanges and community experience. This role will actively participate in the ACLU of Maryland’s equity journey and commitment to those who are under-protected and underrepresented. The Director will be responsible for collaboratively advancing equity goals, within human resources, by driving a cohesive strategy with an anti-oppression and anti-racist lens.

The position develops and executes all aspects of the human resources function including culture building, strategic planning, management thought partnership, benefits administration, employee engagement, recruitment, HR administration, employee and labor relations, policy, and compliance.

The Executive Director is the supervisor for this position.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The information provided below encompasses the essential functions and capabilities linked with this position:

• Foster and uphold an inclusive culture that is centered around the ACLU of Maryland’s core values and puts people first.
• Develop annual human resources goals and lead the organization in fulfillment of the operational plan to support the ACLU of Maryland’s internal race equity work.
• Monitor and ensure the organization’s compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and recommended best practices. Advise and present solutions to the Executive Director and Finance and Operations Director on adjusting for changes in policy, practice, and resources.
• Support ethical and effective leadership practices by advising senior management in areas of compliance, employee relations, labor relations, and consistent enforcement of policies and procedures.
• Foster and build positive employee engagement and morale through programs that align with the ACLU of Maryland’s culture philosophy and beliefs.
• Partner with Finance and Operations Director to streamline, implement, and manage the organization's human resources information system (HRIS) platforms.
• Manage and execute full-life cycle recruitment, selection, and onboarding program that attracts, motivates, and retains diverse staff.
• Manage benefit offerings to include renewal, open enrollment, and QLE changes.
• Preside and facilitate the Labor Management Committee meetings and execute the CBA.
• Participate in collective bargaining sessions.
• Develop and oversee the organization’s performance management program to support employee development, continuous feedback, and mission impact.
• Develop employee handbook to systematically reinforce organizational beliefs and ensure compliance with applicable Local, State, and Federal employment laws.
• Manage organizational offboarding to include exit interviews, benefits termination, COBRA administration, etc.

Management & Supervisory Responsibility

This position is a management team position that encompasses supervisory responsibility described above. Members of the management team are responsible for managing matters of significance directly related to the organization. They exercise discretion and independent judgment for the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

Values Alignment

• Demonstrated personal commitment to advancing the ACLU’s values, mission, goals, and programs, with an understanding of the range of civil rights and civil liberties issues and their implications through previous experiences.

Race Equity Commitment

• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity, dismantling white supremacy, and incorporating a structural power analysis into work.
• Must have knowledge and understanding of how power is manifested in matters of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, religion, ability, and socio-economic circumstances.

Typical Education & Work Experience

(Relevant education/experience may substitute for required education/experience at a rate of one-year relevant education/experience per year of required education/experience.)

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• A minimum of 7 to 10 years of progressive experience in human resources, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in a labor relations environment, directly managing Collective Bargaining Agreement compliance.

Certification or License Requirements

• SHRM-CP or PHR or equivalent.

Typical Functional Experience

• Expert working knowledge of federal, state of Maryland, and local City of Baltimore employment law statues and regulations as well as proactive knowledge of impending local, state, and federal legislation.
• Demonstrable knowledge of employee relations, legal compliance, and labor/union relations.
• Experience integrating equity, belonging, and anti-oppressive practices within the workplace.
• Experience working in a non-profit, advocacy, or political organization.
• Ability to implement human resources best practices via regular attendance at industry-related conferences, seminars, and networking events; maintain membership to related professional associations, conduct human resources audits, and maintain requisite professional human resources management credentials.
• Ability to develop creative human resources management strategies, increase employee engagement; work and respond quickly to operational demands and concerns of staff.
• Ability to think strategically and conceptually with an unbiased approach to solutions using a race equity lens.
• Exceptional analytical, research, writing and oral advocacy skills, as well as the ability to articulate regulatory labor concepts and complex issues and communicate them appropriately and effectively to a variety of audiences.
• Adaptable team player with the ability to engage various constituencies in a complex environment.
• Ability to develop and tailor communications to audience to understand ACLU-MD’s position and its impacts on people through changes to human resources systems, programs, or processes.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex legal and policy documents, including laws, contracts and collective bargaining agreements, regulations, and court opinions, as well as statistical and financial reports.
• Recognize and define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions in the context of a variety of situations with multiple variables, both predictable and unpredictable.

Technical Aptitude

• Maintain advanced working knowledge of office-related software, including Apple and Microsoft office products and any industry-specific technology or other internet research tools.

Work Schedule & Travel Obligation

• Ability to occasionally travel locally and regionally.
• Ability to occasionally workdays, evenings, and nights as needed.
• Candidates must live in Maryland or are willing to relocate within 6 months of employment.

Physical Demands

The following capabilities are general requirements necessary to perform the essential functions of this position related to work schedule, physical demands, working environment, travel, etc.

• Effectively communicate with others verbally and in writing, including by phone, e-mail, or in person.
• Understand, remember, communicate, and apply complex oral and/or written instructions and factual information.
• Maintain sustained concentration on computer screens and use keyboards and a variety of peripherals.

• Ability to push, pull, lift up to 25 pounds in the course of the workday in the normal performance of their duties.

Bonus Considerations

The following are the desired competencies, characteristics, or traits for this position:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent post-secondary credentials acceptable.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The starting salary for this position is $110,000 - $120,000.

Excellent benefits include:

• Three weeks paid vacation at time of hire (increasing to four weeks after two years).
• 13 paid office holidays.
• 12 paid sick days.
• Telework and flextime.
• Generous medical insurance including two health, dental and vision insurance options for staff members, their dependents and spouse/domestic partner.
• Flexible spending accounts employee assistance plan.
• Six weeks of paid medical leave, life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
• Short-term disability and long-term disability insurance.
• (401(k) defined contribution retirement plan with employer match.
• Free on-site parking.
• Additional commuter benefits with access to commuter rail station.
• Direct exposure to cutting-edge civil liberties and civil rights work.

This is a position that is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

DEADLINE & START DATE

The position will remain open until we fill it. We will schedule interviews on a rolling basis.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter, resume, three professional references.

APPLY HERE: https://aclumaryland.applytojob.com/apply/QRrugIzUQL/Director-Of-People-And-Culture

We discourage applicants from applying through third-party websites. We strongly encourage early applications. It is not possible for us to respond to telephone or email inquiries.

We will not consider resumes or applications sent via other avenues.

Request an Accommodation

The ACLU of Maryland makes every effort to assure that its recruitment, selection, hiring, and employment practices provide all qualified persons, including persons with disabilities, with full opportunities for employment in all positions.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please email human resources at HR@aclu-md.org. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process. We encourage individuals of all abilities to request reasonable job accommodations through our office of human resources.

Requesting a reasonable accommodation will not automatically be perceived as a disqualifying factor that would prevent an employee from performing the essential duties of the job.

ABOUT THE ACLU OF MARYLAND

The ACLU of Maryland is a non-partisan, non-profit public interest organization devoted to protecting civil rights and civil liberties. The ACLU of MD is an affiliate of the national ACLU, a key defender of civil liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. The ACLU works in the courts, legislature and in communities to defend and expand individual rights and personal freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and civil rights laws. The ACLU of Maryland is committed to centering race equity in our work, internally and externally, to better support and be accountable to communities of color, whose civil rights and civil liberties are systematically threatened by white supremacy.

The ACLU of Maryland is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to diversity and inclusion in our work and on our teams. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity and expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran, or formerly incarcerated person status. Persons with disabilities may request accommodations.

Organization Commitment to Race Equity

All individuals in our organization are expected to support and maintain our organizational commitment to centering race equity in their work, internally and externally. We practice accountability and allyship to Black, Indigenous, People of Color, LGBTQ , and disability communities, whose civil rights and civil liberties are systematically threatened. Application of this principle requires the conscious use of a race equity lens at all levels of work to both identify and understand implications of structural racism, challenge or confront systemic conditions or resulting issues, and dismantle overall institutional systems related to white privilege and white supremacy when engaging, advocating, and defending the civil liberties and civil rights of all Marylanders.