Director of People & Culture

ABOUT YW BOSTON

YW Boston works to eliminate racism, empower women and promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. YW Boston is at the vanguard of thought leadership on issues at the intersection of race and gender, helping organizations create more inclusive environments where women, people of color, and in particular, women of color can succeed. YW Boston invests in our internal culture, including our own racial equity practices. We seek candidates that thrive in adaptive organizations, are comfortable working amidst organizational change, and are excited about helping YW Boston deepen its impact in Boston. Key organizational values at YW Boston that are crucial to this role are People, Collaboration, Liberation, Courage, Shared Leadership. For more information about YW Boston, please visit https://www.ywboston.org/

THE OPPORTUNITY

YW has a highly diverse team and we are always challenging ourselves on how to root out white dominant supremacy culture. This is work that we do externally, and we hold ourselves accountable internally too. The Director of People and Culture will possess high emotional intelligence, a desire to listen, and a willingness to innovate on equitable policies grounded in qualitative and quantitative data.

The Director of People and Culture serves as a passionate advocate and steward of YW Boston’s culture. The Director will develop a strategy to foster and sustain conditions for a flourishing work environment, engaging employees at all levels of the organization in a culture that prioritizes staff in support of the overall business plan and strategic direction of the organization. It is equally as important that this position ensures that our internal work aligns with our external work.

The Director will report to the President and CEO.

KEY OUTCOMES FOR THE DIRECTOR OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE

The successful Director of People and Culture will achieve the following outcomes

• Increase YW Boston’s thought leadership in DEI by developing new tools, processes and practices for use internally and externally

• Ensure that YW Boston’s staff and organizational culture are continually a part of the leadership team’s conversation and strategy

• Using available data, regularly assess organizational strengths and challenges and leverage insights that amplify productivity and efficiency, ensure equity, and support organization learning and development

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Culture

• Develop strategies that ensure diversity, equity and inclusion are embraced by the organization in spirit and process and that the President & CEO and other Leadership Team members are involved appropriately and strategically

• Develop strategies and tactics to support the organization’s overarching goals, foster an inclusive work environment and strengthen culture over time

• Ensure transparency and consistency pertaining to people-related policies and practices

• Co-lead the organization’s Equity Steering Committee

Staff and Organization Development

• Design and lead the performance review process to drive a culture of feedback and continuous learning

• Hold a systems view of organizations and manage organizational challenges as opportunities for learning and growth

• Establish and coordinate trainings to help all employees to step into full responsibility for their well-being, tasks, roles and impact on the organization

• Develop and coordinate training to support growth in organizational competencies and other skills

• Coach managers to be better supervisors and support employee learning, growth and advancement

• Work with Operations Senior Manager to ensure staff meetings and gatherings reinforce YW Boston’s mission and values, encourage cross-departmental communications, and foster individual and collective learning and growth

Talent Acquisition and Retention

• Work with Operations Senior Manager to develop and manage an exciting, employee-centered, full-cycle employment experience — attracting, hiring, retaining and offboarding – for a diverse and highly skilled staff

• Utilize a data-driven approach to identify trends and recommend proactive solutions to ensure solid talent management decision-making that incorporates an equity lens

Human Resources Management

• In collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer, ensure that all HR policies, benefits, compensation, and practices reflect YW Boston’s values

• Expertly guide the organization to address and resolve employee relations incidents, personnel matters, and other organizational challenges and issues that arise

• Perform exit interviews, monitor trends in staff departures and develop retention strategies

• Maintain current knowledge and understanding of state and federal employment law

• Perform other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS EXPERIENCE

• 7 years of related experience (ideally including culture & organizational development, learning and development, and/or diversity/equity) with at least 4 years of leadership experience

• Demonstrated commitment to YW Boston’s mission to promote racial, gender and social equity • Strong verbal and written communication skills with a workstyle that is organized, innovative, and results oriented

• Excellent people management skills; empathy and enthusiasm when building and maintaining professional relationships; ability to coach, develop, and motivate others to achieve outcomes

• Ability to work independently with sound judgment, protect confidentiality, and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment

• Ability to analyze information, summarize findings, and present them in ways easily understandable to stakeholders

• Openness to learning and willingness to give and receive feedback
  

ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Adhere to organization policies and procedures for maintaining organizational culture and transparency, including use of regularly scheduled progress meetings with Chief Program Officer, Team meetings, scheduling, e-mail and other communications platforms

• Positively represent the organization in all interactions with the public

• Support YW Boston fund development through participation in education, outreach, cultivation and stewardship efforts

• Participate in organization events and perform additional tasks assigned by the Chief Program Officer and the President & CEO

SALARY & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt position. The salary range for this position is $80,000-$89,000. Salary scales are set according to an explicit compensation policy, and relevant market data is analyzed when setting ranges for each role. To ensure internal parity, YW Boston will analyze the overall number of years of experience as well as relevant experience pertaining to the position of the candidate and in comparison with staff in the same job group to make the offer salary. Because salary ranges are small and the internal parity review is thorough, offers are firm.

YW Boston provides employees a generous benefits package, including generous paid time off, medical and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, flexible schedule options, life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance, accidental death, and a 403(b) retirement savings plan.

LOCATION

This position is hybrid remote and will be in the office two days a week. The office is located at 140 Clarendon, Ste. 403, Boston, MA 02116

MAKING THE DECISION TO APPLY

YW Boston strongly encourages candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We recognize that people from structurally marginalized groups often only apply to jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications, despite the reality that applicants rarely ever meet 100% of the qualifications. If this position aligns with your experience and interests, please apply! Diverse candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Our hiring process aims to open this opportunity to the most diverse group of applicants possible while also increasing transparency to candidates and mitigating bias in the decision-making process.

We will review and respond to all applications received. While subject to change, candidates elected to advance throughout the process can expect to progress through a process that includes initial conversations with Positively Partners, an interview with the President & CEO, and for finalists, an interview day with the leadership team and staff. Expected start is Spring 2023.

To apply to this position, please prepare a resume and compelling cover letter and submit them through our application portal. For confidential inquiries or for assistance in completing the application, please contact search@positivelypartners.org.

YW Boston is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or veteran status, or to other non-work related factors. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. At this time, YW Boston is not able to offer employment VISA sponsorships.