Position Overview
AERDF (Advanced Education Research & Development Fund) is a national nonprofit organization launched in 2021 that advances scientific discovery & inventions that further learner's brilliance and transform their PreK-12 futures. AERDF's ambitious three-to-five year initiatives (known as programs), funded with budgets up to $25 million, address major teaching and learning challenges and opportunities the public and private sector have historically ignored for Black and Latino learners and learners experiencing poverty in the United States. Since AERDF's launch, its programs - currently focused on math, formative assessment and reading - have engaged more than 20,000 students. Learn more about AERDF and our programs at https://aerdf.org.

Role Summary
AERDF is seeking a strategic leader, responsible for all people initiatives. The Director of People Experience & Culture drives the organization's people strategy, including setting the vision, developing the annual workforce plan, and managing a team to implement all operational aspects of people and human resources work. You will oversee the full employee lifecycle, including developing strategies to improve efficacy, efficiency, and equity for each phase of the lifecycle and ensuring alignment with the organization's talent philosophy. This role is critical to shaping AERDF's culture, fostering an enviornment of inclusion and belonging where all employees can be their best selves and do their best work to further our mission an dbuild a sustainable organization.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, you will manage the Senior Manager of People Experience & Culture who oversees all HR systems, processes, policies and practices and co-manage the Operations Coordinator who is responsible for managing talent acquisition.

To be successful in this role, you must be a strategic leader who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. The ideal candidate has a problem-solving mindset, is able to set a clear and inspiring direction for their team and manage their team to achieve ambitious outcomes. You must be an expert at seeing the big picture when it comes to people and talent, and then be able to distill that down into clear, concrete, actionable strategies. You must also be an organized self-starter who doesn't allow ambiguity or competing priorities hinder your progress.

AERDF is a fully remote organization, and employees may work anywhere in the United States.

We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. People of all backgrounds and identities, particularly those with the lived experience of the students and communities we serve, are encouraged to apply. Please do not hesitate to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications.

Core Responsibilities
Strategic People Leadership and Culture

Develop and implement a comprehensive people strategy and organizational design that is aligned to AERDF's mission, vision, and talent philosophy and enables the organization to collectively achieve its ambitious goals
- AERDF has a flexible workforce strategy with time-termed employees and heavy usage of contractors, so as part of the strategy, the Director will need to develop a strategic framework and guidance on how to onboard, develop and off-board people across a variety of employment situations
Partner with AERDF's Executive Team to drive organizational effectiveness and cultivate a culture that is inclusive, equitable and high-performing
Integrate AERDF's Organizational Values into people systems, processes, policies, and practices
Partner with team leaders to make equitable people-related decisions that align with our Talent Philosophy and Organizational Values
Lead diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to foster a culture of belonging and respect
Utilize data to drive and refine the comprehensive people strategy year over year

Employee Lifecycle

Talent Acquisition: Set the vision and direction for AERDF's approach to workforce planning, recruitment, selection, and pre-boarding
- Develop an employer brand strategy that reflects the variety of employment situations and attracts highly qualified candidates
- In partnership with the Operations Coordinator, assess and continuously improve our approach to recruitment and selection to ensure AERDF is building a diverse workforce
Talent Development: Champion a culture of continuous learning and growth, fostering opportunities for career advancement and mobility
- Develop an employee development strategy
- Develop a team leader development strategy
- Oversee all professional development and training
- Ensure employees have individual development plans, aligned to their career goals and based on feedback from their evaluations
- Develop a team leader onboarding program
- Implement updates to our onboarding program to improve employee experience
Performance Management: Implement and manage all performance management processes to drive accountability and recognize excellence, including end-of-year evaluations, mid-year evaluations, and calibrations
- Assess our current approach to performance management and propose updates to drive greater equity
- Develop a competency model that integrates our Organizational Values
- Update our current rating system
- Foster a culture of regular feedback, promoting continuous improvement while also recognizing the strengths employees bring
- Support people leaders on giving performance feedback, coaching and developing their people
- Managing the twice-a-year promotion approach and process
Employee Engagement: Develop and implement strategies to enhance employee engagement, morale, and well-being
- Support people leaders on how to implement learnings from the annual engagement survey to improve culture and belonging within their teams and across AERDF
- Implement strategies to create a remote work culture where all employees feel valued, respected and empowered to contribute their best
- Lead initiatives that improve work-life balance and well-being in a remote work environment
- Develop an employee recognition program tied to the Organizational Values
Total Rewards and Compensation: Ensure we have a total rewards program and compensation model that are equitable and competitive
- Oversee the implementation of the compensation matrix, leading to equitable pay across the organization
- Determine compensation for new hires
- Oversee the annual review of our benefits package and benefits utilization
Employee Relations: Serve as a trusted advisor and consultant to team leaders and employees, navigating employee issues with confidentiality and discretion
Off-Boarding: Develop a strategy for off-boarding that acknowledges the unique structure of AERDF and creates an experience where exiting employees remain champions for our organization

HR Operations

Partner with our Professional Employee Organization (PEO) and Senior Manager of People Experience & Culture to ensure our systems, processes, and policies are up-to-date, compliant with all federal, state, local laws and regulations, and employee-focused
Oversee the implementation and improvement of all HR processes including, but not limited to, the employee handbook, compliance requirements, compensation review, benefits review, and other critical processes

Qualifications
Skills and Mindsets

You have demonstrated ability in setting vision, driving direction, and managing yourself and others to receive ambitious goals across large, complex sets of work
You have demonstrated success in building and transforming organization culture
You have strong emotional intelligence and are able to meet people where they are while still providing clear feedback, coaching, and supporting them to navigate conflict
You pay precise attention to details, dates, and deliverables; you know how to manage your own time and deliverables, and you know how to get others to follow through, too
You enjoy solving problems; in fact, you proactively seek out challenges, so you can design and implement creative solutions
You are proactive, self-motivated, and take on challenges without waiting to be asked; you take full ownership of and responsibility for results, and fi you don't know the answer to something, you dig until you find it
You have demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally with multiple teams and stakeholders because you know how to collaborate, are clear about your expectations but remain flexible, and proactively support the team to achieve success- you want the whole team to win
You have exceptional project management skills with a demonstrated ability in building effective and accurate project plans, contingency planning, managing multiple concurrent projects and driving to completion
You also have demonstrated success in managing ambitious projects, identifying, and then solving blockers, and you know when to escalate to keep the project moving forward
You have strong written and verbal communication skills, across multiple platforms and groups

Experience

At least 10 years of progressive experience in human resources with a focus on strategic leadership and team management
Experience in setting strategic direction for all aspects of the employee lifecycle
Experience with integrating DEI into people practices, policies, and processes
Experience in leadership development and talent development preferred
Experience in performance management preferred

Compensation Expectations
We offer a competitive compensation package including base salary and comprehensive benefits. AERDF is a remote and flexible work enviornment and our base compensation levels vary depending on location, experience, and qualifications.

The salary ranges for this role is based on where you live and is within $97,830 - $141,000, considering your geographic location.



Director of People Experience & Culture

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