Chief Human Resources Officer

Job Title: Chief HR Officer

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Category:   Administration

Location: Lowell, MA. Hybrid Position, 3 days/week in the Lowell office

 

 

Background on UTEC, Inc.

UTEC’s promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disengaged youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. UTEC’s outcomes-focused model begins with intensive street outreach, reaching proven high-risk youth where they’re at. UTEC engages youth in workforce development and educational programs and provides mental health services and intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming. For more info, please visit www.utecinc.org.

UTEC is committed to its vision for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which pledges to honor the lived experiences and expertise of individuals; create community and celebration of cultures; challenge all forms of oppression; and embody a culture that leans into discomfort and recognizes it as a growth opportunity. UTEC is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practice, the health, mental health, and overall well-being of young adults and staff and to creating an environment that supports work-life balance and the individual and professional growth of all.

 

Job Summary
The Chief Human Resources Officer is responsible for leading our people and talent strategies, managing and mitigating organizational risks, and continuing the development of our human resource-related strategies, policies and procedures. Duties include but are not limited to: setting strategy, managing employee relations,  workforce development,  oversight of talent acquisition, performance management, succession planning, management training, policy development and organizational compliance. The CHRO plays a leadership role in supporting the agency’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in all areas of management and in ensuring UTEC’s DEI Vision is embodied in our work and workplace culture. This position acts as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on a variety of issues, including employee relations, leadership development and talent management; therefore, strong expertise in executive level management, communication, business process improvement, and DEI strategic planning with a social justice lens is required.

We seek a values-driven leader with experience as a senior organizational leader in human resources and recruitment with a strong background in diversity, equity, and inclusion, and belonging work, ideally in the non-profit sector. This candidate will work to support and strengthen our systems and culture with customer service and growth mindsets.  We seek candidates with experience aligning and driving an people and  talent strategy to a business strategy, independently designing and executing human capital strategies and processes / process improvements across a large team, experience leading an organization to implement new approaches to strengthening diversity, equity and inclusion, ability to work across a dynamic and diverse set of relationships,  experience managing complex and sensitive situations grounded in values and in accordance with HR law and a track record of driving joyful and impactful organizational cultures.

 

Supervisory Responsibilities
This role will supervise a team of HR professionals including, at minimum,: the Sr Director of DEI, the Director of HR and HR Associate. Direct supervision includes but is not limited to:

Overseeing and guiding the execution of the work in the respected areas of specialty
Individual meetings with direct reports on a weekly or bi-weekly basis
Providing ongoing feedback on progress as well as any performance concerns
An annual written performance review with each direct report that summarizes conversations and goals set at the outset of the year.
Coaches team individually and collectively and serves as a strategic thought partner.
Willing and open minded to new ideas and working collaboratively with supervisee on their respective areas.
Identify, understand and navigate the nuance of the needs of both HR and DEI while respecting the principles of both practices.
Duties/Responsibilities
HR Administration and Performance Management

Oversees and manages all HR administration, including the organization’s benefits programs. Support finance department in payroll matters. Manages relationships with benefits brokers, coordinates annual Open Enrollment, and addresses employee benefits questions. Proposes additional benefit options pertinent to the organization’s workforce.
Assists the Senior Staff Managers in resolving complex employee relations issues, including engaging legal support where necessary. Where applicable, conduct effective, thorough and objective investigations.
Provides performance management guidance to personnel managers and supports them in carrying out their responsibilities on personnel matters (coaching, mentoring professional development, and disciplinary actions).
Supports Executive Management in the creating a new process for employee annual review and preparation and administration of the organization’s compensation program. This includes evaluating and maintaining the current salary ranges and salary planning processes and development of a system of alignment between compensation and performance management.
Provides input on department restructures, workforce planning and succession planning.
Maintains in-depth knowledge of changing employment laws and regulations and implements policies, procedures, and systems to ensure federal and state regulatory compliance to reduce the organization’s legal risks.
Oversees the maintenance of  the Kronos human resource information system, Jazz HR system and implements other technology and procedural improvements to streamline the HR function.
Organizational Effectiveness

Ensure timely and appropriate measures for organizational success regarding legal/regulatory compliance, HR strategic management, and training and professional development, while creating and fostering an inclusive and inspiring team environment and culture focusing on making UTEC a great place to work.
Reviews and makes recommendations to the Senior Leadership Team for improvement of the organization’s policies, procedures, and practices in workforce management.
Provides support to our DEI Vision by working closely with the Sr. Director of DEI and the DEI Committee to develop and implement departmental and agency-wide action plans and systemic organizational change.
Proactively engages employees to improve working relationships, build morale,
and increase productivity and retention.
Assesses organizational needs and recommends staff development for the organization and works with the Senior Director of DEI to implement.
Provide support to teams working on the development of affinity groups/ employee resource groups and strategic segments. Encourage the utilization of multi-cultural teams to drive diversity, equity  and inclusion initiatives which requires an understanding of cultural differences and an appreciation for emerging markets.
Talent Acquisition and Onboarding

Sets  talent acquisition strategy and supports recruitment for all staff positions
Collaborates with and coaches managers on crafting job descriptions, posts open positions, and screens applicants to identify top candidates.
Ensures that recruitment strategies foster equity and inclusion in hiring practices
Oversees the recruitment of  diverse talent for all open positions
Ensures that the application and hiring process is a positive and efficient experience for all candidates, whether hired or not.
Ensures that onboarding processes are followed by all hiring managers to guarantee excellent orientation and start of employment experience for all new employees.
Supports the Senior Director of DEI in creating and implementing an inclusive and equitable on-boarding process
Learning & Professional Development

Designs and develops key staff management training schedules and assists managers in creating development and training plans for their teams
Design training modules on various manager resources and staff learnings to support organizational understanding of change management
Create succession plans and knowledge sharing resources for roles within the organization
Collaborates with and supports the Sr. Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in developing individual professional development opportunities and career pathways for staff
Ensures organization wide communication and training is clear about processes, procedures, and new policies
Required Skills/Abilities
Inclusive, positive leader who has prior experience as an effective member of the executive management team.
Expertise in  full life cycle talent management and various human resource functions (i.e. employee relations, benefits administration, compensation)
Deep understanding of current HR trends in compensation, benefits, and performance evaluation frameworks and fluency with primary HR functions (employee relations, HR administration, policy development, and compliance); experience must include hands-on responsibility for the full scope of benefits activities and experience in revising policies to meet the need of changing organizational needs.
Deep understanding of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Restorative Justice as a stepping stone to Transformative Justice, the nuances of the topics aligned with it, implementation and assisting in the creation of DEI initiatives
Experience building inclusive and engaged workplaces; cultural awareness and sensitivity with a lens on racial, gender, sexual, class and all forms of oppression
Ability to deal with conflict effectively and to manage difficult employee relations situations confidently and calmly
Team building style that promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and collaboration– where the contributions of subordinates and peers are acknowledged and respected.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, (written and verbal) to to influence through listening, writing, and presenting  provide leadership in engaging, supporting, and motivating staff.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and ability to find creative solutions to cultural, administrative and/or organizational challenges.
Achievement focused. Positive drive for results and goal-oriented by holding people accountable while helping them to achieve goals, if needed
Proven influencer and demonstrated ability to coach and counsel both executive-level management and employees in sensitive situations
Strong customer service orientation, and the ability to partner effectively with all levels of the organization, including expectation setting.
Excellent analytical skills, attention to detail and accuracy, and strong work ethic. Proven track record of excellent follow-through and execution in a demanding, high growth environment
Excellent leadership, motivational, project management and organizational skills
Thinks broadly, recognizing the impact of decisions and actions on the entire organization. Displays willingness to make decisions, exhibits sound and accurate judgment and makes timely decisions
Resourceful and able to find creative solutions, thinking beyond current systems and approaches toward continual improvement
Desire to be part of a hardworking, collaborative, fun, and values-driven team
A strong dedication to dismantling systemic oppression and white supremacy culture in the workplace
Education and Experience
At least 7 years of experience, including direct supervision of others, in human resources management which must include at least 3-5 years at the director level.
Experience in diversity, equity and inclusion and transformative justice or social justice for at least 3-5 years
Experience with strategic human resource programs, policy and systems development, workforce planning and management, change management, and compliance and regulatory activities.
Experience in a non-profit organization with diverse groups of people.
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s in human resources management, business, organizational management or closely related field. Master’s degree in HR or business- related field of study preferred
PHR; SPHR, SHRM- CP or SHRM- SCP strongly preferred
Salary range is $130k-$150k, commensurate with experience. Benefits include retirement 401K plan, health and dental (50-85% subsidized), 3 weeks paid vacation, holiday and paid sick/personal time, the opportunity for a paid sabbatical after 3 years, first-time homebuyers funding, and free counseling for all staff. Please see www.utecinc.org/jobs for more details.