Vice President, People and Talent

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education. Launched in 2000 out of a Bronx public high school, DonorsChoose has since raised more than $1 billion to fund over 2 million classroom projects from over 725,000 teachers at 87% of all the public schools in America, overwhelmingly in historically underfunded schools due to economic and racial inequity.  Equal parts education charity and tech company, DonorsChoose is a nonprofit striving to do profound good in the world amidst the kind of innovation, agility, and data rigor associated with the highest-performing startups.  Our 14 board members (half women, majority people of color) include CEOs of major companies, Stephen Colbert, and three teacher users of our site. 

ABOUT THE POSITION:

DonorsChoose is seeking a strategic, collaborative Vice President, People and Talent (VPPT) to lead its People and Talent team. This leader will be responsible for setting and managing a robust people operations strategy, overseeing talent acquisition, HR operations, performance management, and leadership development for DonorsChoose. Additionally, the VPPT will align DonorsChoose’s people operations to their broader organizational vision, and will partner with the wider team to codify their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, embedding tangible processes and actions into existing operations and structure. 

The Vice President will report directly to the Chief Operating and People Officer and manage two direct reports on the People and Talent team and a total team of seven. 

In this role, you’ll manage:

• People and Talent 
  • Effectively lead and influence people, culture, and internal HR and talent functions and needs 
  • Develop and oversee employee relations, performance management, and talent development and retention strategy 
  • Work closely with organizational leaders on organizational design, role definitions, performance management, feedback, and talent development efforts
  • Develop and execute learning and development strategies and manager training and coaching
• People Operations & Analytics
  • Coach and guide the high performing team responsible for people operations, including benefits, compensation, HR systems, people data, and compliance 
  • Support the creation of best in class tools and technology that drive innovation and iteration across all people practices 
  • Continue to develop scalable and customizable people solutions, responsive to current external factors and internal data
• Talent Acquisition
  • In partnership with the Manager of Talent, design and implement a talent acquisition strategy to attract and retain a robust and diverse pipeline of talent 
  • Coach and support hiring managers across the organization on strategies for recruiting diverse and high-potential talent 
• Serve as an organizational leader, inside and outside of the organization
  • Translate complex HR decisions and issues for the broader DonorsChoose team, in a way that fosters clarity and trust
    
  • Collaborate across the organization and leadership teams to align the People and Talent vision with broader organizational goals
    
  • Serve as a thought partner and advisor to the broader DonorsChoose team on people and talent questions and issues, pushing back and effectively navigating conflict and complexity, as needed

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

• You have deep experience managing and growing talent. You take pride in team members hitting or exceeding goals.
• You are committed to equity.  You believe that advancing racial equity is one of the most important ways to make a difference in the world and have a track record of making sound decisions to advance racial equity goals. 
• You are a people and talent leader and bring expertise in strategic human resources and talent development.
• You are a natural relationship builder. You understand what motivates individuals and institutions and can adjust your style accordingly to quickly build strong rapport. 
• You are a strategic thinker. You can assess any situation, think through several different paths for addressing it, and you are decisive in determining the best path forward.
• You think like an owner. You have an entrepreneurial spirit, you like to build, and you have sought out opportunities for your organization to shine. 
• You are a team player and thrive when collaborating with colleagues; you are willing to be a hands-on contributor. 
• You bring a creative lens to solutions.  You are comfortable forging a path in the face of ambiguity and complexity; in fact, you view this as an opportunity for innovation.
• You use data and empathy to make decisions and can create scalable and customizable solutions grounded in both analytics and compassion. 
  
• You are a thought leader on people and talent issues and stay abreast of trends and innovations in the HR field.
• You have at least 10-15 years of relevant work experience.
• College degree or commensurate years of experience (10-15+) required.

LOCATION: The majority of the DonorsChoose 150-person team works from the NYC area, including from our office which is open for optional use. Strong preference for a candidate who is NYC-based or within a few hours by car/train to make use of the office when needed to support the team. Open to talent across the US. 

If a candidate is not based in NYC, they should be willing to travel on an as needed basis, at minimum to 6 times a year.

Compensation for this role is competitive with equivalent roles at other nonprofits of our size. In addition, we offer full-time staff 25 paid vacation days per year and 10 paid holidays, a rich employer-paid individual and family health plan, annual professional development stipend, and casual and flexible work environment. To learn more about what it is like to work for DonorsChoose, visit our careers page.

QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS, PLEASE APPLY: 

https://www.on-ramps.com/jobs/2671

The DonorsChoose team works toward a nation where students in every community have the resources needed for an excellent education. To do this we hire and support a diverse team of the best and the brightest talent available.

We are an organization increasingly representative of the varied races and ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, and abilities that comprise our nation. DonorsChoose.org focuses on attracting, retaining, and advancing diverse talent because it makes us more effective, high-performing, creative, and resilient.  

If you are passionate about our mission, highly skilled in your field, and looking for a place where you can bring all of yourself to work, we want you.

On-Ramps is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe social change happens when people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and identities come together with a common purpose. We’re working with DonorsChoose to build a diverse team that represents the communities it partners with. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.