Director of Employee Relations

divh2Director Of Employee Relations/h2pThe Director of Employee Relations will lead the design and execution of KIPP NorCals employee relations strategy, fostering a positive, inclusive, and legally compliant work environment for over 1100 staff members. This role will provide expert guidance on conflict resolution, employee counseling, and complex workplace issues, while also ensuring adherence to all applicable employment laws and policies. The Director will train and coach managers and school leaders on best practices in employee relations, lead high-level investigations, and build the systems, tools, and processes that strengthen the organizations overall employee experience. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Director will serve on the Total Employee Experience (TEX) leadership team and manage three Employee Relations Associate Directors./ppPreferred Qualifications:/pulliMission Oriented - Holds a deep belief in the brilliance of our students and their potential; and in the transformative power of education for liberation. Demonstrates our Regional Support Office values of excellence, equity, courage and compassion./liliExpertise in Employee Relations - Experience in managing employee relations issues. Knowledge of HR and employee relations processes/laws/regulations; and of California credentialing regulations preferred./liliAbility to Build Strong Relationships - Demonstrates a relationship orientation through collaboration, approachability, strong listening skills, empathy, and transparent communication./li/ulpExperience:/pulliDemonstrated commitment to advancing racial equity and belief in our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion/liliAt least 10 years of related professional experiences/liliSuccessful navigation of complex talent/HR issues/liliTK-12, non-profit, and/or mission-driven work experience preferred/liliSuccessful experience in managing teams/li/ulpEducation:/pulliBachelors degree required; graduate degree such as law degree preferred/liliSociety of Human Resources Management (SHRM) or Human Capital Institute certification preferred/li/ulpEssential Functions and Responsibilities:/pulliLead Employee Relations Function/liulliCreate and lead overall strategy to manage employee relations issues, including complaints, performance issues, and other issues as they arise/liliPlans approach to complex and/or highly visible personnel issues, informed by legal guidance/liliMaintains organization and record keeping of all issues/liliCollects and analyzes data to identify trends and patterns in employee relations, and makes recommendations to Chief People Officer and other KIPP NorCal leaders/liliDirectly manages employee relations at the Regional Support Office (RSO) and School Leaders; also manages team members who directly manage employee relations at school sites/li/ulliCounseling, Advising, and Training/liulliProvide guidance to managers and employees on employee relations matters, including policies, procedures, and potential issues/liliDesign and deliver training programs for managers and employees on topics like employee relations, conflict resolution, and workplace behavior/liliProvide guidance and support on performance management processes, including coaching, counseling, and disciplinary actions/li/ulliConflict Resolution/liulliMaintain and update as necessary KIPP NorCals escalation protocol for employee complaints and grievances/liliWhen issues are escalated to the TEX team, conduct thorough investigations into accusations of employee harassment, discrimination, or other workplace issues, including:/liulliInterviewing those involved/liliReviewing documents and evidence/liliDrafting clear and detailed reports/li/ulliMaintains strict confidentiality with everyone involved/liliRecommend resolutions to Chief People Office for decision and execution/liliFacilitate mediations and restorative meetings, as needed/liliLead the Title IX process as the regions coordinator/li/ulliDevelop Tools and Protocols/liulliDevelop and maintain protocols for investigations, interviews, performance improvement plans, and other employee relations topics/liliDevelop and facilitate monthly workshops aligned to the Performance Management Cycle, New or Updated Policies, promotion processes, etc./liliLead annual updates to Staff Handbook/liliLead TEX team projects as needed/li/ulliCompliance/liulliEnsure compliance with employment laws and regulations, staying up to date on legal changes/liliParticipates in arbitration proceedings on behalf of the organization/li/ulliEmployee Handbook/liulliMake annual updates to the Employee Handbook to ensure employees have access to all organization policies, relevant state and federal laws, and information they can use to be successful in their role/liliWork with the TEX team and KIPP NorCals first team (all department leads) to make updates to employee policies as they are needed/liliCoordinate workshops to educate the teams on any handbook updates/liliEnsure distribution of the handbook annually/li/ulliTeam Leadership and Management/liulliContributes to setting TEX team goals, and works to align department team goals to broader TEX team goals/liliModels, contributes, and supports a positive and inclusive culture on the TEX team/liliHelps manage TEX teams budget/liliCollaborates in hiring processes for TEX team roles/liliCreates clear expectations for direct reports, aligned to Professional Development Plans and TEX team goals, and supports direct reports to ensure their success/li/ulliOther/liulliMay serve as an external representative of KIPP Northern California/liliShares talent best practices and collaborates across the national KIPP network/liliPerforms other related duties and special projects as required or assigned/li/ulliPhysical, Mental and Environmental Demands/liulliPhysical: Ability to navigate office and school campuses, and hold meetings in different spaces. Traditionally, much of the day involves sitting. Ability to access and utilize technology. Occasional lifting/carrying of equipment up to 20 lbs. Physical agility to move self in various positions in order to execute duties effectively, which may include kneeling, walking, pushing/pulling, squatting, twisting, turning, bending, stooping, and reaching overhead./liliMental: Stress of deadlines and normal work standards, ability to analyze problems and generate alternatives, work with interruptions, concentrate for long periods of time, read, calculate, perform routine math problems, memorize and recall objects and people./liliEnvironmental: Office environment subject to interruptions and distractions. Frequent travel to schools and districts. KIPP adheres to health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC, CDE, and public health agencies recommendations./li/ulliClassification/lipThis is a full-time, exempt position based on a full year calendar cycle, based out of our Regional Support Office (RSO). The RSO currently operates in a hybrid fashion. The Director can expect to work in person 2-3 days per week and remotely or in the field the remaining days, subject to change based on the needs of the role and organization. In the first six months of the role, the Director should expect more in person days to build relationships with school and RSO teams./ppAbout KIPP Public Schools Northern California/ppWe are a thriving nonprofit network of 23 free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choosecollege, career, and beyondso they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world./ppOur student community consists of nearly 7,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San Jose, Redwood City, and Stockton. 79% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 23% are multilingual learners, and 10% have special needs. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students diversity./ppCompensation/ppKIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your familys well-being/p/ul/div