Director of People Operations

Position Summary Under the direction of the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of People Operations is responsible for the overall employee experience. Provides leadership in developing and executing an agency‑wide people strategy that aligns workforce planning, talent development, and organizational culture with CHA’s mission, values, and strategic priorities. This position will also provide human resources support to all departments within the Agency including but not limited to overseeing personnel records management, supporting performance management and employee development processes, policy and procedure development and revisions, and ensuring compliance with all applicable employment laws and regulations. Serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, exercising sound judgment and discretion in complex employee and agency matters and making recommendations that balance compliance, risk, culture, and mission impact. Essential Functions Mission & Organizational Development Demonstrates a clear understanding of the Covenant House mission, philosophy, history, and values and reflects those principles in interactions with staff, youth, and the broader community. People Strategy, Organizational Design & Risk Management Partners with executive and department leadership on organizational design, role clarity, and change management to support growth, continuous improvement, and effective team structures. Oversees the employee experience across the full lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding through retention and exit—using feedback, data, and trends to improve engagement and reduce turnover. Coordinates and/or conducts exit interviews. Proactively identifies and mitigates people‑related risks, including employee relations concerns, leadership gaps, burnout, and retention challenges, in partnership with executive leadership. Performance Management, Leadership Development & Employee Engagement Leads the development and ongoing improvement of the Agency’s performance management approach, ensuring clear expectations, ongoing feedback, accountability, and alignment between performance, employee development, and Agency goals. Builds and supports consistent management practices by coaching and training supervisors on effective performance management, feedback, documentation, and employee development. Champions and supervises staff development and employee engagement initiatives, including employee surveys (promoting participation, analyzing results, and implementing action plans) and supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives. Supports management by providing guidance and recommendations related to progressive discipline, investigations, mediation, and coaching to strengthen leadership effectiveness and team performance. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning Oversees hiring processes, including recruitment strategy, background and reference checks, onboarding, and orientation. Supervises recruitment efforts, including building and maintaining strategic community relationships to develop strong and sustainable talent pipelines. HR Operations, Policies & Compliance Leads the administration of human resources plans, policies, and procedures for all Agency personnel. Respond to inquiries regarding HR policies and procedures. Develops, implements, and maintains personnel policies and procedures; prepares and updates the employee handbook and policies and procedures manual. Directs efforts to improve HR workflows, eliminate inefficiencies, and strengthen HR operational effectiveness. Ensures compliance and reporting around FMLA, Workers' Compensation, and other local, state and federal reporting requirements. Oversees personnel records management, HRIS administration, and training and development data systems. Supervises the administration of employee benefit and wellness programs, including health, retirement, life insurance, COBRA, and related offerings. Participates in cross-functional leadership teams (including Director-, policy-, safety-level, and Covenant House federation wide HR leadership teams) to ensure HR perspective and compliance considerations inform decision-making. Under the direction of the COO maintain oversight of People Operations budget planning. Data, Reporting & Executive Partnership Develops and utilizes people‑related metrics and trend analyses to inform executive decision‑making, identify risks, and evaluate the effectiveness of people initiatives. Provides executive & federation leadership with progress reports, recommendations, action plans, timelines, and cost projections related