As Senior Managing Director, Employee Relations & Experience (SMD, ERE), you will partner with critical stakeholders to ensure a consistently positive staff experience for all Teach For America staff. You will be responsible for setting the overall vision, direction and strategy for the Employee Relations and Experience team, and serve as manager and team lead.
In this role, you will lead the development of appropriate strategies, policies, processes, and solutions associated with creating a safe, fair and equitable work environment at Teach For America. You will also help create communications and processes to support teams and staff members in understanding and complying with Human Assets policies and practices to ensure we are caring for our staff members and creating an enduring institution.
You will work to address and resolve issues affecting staff experience in a fair and timely manner by leveraging compliant talent management practices that mitigate risk for the organization. This includes leading formal investigations of complaints and ensuring appropriate tracking of those complaints and their resolutions.
You will also serve as an advisor to people managers across the organization on critical staff issues, including general staff issues/complaints that may require action by Human Assets and performance concerns.
You will report to the Vice President, People Experience and work closely with national and regional teams across the organization and other sub-teams of Human assets on employee relations issues.
Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to the following:
Setting Vision and Direction and Identifying Strategic Priorities for the Employee Relations Function
- Create the long-term Employee Relations Team vision and annual strategic and operating plans. Regularly assess progress-to-goal, identify what is driving and impeding success, and develop strategies to expand opportunities and overcome barriers.
Conducting Data Analyses of Key Employee Relations Related Data and Regularly Reporting Important Trends and Patterns
- Identify, analyze and report key data to drive organizational learnings and to proactively reduce the number of critical staff issues. Collaborate with members of the People Experience and Legal Affairs team to publish an annual report on the inclusiveness of our staff culture.
Assessing and Mitigating Risk in Employee Relations Related Situations
- Ensure Teach For America has a comprehensive understanding of all people-related risks to the organization and that appropriate risk mitigation plans are in place to address these risks. The SMD, Employee Relations will work with the Risk & Compliance team to surface new risks and evaluate mitigation efforts on a quarterly basis. Ensure anti-harassment staff trainings are updated and completed by TFA staff on an annual basis.
Providing Direct Guidance and Support to Staff Members, Managers and Team Leaders on Critical Staff Issues across the Organization
- Provide advice and support to managers across regional and national teams regarding performance concerns, terminations and other sensitive personnel matters requiring a high level of discretion and judgement. Manage difficult staff situations that require action from Human Assets, including general staff issues and complaints, conflict resolution, and formal investigations.
Establishing and Defining Partnerships with Key Stakeholders
- Identify key partners, build relationships and determine clear divisions of labor to aid in the effectiveness of the Employee Relations function.
Managing the Employee Relations team
- Manage, coach, and develop a direct report, ensuring progress toward goals and developing them as a professional.
- Poise, confidence, and maturity interacting with key stakeholders, with the ability to build strong relationships and work with people at all levels within and external to the organization
- Ability to provide advice and counsel to managers and supervisors regarding personnel practices, policy and employment laws
- Knowledge of immigration laws and processes
- Exceptional strategic and critical thinking skills
- Exceptional judgment and decision making
- Ability to develop, streamline and enhance staffing systems, tracking reporting and analysis
- Ability to ensure compliance with all state and federal discrimination and employment regulations
- Exceptional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills
- Operates with a high level of personal responsibility, and can lead through ambiguity and complexity
- Ability to thrive in a goal-oriented, fast-paced, and entrepreneurial environment, including the ability to be flexible in project execution
- Deep commitment to TFA’s mission, core values, and our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness
- SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential preferred
Work Demands
- Travel for this role may require 1-2 trips per quarter for team meetings/conferences during the course of the year.