Director, People Transformation

Wikimedia Foundation; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 122,000 - 184,000; Full time

Job summary

A global nonprofit organization is seeking a Director of People Innovation & Transformation. This role requires extensive experience in HR strategy and project management, where you will lead initiatives to enhance employee experience and collaborate with cross-department teams. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership skills and a commitment to the organization's values. This position offers a remote work environment and competitive salary based on location.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in management consulting or project management.
• Proven leadership in innovation, strategy design and implementation.
• Ability to balance strategic vision with hands-on programme execution.
• Familiarity with learning technology platforms and data-driven approaches.

Responsibilities

• Refresh current policies and processes; lead new policy development.
• Develop and implement performance management processes.
• Oversee improvements to HR Information Systems.
• Develop client-facing workforce analytics to support decisions.
• Manage annual budgeting and scoping of People Department's work.

Skills

Leadership in innovation and strategy design

Project management expertise

Strong stakeholder management

Fluent English communication

Job description

About the Job

At the Wikimedia Foundation, people are our most important asset. The innovative work of our People department is critical to identifying, developing and supporting the policies, systems and practices of the Foundation to provide a remote work environment and people culture that will advance the Foundation’s mission. The Director of People Innovation & Transformation role will work side‑by‑side with the Chief People Officer, the VP of People Experience, VP of People Growth & Belonging and the Director of Recruiting to develop and implement strategies that impact the Foundation’s ways of working while supporting our mission and organization culture.

In this role, you will be driving culturally- and values‑aligned HR investments that enable a stellar employee experience and position Wikimedia as an employer of choice in the global nonprofit, technology, and advocacy fields. You will lead a team that is responsible for overseeing a variety of key projects. The Director of People Transformation’s scope will include:

• Leading People Department systems updates and innovations, these systems include but are not limited to: compensation and total rewards, performance management, HR information systems, vendor management and data analytics & reporting. Once systems are developed/ refreshed, this leader will work closely with People Department peers to drive a seamless transition process for the system into its logical, long‑term sub‑department home.
• Representing the People Department in cross‑department projects and working groups. Current projects include, but are not limited to: Location Strategy and the Annual Planning Process (APP) and …
• Ensuring efficient cross‑departmental collaboration and execution by managing the People dept budget.

Main Responsibilities

• Refresh Current Policies and Processes and Innovate New Policies and Processes: Complete an in-depth review of current policies and process; lead a refresh process for those that are identified as in need of change. Anticipate and identify future policy needs and develop policies that support the Foundation’s growth and global footprint. Design and implement new HR policies and processes to improve operational efficiency and employee experience.
• Performance Management: In collaboration with the VP, People Growth & Belonging and the VP, People Experience, develop and implement performance management processes and systems that align with organizational goals and support employee development.
• HRIS Implementation: Oversee the improvements and additions to the implementation of WMF’s HR Information Systems (Dayforce) to streamline operations and enhance data management. Investigate, acquire and implement additional HRIS that will “future‑proof” the People organization.
• People Analytics: Develop and leverage client‑facing workforce analytics to support business decisions and track progress against performance expectations. Work with the CPO and department leads to develop strategic, data‑based action plans at the department level.
• Annual Work Scoping & Budgeting: Lead the annual scoping of the People Department’s work as part of the Foundation’s Annual Planning Process (APP) to ensure alignment with strategic priorities. Translate strategic priorities into operational reality, leading to the execution of robust plans which yield measurable and sustainable results. Prepare and manage the annual budget and expenses of the People Department in line with the annual work.
• Continuous Improvement Projects: Lead and coordinate internal improvement initiatives within the People Team, in collaboration with sub‑team leads.
• Cross‑Department Projects: Serve as the People Team Lead on cross‑departmental projects, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and values.
• Change Management: Establish and implement change management frameworks and best practices to support the Foundation’s need to scale efficiently while maintaining our core values and culture. Create department‑wide best practices that can be used by all sub‑teams to effectively roll out and implement small and large‑scale change.
• Team Management: Lead, develop and manage the team to deliver on the different initiatives and projects. Support the team’s development through ITCs and other managerial channels.

Required Skills And Experience

• 10+ years of experience in management consulting or project management.
• Proven leadership in innovation, strategy design and implementation, with a track record of influencing organisational culture.
• Expertise in project management and creating compelling arguments through written and visual aids.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, particularly in mission-driven, global organisations.
• Experience coaching and managing multicultural teams.
• Ability to balance strategic vision with hands‑on programme execution.
• Familiarity with learning technology platforms and data-driven approaches to measuring impact.
• Strong communication skills, with fluency in English and the ability to craft compelling narratives and build consensus.
• Commitment to Wikimedia’s values and the free knowledge movement.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed.

Desired Skills And Experience

• Familiarity with the free knowledge / open source movement.
• Experience working in an async and/or remote-first organisation.
• Experience in tech and/or not-for-profit organisations.
• Experience working across different sociopolitical and cultural contexts.

About The Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not‑for‑profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax‑exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

As an equal opportunity employer, the Wikimedia Foundation values having a diverse workforce and continuously strives to maintain an inclusive and equitable workplace. We encourage people with a diverse range of backgrounds to apply. We do not discriminate against any person based upon their race, traits historically associated with race, religion, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy or related medical conditions, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.

The Wikimedia Foundation is a remote‑first organization with staff members including contractors based 40+ countries. Salaries at the Wikimedia Foundation are set in a way that is competitive, equitable, and consistent with our values and culture. The anticipated annual pay range of this position for applicants based within the United States is $161,678 to $241,569 with multiple individualized factors, including cost of living in the location, being the determinants of the offered pay. For applicants located outside of the US, the pay range will be adjusted to the country of hire. We neither ask for nor take into consideration the salary history of applicants. The compensation for a successful applicant will be based on their skills, experience and location.

Please note that we are currently able to hire in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Kingdom, United States of America and Uruguay. Our non‑US employees are hired through a local third party Employer of Record (EOR).

We periodically review this list to streamline to ensure alignment with our hiring requirements.

All applicants can reach out to their recruiter to understand more about the specific pay range for their location during the interview process.

If you are a qualified applicant requiring assistance or an accommodation to complete any step of the application process due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail] or [phone].

Location

United States (Remote)