Associate Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations

KIPP North Carolina Public Schools; Oakland (CA); Hybrid; USD 113,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

Retirement plan with employer contrib.

Commuter benefits

Job summary

KIPP Northern California Public Schools seeks an Associate Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations, to lead complex employee relations matters across 1,100+ staff and partner with school and regional leaders. You will own investigations, policy implementation, and manager coaching to foster an equitable, compliant workplace.

The role is hybrid with regional travel, reporting to the Director of HR, Employee Relations.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources, Employee Relations, workplace investigations, or a closely related function
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and professional experience
• Strong knowledge of California and Federal employment law, workplace investigations, Employee Relations best practices, and performance management processes; excellent written and verbal communication; facilitation and conflict resolution skills; commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; ability to handle sensitive information; strong analytical and project management skills.

Responsibilities

• Own assigned Employee Relations Key Results and implement plans to improve employee experience across schools and regional teams.
• Drive cross-functional Employee Relations initiatives with stakeholders and timelines.
• Oversee data and reporting systems to identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead complex workplace investigations with fair, timely, thorough processes and reports.
• Partner on Title IX matters to ensure timely resolution and adherence to protocols.
• Coach school leaders and managers on performance management and policy implementation.
• Design and deliver manager learning on conduct, conflict resolution, and policy alignment.
• Design and maintain Employee Relations tools and documentation systems.

Skills

Employment law knowledge

Workplace investigations

Performance management

Communication skills

Facilitation/Mediation

DEI and Belonging

Discretion & confidentiality

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Associate Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations

Department: Human Resources | Reports to: Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations | Location: Regional Support Office - Oakland | Type: Full-time | FLSA Status: Exempt | Schedule: 12 months

About KIPP NorCal

We 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 choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Our student community consists of over 7,100 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San José, Redwood City, and Stockton. 80%qualify for free or reduced price lunch,27% are multilingual learners, and17% receive special education services. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students’ diversity.

Role Overview

The Associate Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations strengthens a positive, equitable, and legally compliant workplace across KIPP NorCal’s 1,100+ staff members. Reporting to the Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations, this role owns a caseload of schools, leads complex employee relations matters and workplace investigations, and serves as a trusted advisor to school and regional leaders to strengthen manager effectiveness, workplace culture, and organizational compliance.

In this role, you own a defined set of department Key Results and decide how to achieve them. You elevate trade-offs that require your Director’s authority. This role manages and develops HR Employee Relations staff responsible for delivering key outcomes.

Core Responsibilities

Employee Relations Initiatives and Outcomes

• Owns assigned Employee Relations Key Results, designing implementation plans and monitoring progress to advance department priorities and improve the employee experience across schools and regional teams.
• Drives cross-functional Employee Relations initiatives, aligning stakeholders, resources, and timelines to deliver measurable outcomes.
• Oversees Employee Relations data and reporting systems, analyzing case trends, outcomes, and other indicators to identify risks and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Aligns recommendations to organizational priorities by synthesizing complex personnel information and presenting clear options and trade-offs to HR leadership.

Investigations, Title IX, and Conflict Resolution

• Owns complex workplace investigations involving allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, misconduct, and policy violations, ensuring fair, timely, thorough, and legally compliant processes.
• Oversees investigation processes from intake through findings, ensuring interviews, evidence review, documentation, and written reports support consistent and sound employment decisions.
• Drives Employee Relations case management and partners with the Director of Human Resources, Employee Relations on Title IX matters, ensuring accurate documentation, timely resolution, and adherence to established protocols.
• Designs and facilitates conflict resolution approaches, including restorative conversations and mediations, that address workplace concerns and strengthen productive working relationships.

Manager Coaching and Leadership Development

• Coaches school leaders and managers through employee relations matters, performance management, documentation, and corrective action processes to strengthen manager judgment and effectiveness.
• Designs and delivers manager learning on workplace conduct, conflict resolution, employee performance, and policy implementation to build consistent management practices across KIPP NorCal.
• Aligns Employee Relations tools and manager resources to policies and established practices so leaders can navigate personnel matters consistently, equitably, and confidently.
• Coaches stakeholders through difficult conversations and complex personnel decisions with directness, empathy, and a commitment to equitable outcomes.

Employee Relations Systems, Policy, and Compliance

• Designs and maintains Employee Relations tools, investigation protocols, performance management processes, and documentation systems that improve consistency, quality, and scalability.
• Drives annual policy and handbook review processes in partnership with Talent, HR, Legal, and operational stakeholders to maintain alignment with applicable laws, regulations, and organizational practices.
• Oversees Employee Relations compliance monitoring, identifying patterns and emerging risks and developing recommendations for mitigation.
• Aligns Employee Relations policies, systems, and processes with cross-functional partners to create a coherent and consistent employee experience across schools and regional teams.

Team Leadership and Functional Capacity

• Coaches and develops direct reports through clear goals, regular feedback, and professional development that strengthen Employee Relations expertise and accountability for outcomes.
• Oversees the allocation and progress of Employee Relations work within the team, clarifying ownership and addressing barriers to ensure timely, high-quality outcomes.
• Designs team practices and knowledge-sharing approaches that build Employee Relations expertise, strengthen consistency, and reduce reliance on individual knowledge.
• Other duties as assigned.

KIPP Leadership Competencies

These competencies describe the core leadership behaviors expected at this level – they guide how we hire, develop, and grow our people at KIPP NorCal.

• Lead Self: You model vulnerability and coach others on self-awareness and reflection. You lead equity conversations and address systemic barriers in hiring and operations. You are a recognized expert who actively develops others' expertise.
• Lead People: You initiate courageous conversations with directness and empathy, shaping the culture and norms of your team or department. You seek stakeholder input, build coalitions, and create plans that anticipate the skills and resources required for success. You drive cross-functional workstreams with peers, aligning priorities across teams.
• Lead Results: You propose Key Results aligned to department strategy and ensure plans are feasible before moving to implementation. You synthesize complexity, weigh options with discernment, and bring clear recommendations to your Director. You create systems to monitor progress and hold yourself and your team accountable for outcomes.

Knowledge & Skills

Required Qualifications

Experience | 4 or more years of progressive experience in Human Resources, Employee Relations, workplace investigations, or a closely related function

Education | Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and professional experience

Knowledge/skills | Strong knowledge of California and Federal employment law, workplace investigations, Employee Relations best practices, and performance management processes.Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information and communicate recommendations clearly.Strong facilitation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills.Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, with experience addressing systemic barriers within organizations.Ability to manage highly sensitive and confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.Strong analytical and project management skills with the ability to balance multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Language | English

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a K–12 educational organization, charter school network, nonprofit organization, or public sector environment.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or workplace investigation certification.
• Experience supporting Title IX investigations, compliance processes, or educational employment environments.

Role Details

The following details describe how this role is structured and what to expect day-to-day.

Work Setting | Hybrid, School-Facing and Regional Support Office
Travel Expectation | Frequent School Travel
Driver’s License | Must have a valid CA driver’s license and access to reliable transportation for work-related travel
Physical Demands | Ability to navigate office and school campuses, use technology, and occasionally lift or carry materials up to 20 lbs.
Mental Demands | Ability to manage competing priorities, concentrate for sustained periods, analyze complex information, and make decisions under normal work pressures.
Environmental | Combination of office and school campus environments, with regular travel between sites

KIPP Northern California Public Schools is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

Compensation

KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your family's well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package. Benefits include medical, dental, vision coverage, paid time off, retirement plan with employer contribution and commuter benefits.

We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is between $113,000 and $135,000. Most candidates will be compensated at $121,000.