Chief People Officer, RFK Community Alliance

Eos Transition Partners; Lancaster (MA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

RFK Community Alliance (RFKCA) seeks a collaborative Chief People Officer to lead people strategy, culture, learning, and equity. The CPO reports to the CEO and serves on the executive team, guiding workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, and leadership development within a mission-driven nonprofit.

The role oversees Human Resources, Learning & Workforce Development, and DBIE, partnering with HR and training leaders to align priorities with RFKCA’s commitments to inclusion and

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in senior HR roles within nonprofits.
• Experience in human services or behavioral health is preferred.
• Proven ability to translate strategy into people initiatives and metrics.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive people strategy aligned with RFKCA’s mission and goals.
• Advise CEO, executive team and board on workforce trends and organizational design.
• Lead efforts to strengthen engagement, resilience, and culture across RFKCA.
• Partner with leaders to advance equitable recruitment, learning, and leadership development.
• Oversee HR, learning, and DBIE functions and foster inclusion across the organization.

Skills

Strategic HR Leadership

Change Management

Stakeholder Collaboration

Excellent Communication

Empathy & Inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree

Job description

RFK Community Alliance Seeks Chief People Officer

About RFKCA

With a mission to promote meaningful and sustained well-being, RFK Community Alliance (RFKCA) provides high-quality care and support to people and families facing complicated challenges. As a multi-service agency, RFKCA offers a wide range of programs serving educational, developmental, behavioral health, and mental health needs across the lifespan - from infants to seniors.

RFKCA embraces the core values of Collaboration, Compassion, Excellence, Learning, Inclusivity, Integrity, and Hope. Through programs including adoption, adult services, behavioral health, community services, education, youth justice transformation, and residential care, RFKCA serves individuals and families throughout Massachusetts and the nation.

RFKCA grew out of two organizations – the Doctor Franklin Perkins School, founded in 1896, to educate and care for children with developmental and intellectual disabilities, and RFK Children’s Action Corps, founded in 1969, to carry on the legacy and life of the late Senator Robert F Kennedy helping children facing challenges without privilege or a voice. RFKCA is a non-partisan, mission-focused human services organization focused on the care and services for people facing significant challenges. Highlights of RFKCA’s work includes:

• A Full Continuum of Care – Comprehensive and individualized services within the eight service domains: Adoption, Adult Services, Behavioral Health, Community Services, Early Education and Care, Education, Youth Justice Transformation, and Youth Residential Care.
• A Unified Approach – An evidence-informed Theory of Change that clarifies our focus and aligns our work across programs. Our commitment is to help our service recipients and staff to be Connected, Capable, and Healthy.
• Commitment to Excellence – A commitment to continuous learning and growth, deepening our impact, driving innovation, and excellence in the services we provide.
• A Legacy of Opportunity – As one of only two organizations entrusted by RFK’s family to bear his name, we are proud to honor his legacy by advancing his vision and creating meaningful opportunities for every person in our care.
• Creating Change Beyond Our Services – RFKCA advocates for systems-wide change and investments in the human services sector both within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and nationally.

RFKCA has approximately 550 staff members and an annual budget of close to $50M. It’s main office is in Lancaster, Massachusetts with programs serving individuals in Eastern, Central, and Western Massachusetts, as well as across the United States.

Position Summary

RFKCA seeks a collaborative and mission-driven Chief People Officer (CPO) to serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and lead the organization’s people, culture, learning, and inclusion strategy. The CPO will be responsible for shaping and advancing a comprehensive people-centered strategy that strengthens organizational culture, promotes equity and belonging, develops leadership capacity, and ensures RFKCA remains an employer of choice in the human services sector.

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief People Officer (CPO) serves as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Executive Team, and Board of Trustees on workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, leadership development, culture, and diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity (DBIE). This role provides strategic oversight of Human Resources, Learning & Workforce Development, and DBIE functions, while collaborating with the Associate Vice President of Human Resources to ensure strategic alignment between organizational priorities and HR operations, the Director of Training to support the development and delivery of learning and workforce development initiatives, and RFKCA’s DBIE Committee to advance the organization’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming workplace.

RFKCA’s CPO will champion a workplace culture that reflects the organization’s values while helping to continue to advance efforts to build a diverse, engaged, and high-performing workforce capable of meeting the evolving needs of the communities it serves.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Executive Partnership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive people strategy aligned with RFKCA’s mission, strategic plan, and organizational goals.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO, Executive Leadership team, and Board on workforce trends, organizational design, talent development and sustainability, and culture initiatives.
• Lead efforts to strengthen organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, and workforce resilience.
• Partner with executive leaders to anticipate workforce challenges and identify innovative solutions that support long-term organizational success.
• Partner with leaders across all programs and departments to advance organizational goals through people-centered strategies.
• Establish and monitor key people metrics and organizational health indicators to inform strategic decision-making.

Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, & Equity (DBIE)

• Lead the next phase of RFKCA’s DBIE vision, strategy, goals, and accountability measures.
• Chair the organization’s DBIE Committee, leading initiatives that engage and inspire staff to advance diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equity across RFKCA.
• Foster a culture of inclusion, belonging, and equity across all levels of the organization.
• Partner with leadership teams to embed equitable practices into policies, programs, leadership behaviors, and decision-making processes.
• Using objective data, monitor organizational progress toward diversity and inclusion objectives and provide recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Expand on systems that advance equitable recruitment, retention, promotion, leadership development, and employee engagement practices.
• Serve as an organizational thought leader and advocate for equity-centered practices that strengthen outcomes for employees and the communities RFKCA serves.

Learning, Leadership Development & Talent Strategy

• Oversee RFKCA’s training team, and organizational learning and professional development initiatives that support employee growth, retention, and career advancement.
• Advance leadership development and succession planning strategies to build a strong internal leadership pipeline.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning that supports innovation, collaboration, and Partner with organizational leaders to identify critical workforce capabilities and future talent needs.
• Ensure learning and development initiatives align with organizational goals, employee needs, and industry best practices.

Culture & Employee Experience

• Champion initiatives that strengthen employee engagement, well-being, recognition, and organizational culture.
• Partner with leaders throughout the organization to reinforce RFKCA’s values and cultivate a workplace where employees feel respected, supported, and empowered.
• Guide organization-wide change management efforts related to workforce transformation, growth, and strategic initiatives.
• Use employee feedback, engagement data, and organizational assessments to inform culture and employee experience strategies.

Qualifications

Credentials:

• Significant experience (10-15) in senior HR leadership roles
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Nonprofit Management or a related field.
• Experience as an HR leader in the non-profit sector (human services, mental or behavioral health) preferred.

Skills and Qualities Required or Desired:

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Strategic leadership in a non-profit or other mission driven organization with a strong unwavering commitment to the organization’s values and mission.
• Proven ability to direct entire departments with a focus on strategic leadership, shaping and reinforcing an inclusive organizational culture and translating goals into action plans, effectively managing and empowering senior level direct reports.
• Expertise in compliance, risk management and the equitable application of HR policies and Expert knowledge and significant people leadership experience with demonstrated advanced, senior level strategic thinking by developing and implementing transformative HR strategies that drive organizational success and align with broader organization goals, vision and culture.

Relationship Builder, Networker, and Collaborator with Excellent Communication Skills

• Excel in addressing systemic interpersonal challenges and leading organization culture initiatives.
• Lead by example, promoting empathy and trust building.
• Active listening and mentoring skills.
• Ability to give and receive feedback in a supportive manner, seeing constructive criticism as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

Engaged Leader of People and Culture

• Experienced at motivating and developing professional staff who are held to high levels of accountability.
• Able to create a work culture that is welcoming, psychologically safe, and collaborative across all teams guided by human resource best practices.
• Understand and/or personally represent the lived experiences of the communities served, particularly communities of color and/or low-income communities.
• Skilled listener graciously willing to consider all opinions and make informed decisions.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with an annualized starting salary range of up to $175,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications.