Director, HR (EF)

Energy Foundation; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Energy Foundation’s Senior Director, HR leads HR practices across a multi-site nonprofit and partners with the Director of DEI to implement best-in-class HR policies aligned with EF’s mission. This role emphasizes supporting remote staff (25% of the workforce) and ensuring recruiting, onboarding, retention, compensation, and benefits are integrated with EF’s values.

The ideal candidate brings 8–10 years of HR generalist leadership, experience in philanthropic/NGO settings, and relevant

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of progressively responsible HR generalist experience.
• Experience leading HR efforts cross-functionally in a complex and growing environment.
• Experience implementing DEI across the HR lifecycle.
• Strong communicator and collaborator who supports staff with empathy and clarity.
• Maintains integrity, confidentiality, sensitivity, respect, and good judgement.
• Proven ability to engage across diverse cultures, workstyles, and needs.

Responsibilities

• Manage recruiting, onboarding, and retention; talent development and coaching.
• Oversee diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within HR.
• Administer compensation and benefits strategies.
• Partner with DEI leadership to align HR with EF’s mission and values.
• Develop strategies to support remote staff (25% of workforce).

Skills

HR leadership

DEI implementation

Communication

Confidentiality

Education

HR certification (PHR/SPHR/GPHR, SHRM-CP/SCP)

Job description

Energy Foundation’s (EF) mission is to promote the transition to a sustainable energy future by advancing energy efficiency and renewable energy. EF is committed to building a healthy, clean energy future that benefits everyone by supporting non-partisan policy solutions that create robust, competitive markets, clean energy jobs, and dramatically less pollution, particularly for the nation’s most vulnerable communities.

We are a complex, multi-site, multicultural nonprofit organization with big plans for the future. Now into the tenure of a new CEO, EF has embarked on a major strategy refresh, a prioritized commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and rapid geographic expansion.

The Opportunity

Energy Foundation’s complexity and growth offers an experienced Human Resources generalist the opportunity to provide dynamic, thoughtful leadership and implement best-in-class HR practices.

The Senior Director, HR serves in close partnership with the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), playing an instrumental role in implementing HR practices that support EF’s DEI goals. This is a critical enabler role working across the entire organization that aligns people, policies, and practice to EF’s core mission and values. Particular emphasis should be placed on strategies to support remote staff, representing 25% of the workforce.

Key responsibilities include the entire HR lifecycle: recruiting, onboarding, and retention; talent development and coaching; diversity, equity, and inclusion; compensation and benefit.

The Ideal Candidate

• Thorough understanding of HR best practices and a track record of success leading HR efforts cross-functionally and culturally in a complex and growing environment
• Experience implementing DEI best practices across the HR lifecycle
• Strong communicator and collaborator who conveys expertise and empathy to staff, ensuring they feel heard and supported without judgement, while building clarity around processes and expectations
• Maintains high degree of integrity, confidentiality, sensitivity, respect, and good judgement
• Demonstrated capability establishing connection and engagement up, down, and across an organization with diverse cultures, workstyles, and needs

Experience

• Candidates should bring a minimum of 8-10 years of experience in progressively responsible, hands‑on HR generalist roles.
• Ideal work experience includes HR leadership roles such as an HR business partner in a philanthropic, nonprofit, NGO, and/or related experience in social purpose companies, the private sector, or government. Certifications such as PHR, SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-CP, or SCP are valued.