Director, Talent & Culture

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; Headquarters (ID); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, MO seeks a dynamic Director of Talent & Culture to lead benefits, wellness, recruitment and employee relations. This strategic role partners with the Chief People Officer to advance people strategies in a complex nonprofit environment.

You will drive compliance with employment laws, oversee benefit programs and retirement plans, and mentor leaders across the organization to optimize the employee experience and organizational effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Strategic Talent and Culture leader overseeing Benefits, Wellness, Talent Acquisition, and Employee Relations.
• Partner with Chief People Officer to execute people strategy and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Leads cross-functional T&C initiatives and workforce metrics reporting.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Chief People Officer to execute the organization's people strategy and T&C priorities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on T&C matters, balancing employee needs with organizational objectives.
• Lead and manage special T&C projects and strategic initiatives that improve employee experience and organizational effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to improve T&C policies, processes, and service delivery through continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Chief People Officer by proactively communicating progress, emerging issues, risks, and opportunities within assigned functional areas. Provide timely reporting, data-driven insights, and recommendations that enable informed decision-making and ensure the Chief People Officer is fully prepared for executive leadership, Board, and other strategic discussions.
• Provide strategic oversight of all employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, wellness initiatives, and retirement plans.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, ACA, HIPAA, Section 125, FMLA, and other employee benefit requirements.
• Partner with brokers, vendors, and third-party administrators to optimize benefit offerings, employee experience, and cost management.
• Oversee annual open enrollment planning and execution.
• Evaluate benefit utilization, market trends, and employee feedback to recommend enhancements to benefit and wellness programs.
• Oversee retirement plan administration and collaborate with fiduciary partners to ensure regulatory compliance and sound governance.
• Provide leadership and oversight for talent acquisition strategies, ensuring effective recruitment processes that attract diverse, high-quality talent.
• Partner with hiring managers and T&C staff to improve recruitment effectiveness, candidate experience, and time-to-fill metrics.
• Monitor recruiting metrics and workforce trends to support workforce planning.
• Ensure recruiting practices comply with employment laws and organizational policies.
• Provide advisory support for employee relations matters, policy interpretation, and conflict resolution.
• Ensure consistent application of employment policies and practices across the organization.
• Coach managers on employee relations best practices and effective leadership approaches.
• Partner with legal counsel and executive leadership as appropriate on complex employment matters.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.

Job description

At the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, we first listen to the communities we serve, tap into our learnings and relationships, and bring everyone together to build and support programs that improve education, boost entrepreneurship, and help Kansas City thrive.

Director, Talent & Culture

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that provides access to opportunities that help people achieve financial stability, upward mobility, and economic prosperity - regardless of race, gender, or geography. The Foundation uses its grantmaking, research, programs, affiliates, and initiatives to support the start and growth of new businesses, a more prepared workforce, and stronger communities. Our work is grounded in the principles of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion and is consistent with the aspirations of our founder, Ewing Marion Kauffman.

Based in Kansas City, Missouri, the Kauffman Foundation is one of the largest foundations in the United States with an asset base of approximately $3 billion. While striving to have national impact and global reach, the Foundation is deeply committed to Kansas City, as evidenced by work on initiatives that reach into neighborhoods and enrich the community and quality of life in the region. For more information about the Foundation, please visit the website at www.kauffman.org.

The Director, Talent & Culture is a strategic Talent and Culture (T&C) leader responsible for providing oversight and direction for the organization's Benefits and Wellness, Talent Acquisition, and Employee Relations functions. Reporting directly to the Chief People Officer (CPO), this role partners closely with leadership to execute people strategies that support organizational goals while ensuring compliance with applicable employment laws and benefit regulations.

The Director, Talent & Culture serves as a collaborative business partner, providing expertise in benefits administration, retirement plans, employee relations, talent acquisition, compliance, and T&C operations. This position also leads cross-functional T&C initiatives, develops meaningful workforce metrics and reporting, and drives continuous improvement of T&C processes and programs. Ideal candidate will know how to lead, follow, execute and oversee.

Essential Responsibilities

Strategic T&C Partnership

• Partner with the Chief People Officer to execute the organization's people strategy and T&C priorities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders on T&C matters, balancing employee needs with organizational objectives.
• Lead and manage special T&C projects and strategic initiatives that improve employee experience and organizational effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to improve T&C policies, processes, and service delivery through continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Chief People Officer by proactively communicating progress, emerging issues, risks, and opportunities within assigned functional areas. Provide timely reporting, data-driven insights, and recommendations that enable informed decision-making and ensure the Chief People Officer is fully prepared for executive leadership, Board, and other strategic discussions.

Benefits, Wellness & Retirement Administration

• Provide strategic oversight of all employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, wellness initiatives, and retirement plans.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, ACA, HIPAA, Section 125, FMLA, and other employee benefit requirements.
• Partner with brokers, vendors, and third-party administrators to optimize benefit offerings, employee experience, and cost management.
• Oversee annual open enrollment planning and execution.
• Evaluate benefit utilization, market trends, and employee feedback to recommend enhancements to benefit and wellness programs.
• Oversee retirement plan administration and collaborate with fiduciary partners to ensure regulatory compliance and sound governance.

Talent Acquisition

• Provide leadership and oversight for talent acquisition strategies, ensuring effective recruitment processes that attract diverse, high-quality talent.
• Partner with hiring managers and T&C staff to improve recruitment effectiveness, candidate experience, and time-to-fill metrics.
• Monitor recruiting metrics and workforce trends to support workforce planning.
• Ensure recruiting practices comply with employment laws and organizational policies.

Employee Relations

• Provide advisory support for employee relations matters, policy interpretation, and conflict resolution.
• Ensure consistent application of employment policies and practices across the organization.
• Coach managers on employee relations best practices and effective leadership approaches.
• Partner with legal counsel and executive leadership as appropriate on complex employment matters.

Compliance & T&C Operations

Ensure compliance with fed