Manager of Human Resources

Malaysianwildlife; Washington, Northern (District of Columbia, KY); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off

401(k) with match

Professional development

Pet-friendly office

Job summary

Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), a DC-based nonprofit, is seeking a Manager of Human Resources to lead HR compliance, hiring, onboarding, and employee development. The role focuses on maintaining a healthy culture, process improvements, and ensuring staff engagement across AWI’s national operations.

The role emphasizes collaboration with managers, organizational policies, and effective communication to support AWI’s mission and professional conduct standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5–7 years of HR experience with increasing responsibility.
• Experience building and maintaining organizational culture and inclusion.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and problem-solving ability.

Responsibilities

• Oversee HR compliance with federal, state, and local laws.
• Manage hiring, onboarding, and performance evaluation processes.
• Administer salary, benefits, and open enrollment programs.
• Foster engagement, retention, and staff development across the org.
• Coordinate annual all-staff gathering and related logistics.

Skills

HR management

Policy development

Employee relations

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

HRIS systems

Job description

Expected Start:January 4, 2027

The Animal Welfare Institute—a DC-based national advocacy organization dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people—seeks to hire a Manager of Human Resources (HR) who shares our vision of a world where treatment of animals is rooted in dignity and compassion. https://awionline.org/about-us/

Why this position matters: AWI is seeking a Manager of HR who can help ensure the smooth, effective, and supportive operation of our organization. Your primary focus will be on AWI’s process for hiring, onboarding, developing, motivating, and retaining a world-class team. The person who fills this important position must be passionate about AWI’s mission and committed to maintaining a healthy organizational culture where employees feel engaged, included, valued, and equipped to fulfill AWI’s mission while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct.

What you’ll be doing:

Human Resources Compliance Functions

• Plan, lead, develop, coordinate, and implement policies, processes, training, initiatives, and surveys as appropriate to support the organization’s human resource compliance and strategy needs
• Monitor and help ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, as well as recommended best practices; review and recommend modifications to policies and practices to enhance efficacy and maintain compliance
• Monitor trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and new technologies in human resources, talent management, and employment law, and apply this knowledge to make recommendations regarding changes in policy, practice, and resources as appropriate

Hiring Process

• Manage the various steps in the hiring process, including identification of places to post job openings that will enhance the diversity of experience of applicants
• Onboard and orient new staff members; work with their supervisors to ensure a clear understanding of job duties, organizational processes and policies, and how new staff members will interact with others on their team and elsewhere in the organization
• Support Performance Evaluation Process
• Manage performance evaluation process to facilitate open communication and productive feedback
• Assist people managers’ efforts to address issues of staff performance and behavior and to design and implement performance improvement plans, as appropriate

Salaries and Benefits

• Manage salary and benefit package review and implementation
• Process bi-weekly payroll and retirement plan calculations
• Track trends in the nonprofit and animal protection worlds regarding salaries and benefits and make recommendations for changes as appropriate
• Process enrollment in benefit plans and manage annual open enrollment process

Engagement, Retention, and Professional Development

• Spearhead efforts to enhance organization-wide communication and social activities to support an organizational culture of inclusion, connection, and collaboration
• Manage process for regularly soliciting staff feedback on organizational structure and culture
• Help foster an environment where staff feel safe raising concerns, giving feedback, and asking hard questions
• Organize and implement continuing education and professional development efforts, including staff-wide trainings and individual continuing education efforts

Other Responsibilities

• Manage annual all-staff in-person multiday gathering, including identifying and negotiating with the venue, planning the agenda, organizing team-building activities, and managing logistics, including employee travel
• Identify and implement appropriate employee wellness efforts
• Manage offboarding process when staff members leave the organization

You could be our Manager of Human Resources if you:

• Have at least 5-7 years of experience with increasing responsibility in human resources functions, including most or all of the responsibilities described above
• Are highly organized, skilled at setting priorities in a fast-paced environment, and work calmly under pressure
• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as interpersonal, problem-solving, and negotiation skills
• Are a team player who is comfortable in a behind-the-scenes role focused on supporting the organization
• Are committed to principles of continuous learning and to finding creative and effective ways to fulfill your responsibilities and help others do the same
• Are flexible, adaptable, and able to work concurrently on multiple projects and implement direction and feedback from multiple people
• Excel at time management, with a proven ability to meet deadlines with high-quality work
• Have strong supervisory and leadership skills and the ability to successfully execute detail-oriented work within time constraints
• Are committed to seeking out, embracing, and encouraging the expression of a wide variety of views and life experiences
• Have experience building trust by operating with empathy, consistency, and candor
• Have experience creating environments in which people feel safe raising concerns, giving feedback, and asking hard questions
• Are committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance to help everyone thrive in their work
• Possess at least a bachelor’s degree, ideally in a related subject
• Are able to effectively use standard office hardware and software, including computers, keyboards, monitors, telephones, spreadsheets, video conferencing platforms, and Microsoft Office tools

It would be a plus, though not a requirement, if you have skills/experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Bookkeeping and payroll, including experience with ADP and QuickBooks Online
• Managing an organization’s insurance requirements, policies, and coverage
• Managing travel policies and practices
• Assisting development and donor support efforts
• Overseeing implementation of grant programs

Job Location:It is preferred, though not required, that the Manager of Human Resources work on-site at AWI headquarters (located in a row of converted townhouses one block from the Eastern Market Metro Station on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC), with flexibility to work periodically from home. If the Manager of Human Resources works from a remote location, they will be expected, at a minimum, to spend a few weeks at AWI’s headquarters at the outset of their employment and to travel several times a year to AWI’s headquarters to work there for short periods of time.

Salary and Benefits:The annual starting salary range is $80,000-$95,000. Salary is based on experience, qualifications, skills, and internal equity. The hiring range maximum is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. AWI offers an excellent benefits package, including:

• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance
• Generous paid time off that includes vacation, sick leave, personal days, and bereavement leave, plus paid holidays and parental leave
• 401(k) with employer match of 5% of employee’s salary
• Support for mental wellness, including CareFirst Wellness and an Employee Assistance Program
• Resources to attend conferences and professional development trainings
• A pet-friendly DC office and on-site parking or access to DC Metro SmartBenefits program

About AWI:As a member of the AWI team, you will join more than 35 highly motivated staff and consultants working in our headquarters in Washington, DC, and remotely across the United States and Canada. For 75 years, AWI has advanced its mission through strategically crafted policy and legal advocacy, educational programs, litigation, research, and engagement with policymakers, scientists, industry, educators, other NGOs, the media, and the public. AWI is a national nonprofit organization with international reach, dedicating more than 90% of its budget to programs and campaigns focused on protecting animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. AWI is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity that embraces a variety of diverse perspectives and experiences where all employees can bring their best selves to work.

AWI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, creed, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, personal appearance, marital or family status, or other status as protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws. We encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the animal welfare community.