Senior Director of Human Resources

Advancing Justice - AAJC; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Advancing Justice - AAJC is seeking a Senior Director of Human Resources in the Washington, DC area. The role acts as second in command in HR, partnering with the VP of HR to drive strategic initiatives and organizational performance.

The successful candidate will lead talent acquisition, employee relations, labor relations, compensation planning, and HR policy implementation while ensuring compliance with the CBA and organizational goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or closely related field.
• Eight+ years of progressive HR leadership experience.
• Five+ years in a unionized environment with CBAs.
• SHRM or HRCI certification preferred.
• Experience with HRIS such as ADP Run and ADP Workplace Now.

Responsibilities

• Lead HR strategy and act as trusted advisor to VP of HR and leadership.
• Drive labor relations, investigations, and compliance with policy and contract specifications.
• Oversee talent acquisition, onboarding, and leadership development programs.
• Manage employee relations, performance management, and coaching.
• Coordinate HR training, benefits, and payroll backup duties.
• Develop staffing plans aligned with AAJC goals and budgets.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Negotiation

Organizational skills

Conflict resolution

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

SHRM/HRCI certification preferred

Tools

ADP Run

ADP Workplace Now

Job description

OrganizationalProfile:AsianAmericansAdvancingJustice|AAJC("AAJC")isanational 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991. Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of Asian Americans and to build and promote a fair and equitable society for all. For 30 years, we have served as the leading Asian American voice on civil rights issues in our nation’s capital – fighting for the rights of our communities through policy advocacy, litigation, research, public education, and community engagement.

BasedinWashington,DC,AdvancingJustice|AAJCisamemberoftheAsianAmericans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice) affiliation. With our affiliates in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, we work together as equal and independent partners, operate under one name, and strive to speak with one unified and powerful voice to promote justice, empower our communities, bring local and national constituents together, and strengthen our multiracial democracy.

Title:SeniorDirectorof HumanResources

Reports to: VicePresident (VP)ofHumanResourcesand Administration

Term: Immediately

Status: Full-time,ExemptEmployee

Salary: $90,000-$125,000(based on 37.5 hours/week)

Location: Washington, D.C. area

Thisisaunionizedorganization,andthispositionisnotin thecollectivebargaining unit.

Position Summary: The Senior Human Resources Directorwill serve as a trusted and strategic advisor, deliveringproactive human resources support to the AAJC management team and to all employees.This role serves as second in command in the HR Department andwill assume leadership responsibilities and acting authorityin the absence of the Vice President of Human Resources and Administration (VP of HR).The selected candidate must demonstrate aproventrack record of driving strategic initiatives andmaking critical decisions independently while maintaining full accountability for outcomes. The candidate must also have the ability to lead critical projects from conception to formation with autonomy.

The candidate must pass background and credit investigations.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

OrganizationalLeadershipandStrategic Planning

• ActasthoughtpartnertotheVPofHRonhumanresources issues, and employee and labor relations initiatives.Assist the VP of HR with setting long-term human resources goals while driving positive, organizational change.
• Work closely with the Executive Team, all AAJC staff, and the Board of Directors (upon request)toprovideleadershipandsupportinestablishingbudgets,programgoalsandstrategies, and advance new ideas and innovations that align with AAJC’s mission and strategic plan.
• Align HR initiatives directly with long-term business goals.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performance workplace environment.

Talent Acquisition and Retention

• Develop sourcing and high-impact hiring strategies.
• Build continuous leadership pipeline programs.
• Mentor the AAJC Executive Team and other managers, providing strategic guidance on performance management, succession planning, and team effectiveness.
• Design talent programs that accelerate employee growth and leadership development.
• Conduct pre-onboarding for new hires, conduct new hire orientation, explain benefits and policies to new hires, coordinate IT setup as part of onboarding, and coordinate with managers for training and department orientation.
• Assess,draft,andpostpositionsthrough targetedchannels tosecurequalifiedstaff.
• Overseestaffandinternwelcomeandonboardingcommunicationsandschedules,in coordination with other HR team members.

Employee Relations

• Lead and manage complex employee relations and workplace matters with sound judgment, balancing business needs, employee experience, and organizational risk.
• Serve as a trusted resource for employee relations issues, formal complaints, and conflict resolution.
• Partner with legal and the Executive Team on sensitive investigations, performance concerns, escalations, AAJC policy and contract interpretation, and organizational actions.
• Build leadership capability in handling feedback, accountability, performance rigor, and difficult conversations effectively.

Labor Relations

• Partner closely withthe VP of HRto manage day-to-day labor relations matters, including grievances, disciplinary issues, and contract interpretation.
• Respond to labor inquiries from management and employees. Establish and maintain effective relationships with union leadership.
• Assist with the formal grievance process from initial filing through final resolution, including reviewing, evaluating, and tracking incoming grievances.
• Interview staff, obtain necessary background documents and assess appropriate action.
• Provide advice and guidance on proper interpretation of the CBA and labor related issues, as well as research and prepare responses to union requests for information and managers on labor issues.
• Assist with preparing and conducting training sessions on various labor topics and/or emerging labor issues and assist with providing prompt and effective coaching and counseling, where applicable.

Performance Management

• CollaboratewithAAJCsupervisorstodevelopperformanceindicators,completereviews,and explain evaluation ratings to their team members, in compliance with CBA requirements.
• Periodicallyevaluateexistingperformance-managementpoliciesandframework(s)andmake recommendations for future enhancements or other adaptations as necessary.
• Ensureevaluationsareconducted ina timelymanner andprogressis tracked.

ProfessionalDevelopmentand Training

• Promote a culture of continuous learning, accountability, and employee engagement.
• Assessorganizationand department/team staffingneeds,analyzeskills/traininggaps,and identifyeducationalworkshops,seminars,andon-the-jobopportunitiestobuildskillsand eliminate gaps, in coordination with HR team members and department/teamleads.
• Oversee staff professional development, training,andmentoringinitiatives,incoordinationwithHRteammembersanddepartment/team leads.
• Lead, document, track and provide training for AAJC managers, including topics on FMLA, EEO, ADA and Reasonable Accommodations.
• Conduct in-person or online training sessions on company policies and HR best practices.
• Develop and deliver programs that enhance employee skills, foster a positive organizational culture, and ensure regulatory compliance.

GeneralHuman Resources

• Serve as the back-up to the Payroll & Benefits Manager, to include actingas a primary liaison with third-party administrators, insurance brokers, and benefits vendors; and supportingthe Manager during annual open enrollment, including testing systems, preparing educational materials, and analyzing plan utilization.
• Streamline,consolidate, centralize,andensuremaintenanceofHRfile-organization system.
• KeepappraisedofHRbestpracticestoimproveworkplace efficiencyandmorale.Research,recommend,update,andensureimplementationofchangestopoliciesand procedures, including the Employee Handbook and Intern Handbook.
• Benchmarksalarybandsandcompensationstructureperiodically,incoordinationwiththe Payroll and Benefits Manager. HelprespondtointernalandexternalinquiriesandrequestsoftheHRteam.
• Ensurecross-trainingof HRteammemberstoprovidetimelyresponsiveness fromHR team.
• Developreportsandcommunicationsonhumanresourcesactivitiesasrequested.
• AssisttheExecutiveTeam,as requested.
• Otherdutiesasassigned.

GeneralAAJC Roles

• LiveandexhibitthevaluesofAAJC,bycontributingtoanenvironmentthatpromotestrust, teamwork, and transparency among staff, board, National Advisory Council, affiliates, and community partners.
• Contributeto,establish,andfollowpoliciesandprocedures,includingmaintenanceof confidentiality, to ensure that the principles of AAJC are implemented.
• Participateinandleaddecision-makingprocesses,understandoutcomes,andbeaccountablefor decisions made in or affecting their area.
• Participateinotheractivitiesandserveonadhoc committees,asrequested.
• AttendandcontributetoAAJCandBoardofDirectors’meetings,as requested.
• Beavailabletotravelandworkoccasionally oneveningsand weekends.

EducationandExperience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a closely related field required.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive human resources experience as a manager/director/leader in an HR department, including supervising HR staff and setting departmental goals. Experience leading change management, organizational transformation, or functional modernization is required.
• SHRMorHRCIprofessionalcertificationpreferred.
• Deep knowledge of HR operations, employment laws, and best practices across the employee lifecycle.
• Experience with implementation and optimization of HRIS,such as ADP Run and ADP Workplace Now.
• Five (5) years of experience working in a unionized environment, including working with collective bargaining agreements, responding to grievances, conducting investigations and adhering to the CBA.
• Five (5) years of experience in developing HR training modules and delivering them to employees and supervisors to enhance professional and leadership development.
• Five (5) years of facilitating training in both virtual and in-person settings, catering to all employee levels.
• Experiencewithprovenabilitytoworkcollegiallywithmanagement, Board, and other team members. Experienceand knowledgein Asian American, civil,and/or humanrights issues preferred.

Skills,Knowledge, and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate.
• Ability to meet internal and external deadlines in a fast-paced, rapidly-changing environment is required.
• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Expertise in Microsoft Office Suite or related software.

Application Process

Removed: This section contained application instructions and contact details and has been removed to comply with refinement requirements.