Chief People Officer Jobs

The Opportunity

Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation is launching this search for a highly skilled and experienced, people-centric C-suite leader to become the inaugural Chief People Officer (CPO) at a key point in the organization’s relatively young history. The person hired for this role will be responsible for setting a bold new vision for building a contemporary HR/People and Culture function and providing inspiring and engaging leadership to a dedicated team of leaders and staff across the organization operating one of the most prominent public green spaces in New York City. The Chief People Officer will report to and be a highly trusted partner and advisor to the President, a key collaborator with members of the senior leadership team and an accessible, authentic and empathetic leader committed to creating positive and equitable employment experiences for all staff across the organization. This senior leadership role will additionally work in partnership with the organization’s Chief Diversity Officer to ensure that all HR/People programs and practices contribute to a work and organizational culture that embraces diversity, equity and belonging.

The ideal candidate will have deep subject matter expertise and a proven track record of success building initiatives and infrastructure across all HR/People domains as well as the ability to balance strategic, critical thinking with the practical and effective day-to-day management of HR operational and transactional matters. The Chief People Officer should be an engaging, self-confident, diplomatic and optimistic leader with a sense of humor and the ability to positively move forward important HR/People initiatives and manage change while gaining the respect and support of leaders and staff at all levels of the organization.

Key Responsibilities + Essential Duties

Vision, Strategy + Leadership

• Ensure that the people operations team embraces the highest quality standards and practices for the design and delivery of “people-centric” HR resources and initiatives that keep BBP positioned as an employer of choice to attract, engage and retain the best talent in the field.
• Serve as a key thought partner and advisor to the President and work closely with members of the senior leadership team to contribute to the overall organization vision setting and people resource planning that supports BBP’s strategic organizational priorities and operational plans.
• Provide oversight, development and direction to the Director of People and Culture in positioning the HR/People and Culture function as an organization-wide resource for leadership and people managers and a helpful and trusted advocate for staff to support their employment experience with BBP.
• Set the vision for and build a contemporary people, talent and culture strategy and HR operating infrastructure aligned with BBP’s core values and strategic priorities.

HR/People Operations

• Develop and implement HR/people policies and practices that are informed through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion and ensure they are compliant with applicable federal, state and local employment laws and other regulatory requirements. Work closely with BBP’s General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel & EEO Officer to manage employee complaints and investigations.
• Align employee and organization needs with people strategy, programs and systems that are easily translatable to employees, responsive and flexible. Be accessible to staff at all levels and viewed as a positive and welcoming voice of reason, impartiality and expert knowledge to address a broad range of employment matters ensuring that employees feel heard and respected at all times.
• Serve as the escalation point for proactively, empathetically and confidentially addressing employee relations issues and guide and coach managers in this area. Align the work of the BBP Navigator to provide employee assistance resources that promote employee wellness and other staff supports.
• In collaboration with the Director of People and Culture, oversee the partnership with BBP’s Professional Employer Organization (PEO) and other outside vendor relationships and partners to ensure that BBP has the right HR infrastructure, systems, processes, learning and performance tools in place to support all talent management activities.
• Leverage HR technologies and a strong, data-driven, people-operations infrastructure including HR dashboards, KPI benchmarks and surveys to help inform and drive its people initiatives and support critical leadership decision-making.
• Partner with the leadership team and people managers to understand and anticipate current and future staffing needs and implement programs that help attract, recruit, engage and develop talent throughout the organization.
• Ensure that BBP’s employment policies and practices are updated with current best practice and advance BBP’s core organizational values that support a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace.

Culture Building + Employee Experience

• In collaboration with the Chief Diversity Officer help support BBP’s DEI strategy and work plans ensure that the organization is an equitable and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and respected regardless of their individual differences and are free to express ideas that contribute to the work and priorities of BBP.
• Plan and drive people programs and initiatives that embrace employee wellness and foster positive and engaging experiences across all touchpoints of an employee’s lifecycle with BBP.
• Champion and help develop and promote initiatives that advance the BBP organizational culture and assist leaders and employees across the organization align with BBP’s values.

Candidate Competencies | Personal Qualities

Compassionate + People-Centric Leader

A strategic and compassionate leader driven by excellence, integrity and delivering HR practices and programs that place people first. An empathetic leader, mentor, coach and facilitator with the ability to inspire others and positively influence a diversity of workstyles and personalities. A critical thinker and skilled collaborator with superior project management skills and the ability to forecast and troubleshoot issues, balance priorities and integrate team member input that contributes to successful outcomes.

Relationship Builder + Effective Communicator

An engaging, inspiring and confident leader able to quickly establish wins and trusted relationships with internal stakeholders from diverse backgrounds with varying perspectives and positively engage staff across all levels and areas of the organization. Superior communication skills, both written and verbal.

Judgement + Decision Making

The ability to exercise impeccable judgment and discretion as well as integrate input and information shared by multiple parties to inform and make sound and impactful decisions.

HR/People Domain Expertise

Possess a significant depth of subject matter expertise across all HR/people management domains including organizational structure, talent management, total rewards, workplace culture development, employee engagement, HR technology, and the management of relevant employment law, regulatory and best practice standards governing a diverse workplace.

Experience | Education

• 15 years experience in progressively responsible senior leadership roles with a significant track record setting the vision for and leading HR/People operations and teams on behalf of an established nonprofit, social purpose or environmental organization or public sector agency. At least five (5) years experience should be at the Chief People Officer, CHRO or senior HR executive level.
• Experience in a public venue, park, museum, cultural institution or business improvement district and an appreciation for Brooklyn a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s in Human Resources, an MBA, MPA or other advanced degree in addition to PHR, SPHR and/or SHRM-CP certification is a plus.

Work Environment

Brooklyn Bridge Park is a park for all people. BBP takes pride in its ability to provide the community with a beautiful, functional, clean, and safe green space. Internally, we strive to provide a work environment where employees feel supported, respected, and there is a sense of belonging. Our staff are experts on everything from horticulture to community engagement to park operations and events. The work environment is welcoming, with hardworking and diverse staff who are dedicated to building, beautifying, and maintaining the park. This position is anticipated to be an on-site role at the Brooklyn Bridge Park office with flexibility regarding working remotely on a limited basis.

Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity

BBP provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Compensation + Benefits

The salary range for this senior leadership role is $175k - $195K commensurate with the candidate’s competencies and experience. BBP additionally has a compelling Benefit Program including the following - medical, dental and vision coverage, 403(b) retirement plan and company funded defined contribution pension plan, flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health, dependent and commuter expenses, employee assistance/wellness program, life insurance and PTO.

To Apply

Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation has retained ACEUM Advisors & Search to conduct this senior leadership search.