Director Of People & Culture, People Operations

Background 

Blue Meridian Partners is a pioneering philanthropic model for finding and funding scalable solutions to the problems that limit economic mobility and trap America’s young people and families in poverty.   

We know solutions exist, but even the most promising strategies cannot reach far enough, fast enough without significant, long-term investment. We bring an innovative, investor mindset backed by a decades-long track record to the pursuit of upward economic mobility for individuals and communities. Core to our mission is addressing systemic inequities and the injustices they create. By pooling resources, our Partners can unlock substantial philanthropic capital and invest effectively and efficiently.   

Anchored by our carefully tested, performance-based investing approach, Blue Meridian makes strategic, long-term investments across multiple portfolios aimed at boosting economic mobility from cradle to career. We support both nationwide and place-based strategies in order to amplify impact across the country as well as within specific communities. We identify visionary social sector leaders who address key drivers of poverty – including youth unemployment, unplanned pregnancy, and engagement with the criminal justice system – and invest the flexible, upfront capital they need to dream bigger and exponentially expand their reach, influence, and impact.  

We are constantly learning, exploring, and seeking out new collaborations in relentless pursuit of creating lasting impact at scale that can change the life trajectories of millions of young people and families in America. Blue Meridian is staffed by an experienced team of results-focused leaders and we welcome other mission-driven champions to join us.  

Position Profile 

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Director of People & Culture(“Director”) is responsible for providing strategic consultation and hands-on expertise to drive people strategy in alignment with organizational objectives with a focus on talent & organizational development. The Director is a senior level staff position that provides the overall strategic direction for the design and delivery of people programs and initiatives. The Director is tasked with designing, implementing, and directing a best-in-class function and serves as a strategic thought partner and subject matter expert within the People team and to other organizational leaders.

The Director is responsible for ensuring appropriate people policies and practices are in place to support the development of a fair and fulfilling workplace for all staff and has direct oversight for:

• Talent Management including Succession Planning & Top Talent Development
• Related policies design, development, and implementation.
• Learning and Leadership Development
• Employee Engagement & Belonging
• Performance Management

Position Type

Full time, exempt

Position Location

New York City Preferred. Remote work arrangement allowed.

Primary Responsibilities[1]

The responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to the following: 

• Partner with leadership to create and implement resource planning models to identify competency, knowledge, and talent gaps and develop specific programs for the filling of the gaps.
• Champion change by assisting with the development and execution of the People & Culture short-term and long-term strategy.
• Build upon existing and develop new innovative people management programs and processes to improve engagement, performance and culture which may include facilitation, development and management of people management processes, coaching, team building, multisource feedback, and succession planning.
• Assume a strategic role in the direction of the people management function by undertaking appropriate diagnostic measures.
• Design, implement, and evaluate high impact leadership programs for leaders across the organization to support a high performing and highly engaged workforce.
• Create deep and influential relationships with leadership across the organization, understanding their strategies, priorities, and goals.  Bring forward business knowledge to shape People strategy and priorities.
• Responsible for designing, leading, and developing employee engagement strategies and working to ensure a DEI lens is applied.
• Partner with external vendors where appropriate and manage budget and vendor agreements
• Provide strategic and operational leadership on key HR initiatives to help optimize systems, employee performance, and business impact.
• Assisting management and leadership in resolving employee relation issues and recommending action for sensitive and complex situations.
• Execute the overall learning and talent development strategy for both leaders and individual contributors.  Utilize instructional design and adult learning principles to develop and implement a variety of learning programs; ensure alignment to competency models and organizational goals and leveraging technology to broaden the blending learning experience.  Assess and monitor outcomes of programs, provide follow-up to ensure goals are met.
• Identify, develop, and implement high value services for people that align to BMP’s desired culture.  
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leaders, coaching and consulting with management teams on people related opportunities.
• Collaborate with teams across the organization to identify efficiencies and to create a more effective organization.
• Facilitate effective implementation of new people management initiatives.
• Drive and evolve organization-wide talent processes for key people disciplines including but not limited to succession planning, talent reviews, performance management, training & development, and organizational development & effectiveness. 

Qualifications

Required

• Prior experience people coaching or consulting management teams on people related opportunities.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel and SharePoint, and the ability to learn new software quickly. 
• Ability to work collaboratively with others and effectively in teams.
• Exceptional written and verbal communications skills including the ability to draft presentations, facilitate training; synthesize a large amount of material into briefer documents, compose clear, succinct emails and reports; and proofread materials.
• Aligned with Blue Meridian’s mission and core values.
• BA/BS plus a minimum of 10 years of experience across a range of competencies in human resources, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Sound judgment, including the ability to use and show discretion, make sometimes difficult decisions independently, and effectively solve problems.
• Ability to listen and learn from diverse perspectives.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship skills. Propensity for active engagement with staff at all levels. Ability to quickly establish and build trusted working relationships with management, staff, and vendors; maintain confidence and inspire trust.
• Strong organization and project management skills.
• Willing to travel as needed.

Preferred

• Five plus years of experience as a people manager.
• Prior experience working in a private foundation, university, or non-profit organization is preferred. Alternatively, a mix of corporate and non-profit experience or a combination of corporate experience with strong volunteer/non-profit board experience.

At Blue Meridian, we value building a diverse, inclusive workplace. Even if your experience does not fully align with our preferred qualifications, we still encourage you to apply.

Hiring Salary 

Blue Meridian Partners aims to provide a comprehensive and competitive total compensation package.

The hiring salary for this position is $201,000. In addition to the base salary, each member of Blue Meridian is eligible to receive a performance based variable incentive bonus.

Blue Meridian also provides generous benefits including:

• Life and disability insurance
• Paid time off including vacation/personal days, paid holidays, half-day summer Fridays, and week-long office closures in the summer and winter
• Tuition reimbursement
• Home Office set-up allowance
• Hybrid work arrangement
• Medical, dental and vision coverage with minimal employee contribution
• Employer contributions to a retirement savings plan
• Internal and external professional development opportunities

[1] This position description is a guide to the primary duties and functions of the job, not an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, qualifications, physical demands and work environment conditions. Position descriptions are reviewed and may be revised to meet the changing needs of Blue Meridian Partners at the sole discretion of management.

Blue Meridian Partners is committed to equal employment opportunity, without regard to race, color, gender, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, disability, veteran status, prior record of arrest or conviction, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. These opportunities include all terms, conditions and privileges of employment, including (but not limited to) recruiting, hiring, job assignment, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, promotion, and termination.