Manager Of Human Resources

About One Million Degrees

THE CHALLENGE: 65% of Illinois public college students attend community college, but only one in five of them will graduate with a degree within three years. One Million Degrees (OMD) changes that.

THE SOLUTION: OMD is the only organization in Illinois and one of few in the country dedicated to providing comprehensive supports to low-income, highly motivated community college students to help them succeed in school, in work, and in life.

From individualized support staff and career mentors to financial assistance and professional development workshops, OMD provides services that support Scholars in making decisions and taking action toward their ultimate life/career goals, supporting them as they transform their lives and those around them for generations. OMD Scholars graduate at twice the state average with the skills and experiences necessary to launch economically mobile careers.

After nearly 20 years of programming, OMD continues to expand the number of Scholars it supports to be a catalyst for change in Chicago. OMD currently partners with 10 Chicago-area community colleges, serving 1,000 scholars and apprentices across the region and in 2022 expanded its partnership with the City Colleges of Chicago which is projected to lead to over 3,000 students served across Chicago in the next 3 years. Additionally, OMD has set an advisory and capacity building goal to provide technical assistance and consultative services around innovative approaches to wraparound supports through partnerships with community colleges, employers, nonprofits and K-12 Districts.

OMD Values

OMD is deeply committed to our core values for equity, excellence, community, learning and amplification. The expression of our values is realized through our passion and commitment to serving youth in under-resourced communities to pursue, persist, and complete community college and obtain gainful employment or transfer into a 4-year university/college.

Position Summary

To help support our continued growth, One Million Degrees (OMD) is seeking a creative, equity minded, and collaborative Manager of Human Resources. The ideal candidate will exhibit exceptional judgment, interpersonal skills, and a desire to support, develop, and grow a talented team. Reporting to the Executive Director of Human Resources, the Manager of Human Resources is a critical position that will provide guidance to staff, work collaboratively with the Human Resources and Operations department, play a key role in driving the next phase of growth at One Million Degrees, and support developing an environment where our team can thrive. This is an exceptional opportunity to design and lead strategies to recruit, develop, and retain top talent for an innovative and transformative model for supporting and accelerating community college students. The Manager of Human Resources will need to maintain compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, understand labor and employee relations, and recommend best practices for the organization. Specific duties and responsibilities are listed below.

Specific duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Attract and Recruit Diverse Candidates

• Collaborate with departmental managers to understand skills and competencies required for openings
• Build on OMD’s current recruitment and hiring processes to attract quality diverse employees at every level
• Build and maintain systems to track and communicate with candidates
• Develop talent pipelines with higher education and community partners
• Conduct or acquire background checks and employee eligibility verifications

Onboard and Train Employees

• Review, track, and document compliance with mandatory and non-mandatory trainings, continuing education, and work assessments
• Implement and continually improve OMD’s onboarding and new hire training process, making sure that employees feel welcomed, informed about their benefits, and prepared to excel in their roles
• Collaborate with managers on performance management, employee relations issues, adherence to collective bargaining agreements, and HR processes and procedures

Support Culture-Building

• Ensure that OMD is an equitable and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and can thrive through trainings, coaching, and overall strategy and practice; support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives
• Conduct exit interviews with department employees to gather feedback and make suggestions to improve the employee experience
• Take part in OMD’s staff engagement committees
• Help define and create strategies for OMD’s organizational culture goals, working to make OMD an employer of choice
• Implement OMD’s employee recognition programs

Develop Talent and Drive Performance

• Continue to build and evolve OMD’s talent development processes including organizational core competencies, goal setting, performance metrics, 360 degree feedback, coaching, and semi-annual reviews
• Creates learning and development programs and initiatives that provide internal development opportunities for employees.
• Support the implementation of OMD’s talent philosophy plan
• Manage OMD’s professional development programming, identifying, and implementing training and development opportunities for individuals and teams

Transition and Engage Employee Alumni

• Support OMD’s processes to seamlessly offboard employees
• Develop strategies to successfully and efficiently engage employee alumni as part of the broader OMD community
• Serve as a guide and connector for OMD staff who are considering transitioning to a next step outside the organization

Build Strong Labor Relations

• Advise supervisors of unionized employees on policy and practice to ensure compliance with the contract
• Support the implementation of OMD’s collective bargaining agreement and provide ongoing interpretation and administration of the contract
• Continuously build OMD’s relationship with Union representatives

Administer Benefits And Ensure Compliance

• Perform routine tasks required to administer and execute human resource programs including but not limited to compensation, benefits, and leave; disciplinary matters; disputes and investigations; performance and talent management; recognition, and morale; and training and development
• Stay abreast of benefit and policy trends and best-practices
• Maintain required information such as labor posters and employee data
• Provide support with OMD’s compliance with all labor and employment laws keeping current on changes in local, state, and federal law

HRIS Management

• Ensure HRIS system is functioning properly by conducting periodic system checks
• Support in implementing and maintaining the HRIS software for One Million Degrees
• Analyze HR Data to identify trends and develop strategies for improving HR processes
• Conduct and participate in the analysis of workflows and design of functionality and/or improvements to systems, ensuring both process and system requirements are fully identified, evaluated, tested, and implemented
• Work with leadership to ensure timely implementation and delivery of new functionality and enhancements
• Assist with people data analytics and reporting capabilities, ensuring systems are optimized to reduce manual reporting

Facilities & Operations

• Ensures safety standards are followed throughout facility.
• Acts as liaison between employees and any outside contractors needed to resolve specialized problems.
• Support in implementing and monitoring compliance with approved policies, procedures, and processes
• Assist in developing, recommending, and administering policies, procedures, and processes in support of grounds and building maintenance operations

Performs other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Requirements: 

Education – bachelor’s degree required

Experience

• Experience in a unionized environment is a plus 
• PHR/SPHR and/or SHRM-CP/SCP is a plus
• At least 3 years Human Capital or Human Resources experience; work in non-profit, government, or education is a plus
• Job experience or coursework relating to legal compliance is a plus

Skills

• Data-driven and results-oriented; proven ability to manage data/metrics and make data-informed decisions
• Knowledge and understanding of HRIS systems
• Highly skilled communicator; exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Knowledge of applicable federal and state employment laws
• Highly skilled at project management; proven success working in a fast-paced environment and delivering against multiple work streams
• Fluent in change management strategies and best practice; proven success in implementing change across an organization
• Knowledge of human resources management principles

Competencies

• Trustworthy in managing sensitive situations and information; you are discrete, professional, and possess excellent judgment
• Committed to equitable and inclusive practices in all phases of your work
• Detail-oriented and compliance-minded; you enjoy dotting i’s and crossing t’s
• Team player who enjoys building, creating, and executing new strategies
• You believe in the talent and potential of community college students to change the world
• Collaborative; you enjoy gathering stakeholder input to create innovative shared solutions that meet the needs of the organization

Compensation And Benefits

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Monthly cell phone and internet reimbursement up to $50/month
• Salary: $67,650*
• Professional Learning Opportunities – OMD supports employee development in areas relevant to professional and organizational goals and will pay for training such as workshops and conferences as agreed upon by employee and supervisor
• COVID-19 Remote Work Policy: One in-office day required a week, other days can be remote (in-person day set by you and your manager)
• Generous Paid Time Off Policy– OMD has 12 paid holidays and offers up to 15 days PTO in year one
• Retirement Benefits – For full-time employees, OMD offers a Simple IRA plan and matches retirement contributions up to 3% of total salary
• To allow OMD to set salaries based on market data and internal equity and ensure fair and equal pay for every role we offer our best offer first.
• Employee assistance program, which offers confidential emotional support, work-life solutions, legal guidance, financial resources, and more
• Full Health Benefits –Provided for all full-time employees, including medical, dental, and vision. OMD pays 100% of individual’s basic monthly health premium and 80% dependent coverage.

One Million Degrees is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, and evaluate all candidates based on merit.

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