Senior People Operations Manager

Job Title: Senior People Operations Manager

Unit: Organizational Effectiveness & People Operations

Location: Central or Eastern Time Zone Required

Travel Requirements: Approx. 20% (occasional global travel)

Status: Full Time, Exempt

Management Level: Individual Contributor

Application Deadline: August 4, 2023

The Foundation

The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) is a private grant-making Foundation with a U.S. home office in Omaha, Nebraska, and a global office in Kigali, Rwanda. With annual spending in excess of $500 million, it is one of the largest private foundations in the U.S. The Foundation is unusual for donors of such size as it has only two main areas of grant making: 1) supporting efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy and ensure access to safe abortion for women in the U.S. and around the world and 2) to enable low-income students in Nebraska to attend and succeed in college. The Foundation currently employs over 50 staff across 14 states in the U.S. and 8 staff in Kigali, Rwanda.

Unit Description

This role will be part of the Foundation Operations Team, currently a six-person team consisting of People Operations, Organizational Effectiveness, Finance, Accounting, Payroll, IT and General Business Operations.The Operations Team is a central, cross cutting unit intersecting every facet and team within the Foundation.

Summary

The Senior People Operations Manager (SPOM) will be the first role of its kind to exist in the Foundation. Reporting to the Vice President, Organizational Effectiveness & People Operations, The SPOM will work in close partnership with the Vice President to develop, revise, and implement progressive, scalable, and inclusive global HR systems, structures, and processes aligned with the Foundation’s mission, strategy, and values. This will be a true generalist role standing up an HR function that does not currently exist. Providing daily business partnership, guidance, coaching, and support to US and Rwanda management and employees on all aspects of the people operations function.

Shared Values

The Foundation is intent on safeguarding the values Mrs. Buffett lived by: respect, integrity, authenticity, humility, compassion, kindness, humor, curiosity, and, most importantly, love for humanity the Sr. Accountant will need to have a genuine understanding of, and appreciation for, the significance of these values and aspirations and how they are operationalized in the work the Foundation undertakes.Finally, the candidate will need to be aligned with the Foundation’s progressive values, including unambiguous support for individual’s reproductive freedom.

What You Will Do

• Compliance: Ensure STBF is compliant with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations for all locations in which we have staff across the United States and Rwanda.
• HR Technology and Metrics: Leverage Gusto HRIS for staff programs, analytics, insights, and management reporting.
• Project management: Regularly design, manage, and execute projects of varying levels of complexity.
• Communications: Assist in drafting staff communication and announcements.
• Systems and Structures: Partner with the VP to identify and develop needed human resources systems, structures and processes to achieve the desired Foundation outcomes. Ensure the Foundation policy guide is regularly updated to reflect current STBF policies and is legally compliant.
• Benefits: Understand and translate all benefit plans and coverage. Facilitate annual open enrollment and respond to ongoing employee benefit questions.
• Performance Management: In partnership with the Vice President create STBF’s first global employee performance management program (goal setting, 360 review, peer review, and performance review). Manage the annual performance review process. Develop and conduct employee and management performance review training. Provide guidance and support to management on the performance management tasks including addressing employee performance deficiencies.
• Collaboration & Relationship Building: Builds effective relationships with staff and management by facilitating open, transparent, inclusive, and collaborative communications where diverse viewpoints are encouraged and valued.
• Change Management: Implement and lead change initiatives for rapidly growing and evolving Foundation. Manage internal training programs and partnerships with external training vendors.
• Employee Relations: Work with managers and employees to address various types of employee relations issues, fairly representing all interests and recommending appropriate solutions. Oversee employee disciplinary meetings and terminations. Work with legal partners on employee relations issues, when appropriate.
• Navigate Power Dynamics – Utilize good judgement and awareness to leverage internal and external stakeholders at all levels. Exercise the utmost diplomacy and tact. Understand how to get things done both through formal channels and informal networks. Able to pivot and signal as appropriate to the impacted stakeholders. Understands the need to “manage up”.
• DEI: Collaborate with the VP and DEI Strategy Lead to create equitable and inclusive systems, structures and processes aligned with STBF’s mission and culture agreements. Model and coach management in equitable decision making and inclusive behaviors and actions.

The Ideal Candidate

• Strong change management skills to effectively design, socialize, and execute human resources strategies, programs, policies, and processes to optimally manage organizational change.
• Excellent project management skills by creating accurate plans and delivering on commitments on or before schedule.
• Well-developed writing and presentation skills, specifically for a company-wide audience at all levels.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex employee relations in a fair and equitable manner, consistent with organization values.
• Strong verbal and written communication and presentation skills to interact effectively with employees at all levels of the organization.
• Record of resolving complex problems in an optimal manner requiring creativity, curiosity, discipline, and resourcefulness.
• Demonstrated experience creating systems, developing, revising and implementing progressive people operations strategies employee programs, policies, and processes spanning the employee life cycle for an inclusive, evolving, and mission driven organization.
• Proficient navigating and implementing HR Systems and Microsoft Office Suite or related software. Strong people analytics and management reporting skills are a plus.
• Knowledge of U.S. national, state, and local employment regulations pertaining to all aspects of the employee life cycle from talent acquisition through separation. Rwanda employment law experience is a benefit but not required.
• Exceptional consultative, change management, coaching, mentoring, negotiation, and influencing skills.
• Impeccable sense of discretion, sensitivity, and confidentiality. Demonstrated ability to listen, analyze and inform appropriately while maintaining the required sensibilities in handling confidential information.

Education and Experience

• Multi-country people operations experience with US and a preference for Rwanda and/or the Global South is plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Operations, Business or related field - or equivalent experience
• Successful candidate will have 6+ years of comprehensive generalist HR or people operations experience covering all aspects of the employee life cycle.
• Although this is an individual contributor role, people management experience is a plus.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Benefits and Compensation

The annual salary range for this position starts at $164,000. The Foundation has a generous and robust benefit package.

Inclusion Statement

We are committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. This includes not only creating a diverse team where everyone feels represented, respected, and included, but also embedding these values across our work and practices. All applicants who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.

To Apply

1. Application deadline is August 4, 2023.
2. DO NOT APPLY via LinkedIn. Application materials must be sent to [email protected]
3. We request that candidates submit a cover letter, outlining interest and qualifications aligned with the role description, along with their resume/CV to [email protected]. Please include the job title in the subject line.
4. Accommodations - If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request to [email protected].