Excel Academy Charter Schools Careers

Description

Organization: Excel Academy Charter Schools
Job Title: Human Resources Manager/Director
Campus/Location: Excel Network Team 

Organization Overview

Excel Academy was founded in 2003 with the mission to provide a high-quality education to students in East Boston and Chelsea Massachusetts, communities that are predominantly low-income and Latinx and historically have faced significant social and educational barriers. Our success in Massachusetts is proof that the opportunity gap can be closed and we opened a new school in Rhode Island in 2022.  At Excel Academy Charter Schools, we believe that when a student has the support and tools to pursue a productive post-secondary pathway aligned to their personal identity and values, it can fundamentally change their life trajectory.  

At Excel Academy we learn from our students, families, and staff and make improvements. We have increasingly adapted to provide a holistic education that values our community as collaborators in the learning process, social-emotional support, equity for diverse learners, and fosters identity development. We prioritize an approach that is both rigorous and inclusive. Our team of passionate, intelligent, driven, and loving staff are at the core of the work we do. 

Growth Happens Here.

About the Role

Excel’s Human Resources Manager/Director (HRM/D) ensures that our growing staff of nearly 300 people in MA and RI receive consistent, seamless, values-driven support as employees and educators. Expected to report to the Chief Financial Officer, the HRM will work closely with the CFO and other members of the HR, Talent, Finance, and Operations functions to provide a high-quality experience to employees and managers. Given the needs of our growing organization, a successful HRM will bring to the role an unshakeable commitment to quality and attention to detail, a warm customer-service mindset, outstanding judgment and care with sensitive information, curiosity and desire to grow professionally, and a fervent belief in our imperative to become a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive network of schools.

Duties and Responsibilities

Employee Compensation and Benefits

• Administer and maintain our competitive and cost-effective employee benefits package, including group medical, dental, life, flexible spending accounts, and retirement plan
• Help ensure that the organization brings the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion to its compensation and benefits programs
• Manage annual benefits open enrollment process, new hire enrollments and terminations
• Manage employee paid time off programs and leaves of absence
• Own third-party / vendor relationships

Staff onboarding and offboarding

• Drive our complex, high-stakes annual staff onboarding/offboarding process during the summer and oversee one-off arrivals, departures, and role changes mid-year
• Ensure that our organization tracks critical staff retention and attrition metrics

Policy and compliance

• Own and update employee handbook language, ensuring that it reflects changes in law and policy and meets Excel’s deepening diversity, equity, and inclusion goals
• Support educators to obtain appropriate certifications in two states
• Develop new HR and compliance processes in conjunction with the CFO and other stakeholders 

Employee Relations & Support

• Provide employee customer service on a wide range of needs
• Troubleshoot challenging situations with managers and staff
• Organize important cultural moments in the year such as our annual holiday party

• 2-4 years of professional work experience required. Prior experience in HR helpful but not required;
• A commitment to and belief in all students and the mission of Excel Academy Charter Schools, including Excel’s values and educational model;
• The ability to listen respectfully, ascertain needs, craft solutions and convey information in a clear, warm and sensitive manner;
• A high level of discretion, strong judgment, and the ability to manage sensitive information confidentially; 
• The ability to focus and thrive in a fast paced, entrepreneurial environment;
• Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through, and an unwavering commitment to high quality service across the board; and
• An openness to change, a willingness to problem-solve, and an interest in receiving feedback for continuous improvement.

Preference will be given to applicants who also: 

• Have experience in a public or charter school setting;
• Speak Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic fluently; and
• Share Points of Intersection with the life experiences of the diverse and mostly lower-income families that our schools serve.

Excel Academy Charter Schools is committed to its work as an anti-racist organization. One critical element of that commitment is building and empowering a diverse staff that reflects the community that we serve. We strongly encourage applications from candidates whose experiences share important points of intersection with those of our students. Staff who demonstrate fluency in Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic (languages spoken widely by our diverse community of families) will receive additional compensation, as will staff who are alumni of our schools.

Excel Academy Charter Schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, ancestry, athletic performance, special need, proficiency in the English language or a foreign language or prior academic achievement.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received and candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.