KIPP Public Schools Northern California Careers - Director of Human Resources

Director of Human Resources - Employee Relations

Regional Support Office Oakland, California

Description

PLEASE NOTE: A COVER LETTER IS REQUIRED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION.

The cover letter should be no longer than one page and include:

Example(s) of successful navigation of complex talent/HR issues
Example(s) of your commitment to racial equity
Example(s) of how you coach and manage your teams

Position Summary

The Director of HR Employee Relations serves as the senior-most leader that will lead the design and execution of KIPP NorCal’s employee relations strategy, fostering a positive, inclusive, and legally compliant work environment, in alignment with our values of excellence, equity, courage, and compassion, for over 1100 staff members. This role will provide expert guidance on conflict resolution, employee counseling, and complex workplace issues, while also ensuring adherence to all applicable employment laws and policies. The Director will train and coach managers and school leaders on best practices in employee relations, lead high-level investigations, and build the systems, tools, and processes that strengthen the organization’s overall employee experience.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Director acts as a strategic advisor and decision-maker on matters including investigations, discipline, performance management, terminations, and conflict resolution. The Director directly manages three Associate Directors of Employee Relations and serves on the Total Employee Experience (TEX) leadership team, with responsibility for setting vision, standards, and accountability across all employee relations work.

This role requires deep expertise in employee relations, sound judgment in high-stakes situations, and the ability to lead and influence senior leaders across a large, distributed organization.

Required Qualifications

Mission Oriented - Holds a deep belief in the brilliance of our students and their potential; and in the transformative power of education for liberation. Demonstrates our Regional Support Office values of excellence, equity, courage and compassion.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive HR or Employee Relations experience, including significant ownership of complex, high-risk employee relations matters (e.g., investigations, discipline, terminations, performance management, and compliance).
Demonstrated experience leading employee relations at scale, supporting large, distributed organizations (1,000+ employees strongly preferred).
Proven people management experience, including direct management of senior HR or Employee Relations leaders.
Deep working knowledge of California employment law, including investigations, leaves, performance management, discipline, and compliance requirements.
Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment on sensitive matters and serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders.
Strong commitment to advancing racial equity and embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into employee relations practice.
Bachelor’s degree required.

Preferred Qualifications

Graduate degree (JD or comparable advanced degree strongly preferred).
SHRM-SCP or other senior-level HR certification.
Experience in TK–12 education, nonprofit, or other mission-driven organizations.
Knowledge of California credentialing regulations.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Employee Relations Strategy & Leadership

Own and lead the overall employee relations strategy for KIPP NorCal, including systems, standards, and escalation protocols.
Serve as the final point of escalation for complex, sensitive, or high-visibility employee relations matters.
Determine and own the approach to complex personnel issues, informed by legal guidance and organizational values.
Collect, analyze, and interpret employee relations data to identify trends and inform recommendations to the Chief People Officer and senior leadership.
Ensure consistent, legally sound, and values-aligned ER practices across school sites and the Regional Support Office (RSO).

Counseling, Advising, and Training

Serve as the primary decision-maker and advisor to managers, school leaders, and executives on employee relations matters.
Provide expert guidance on performance management, disciplinary action, and corrective processes.
Design and deliver training for managers and employees on employee relations topics, including workplace behavior, conflict resolution, and policy implementation.
Develop manager capability through coaching and targeted professional learning.

Investigations, Conflict Resolution & Title IX

Maintain and continuously improve KIPP NorCal’s escalation and investigation protocols.
Lead and oversee thorough investigations into allegations of harassment, discrimination, retaliation, or other workplace misconduct, including:

Interviewing involved parties
Reviewing documentation and evidence
Drafting clear, well-supported investigation reports

Maintain strict confidentiality and professionalism throughout all investigations.
Develop, recommend, and oversee execution of resolutions in partnership with the Chief People Officer.
Facilitate mediations and restorative conversations as appropriate.
Serve as KIPP NorCal’s Title IX Coordinator and lead all related processes.

Tools, Systems & Policy Development

Develop and maintain ER tools, protocols, and templates (e.g., investigations, interviews, performance improvement plans).
Lead annual updates to the Staff Handbook and ensure policies remain current, compliant, and accessible.
Partner with the TEX team and organizational leaders to update and implement policies as needed.
Design and facilitate workshops related to performance cycles, policy updates, promotions, and other key people processes.
Lead TEX team projects as assigned.

Compliance & Legal Matters

Ensure ongoing compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.
Stay current on legal changes and proactively update ER practices as needed.
Lead and represent the organization in arbitration proceedings and other formal employment-related processes, as required.

Team Leadership & Management

Directly manage three Associate Directors of Employee Relations.
Set clear expectations for direct reports aligned to Professional Development Plans and TEX team goals.
Coach and develop team members to ensure strong performance, consistency, and professional growth.
Contribute to setting TEX team goals and aligning departmental priorities with organizational strategy.
Support TEX team budget management and participate in hiring for TEX team roles.
Model and reinforce a positive, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.

Additional Responsibilities

Serve as an external representative of KIPP Northern California, as needed.
Share employee relations and talent best practices across the national KIPP network.
Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Physical, Mental and Environmental Demands

Physical: Ability to navigate office and school campuses, and hold meetings in different spaces. Traditionally, much of the day involves sitting. Ability to access and utilize technology. Occasional lifting/carrying of equipment up to 20 lbs. Physical agility to move self in various positions in order to execute duties effectively, which may include kneeling, walking, pushing/pulling, squatting, twisting, turning, bending, stooping and reaching overhead.
Mental: Stress of deadlines and normal work standards, ability to analyze problems and generate alternatives, work with interruptions, concentrate for long periods of time, read, calculate, perform routine math problems, memorize and recall objects and people.
Environmental: Office environment subject to interruptions and distractions. Frequent travel to schools and districts. KIPP adheres to health and safety guidelines as outlined by the CDC, CDE, and public health agencies’ recommendations.

Important Note for Applicants

This role is not an entry-level or early-career HR leadership position. It requires deep experience navigating complex employee relations matters, managing senior HR leaders, and exercising sound judgment in high-risk situations.

Classification

This is a full-time, exempt position based on a full year calendar cycle, based out of our Regional Support Office (RSO). The RSO currently operates in a hybrid fashion. The Director can expect to work in person 2-3 days per week and remotely or in the field the remaining days, subject to change based on the needs of the role and organization. In the first six months of the role, the Director should expect more in person days to build relationships with school and RSO teams.

About KIPP Public Schools Northern California

We are a thriving nonprofit network of 23 free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Our student community consists of nearly 7,000 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San Jose, Redwood City, and Stockton. 79% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 23% are multilingual learners, and 10% have special needs. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students’ diversity.

Compensation

KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your family's well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental and vision benefits.

We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is between $136,000 and $164,000. Most candidates would be compensated at $147,000.