Associate Director of People & Culture

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition•Washington, DC

8d•$94,000 - $102,000•Hybrid

About The Position

NSAC is seeking an experienced, enthusiastic people and culture professional to join our team. This role combines hands-on HR operations with culture-building, working closely with managers and staff across the organization to support our collaborative, dynamic workplace. This is a full-time, exempt, non-bargaining unit position that offers benefits as outlined in the employee handbook and reports to NSAC’s Coalition Director. For this role, we prefer that candidates be able to work on a regular basis from our Capitol Hill office in Washington, DC; we will consider strong candidates based elsewhere with willingness to travel to Washington several times a year. NSAC operates with a flexible work policy allowing for hybrid/remote work when possible. NSAC is an alliance of grassroots organizations that advocates for federal policy reform to advance the sustainability of agriculture, food systems, natural resources, and rural communities. For over 35 years, NSAC’s track record of policy accomplishments and grassroots power-building has been guided by a vision of a future where farmers, workers, and communities sustain a thriving food and farm system that nourishes people, stewards our environment, and builds strong economies. Racial justice – an understanding and acknowledgment of historical and ongoing racial inequities and a commitment to actions challenging those inequities – is a core tenet in our work. The Associate Director of People & Culture at NSAC will develop, implement, and manage personnel policies that support our mission, culture, and strategic goals. Within a collaborative, team-oriented environment, this role exercises independent judgment over and initiative in the day-to-day carrying out of specific job responsibilities, while coordinating closely with the Coalition Director and Operations Manager in support of NSAC's overall strategic cohesion. The Associate Director of People & Culture will help create and manage sustainable HR and personnel infrastructure at NSAC aligned with our values. This role will manage recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, performance evaluation, benefits administration, compliance, and professional development initiatives for the organization, including ensuring consistent and fair application of workplace policies and alignment with our Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). This role will be the main point of contact for our Professional Employment Organization (PEO) partner and be the main administrator for NSAC on that platform. The role will serve as a key resource for all employees, helping to strengthen organizational culture, navigate workplace challenges, and ensure compliance with labor regulations and internal policies.

Requirements

At least 7-10+ years of experience in HR or personnel roles inclusive of key functions such as hiring, benefits, and policy development
Understanding of and experience within or in proximity to unions, ideally including at least 1 year of HR experience in a non-profit unionized environment
PHR/SHRM-CP or SPRH/SHRM-SCP certification highly preferred
Demonstrated understanding of how racial equity intersects with workplaces, and the ability and enthusiasm to apply this understanding to equitable, fair personnel practices
Ability to initiate, facilitate, and mediate difficult conversations with staff at every level of the organization, including knowledge of different conflict facilitation frameworks
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in virtual, hybrid and in-person working environments
Strong project management skills; capable of planning, prioritizing, and troubleshooting efforts in an ongoing manner and working on variable, sometimes fast-paced project timelines
Exceptional initiative and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work independently and collaboratively, listen well, build trust, give and receive feedback, and model healthy conflict resolution
Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information
Ability to work effectively with, value differences of, and incorporate the experiences and policy impacts on diverse groups of individuals, including race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, and socioeconomic circumstances
Willingness to travel domestically several times a year

Nice To Haves

An understanding of and commitment to sustainable agriculture and food systems and NSAC’s mission
Experience working in or adjacent to agricultural or food system-focused entities, including farms, businesses, or nonprofits, or within advocacy or organizing movement contexts
Experience with multi-organization grassroots coalitions or membership organizations
Experience with research and data collection systems

Responsibilities

Lead on the full scope of NSAC’s HR functions, including personnel policy development and implementation, recruiting, hiring (typically 1-3 positions each year), onboarding and offboarding, employee benefits and compensation, performance management, evaluation processes, and professional employer organization (PEO) and benefits management
Manage, with the Coalition Director and management team, the implementation of NSAC’s compensation policy to ensure equitable, competitive wages and benefits
Manage relationships with our PEO and benefits brokers and obtain and provide competitive and cost-effective employee benefits plans and programs
With PEO and Coalition Director, steward employee benefits and insurance enrollment, renewal, and review processes
Lead personnel-based file management and records retention, including the maintenance of confidential employment information
Ensure consistent, fair application of personnel policies and procedures across staff
With the Coalition Director and management team, support labor relations, including preparing and maintaining data and information related to contract negotiations, keeping minutes, and assisting management with grievance investigation reports
Support organization-wide education around labor relations, including legal compliance, NLRB/NLRA regulations, timelines, and process
Handle routine labor relations and human resource inquiries related to policies, procedures, and bargaining agreements, including CBA grievance procedures
Offer coaching and ongoing professional development support team-wide
Develop and implement regular team-wide processes to solicit and integrate staff feedback via employee engagement and culture surveys
Develop and implement supervisor resources and trainings for in-house management support
With the Coalition Director, prepare materials for and support regular staff meetings along with annual staff retreats and ad-hod meetings; assist in developing staff-wide timelines, projects, and policies
Support the ongoing development and maintenance of the organization’s SOPs and decision-making matrices
Apply an equity lens to all internal personnel and administrative systems and processes
Partner with Coalition Director, Operations Manager, and PEO to maintain compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations; review policies and practices to maintain compliance
With full staff, support the implementation of NSAC’s 5-year strategic plan
Provide input to grant proposals and grant reports and evaluations when requested
Participate in racial affinity caucusing (staff and coalition) and biannual coalition meetings