Chief People Officer

KIPP Team and Family•Miami, NJ

About The Position

KIPP TEAM & Family Schools (KTAF) is a network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools in Newark, Camden, and Paterson, New Jersey, and Miami, Florida. Serving more than 11,000 students today, KTAF plans to serve 15,000 by 2030. The network has more than 1,500 staff and an operating budget of over $300 million. Its network office supports schools through teams including Leadership Development, Recruitment, Advocacy, Facilities, Finance, and People. The Chief People Officer owns the full employee experience, from recruiting and hiring through development, retention, pay, employee support, and performance management. This executive leadership team member reports to the Co-President and leads five functional areas: Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, HR Operations and Payroll, Employee Relations, and Compensation and Performance Management. The role works closely with regional leaders across four cities and is responsible for building the people strategy and talent systems needed to support organizational growth. In the first year, the Chief People Officer will build relationships with executive, school, and regional leaders; unify the People team around the 2030 plan; visit schools and listen to staff; ensure recruitment pipelines can meet growth needs; modernize HR, applicant tracking, and performance management systems; advance proactive workforce planning using people analytics and AI; embed KTAF’s values in talent practices; and lay the groundwork for competitive, equitable, and transparent compensation. By 2030, the role will own goals for 90% overall staff retention, less than 5% regrettable attrition, filling 90% of selected teacher and leadership openings from within, 95% of residents meeting or exceeding first-year expectations, and 90% of schools and teams scoring above the 75th percentile on Gallup core engagement questions. The Chief People Officer sets multi-year people strategy, advises the Co-President and CEO on organizational design and workforce planning, and leads work across talent acquisition, talent development, HR operations and payroll, employee relations, compensation, and performance. The role centers teachers, school leaders, and staff; uses data to guide decisions; builds trust across regions; and incorporates racial equity, cultural responsiveness, and KTAF’s values into how the organization hires, develops, evaluates, recognizes, and promotes its people. Regular travel between Newark, Camden, Paterson, and South Florida is required.

Requirements

At least 10 years of progressive HR or talent leadership experience.
At least 5 years in a senior role overseeing multiple HR functions.
Working knowledge of employment law, HR compliance, and payroll across multiple states.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence senior leaders and boards.
Bachelor’s degree.
Willingness to travel regularly between Newark, Camden, Paterson, and South Florida.
Experience managing senior leaders and developing their capabilities.
Ability to use recruiting, retention, pay, and performance data to make decisions.
Commitment to racial equity and cultural responsiveness.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading HR or talent across multiple sites or regions, ideally in an organization with 1,000 or more employees.
Experience in K-12 education, charter schools, or another mission-driven, people-intensive sector.
Experience with New Jersey and Florida employment law.
Advanced degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or a related field.
Curiosity about using AI and other new tools to support people operations and workforce planning.

Responsibilities

Set the multi-year people strategy and advise the Co-President and CEO on organizational design and workforce planning.
Embed KTAF’s values and key behaviors into job descriptions, interview rubrics, onboarding, performance management, recognition, and leadership development.
Lead and align five functional leaders and the People team across four regions.
Develop and refine recruitment strategies and recruit mission-aligned teachers, school leaders, and staff to meet growth needs.
Grow teacher pipeline programs, the leader residency, and teacher-to-leader pathways to support internal succession.
Develop and implement professional development for home-office and school-based staff and managers.
Modernize HR systems and evaluate people-analytics and AI tools to support proactive workforce planning.
Oversee compliant payroll in New Jersey and Florida, and own benefits strategy and administration.
Set employee relations strategy, support schools, ensure policies are clear and consistently applied, and partner with legal counsel on complex matters.
Build compensation and performance systems that recognize strong performers and equip managers to set expectations, provide feedback, and retain valued employees.
Build relationships with executive, school, and regional leaders; spend time in schools and listen to teachers, leaders, and staff.
Set the direction for competitive, equitable, and transparent compensation.
Own people goals for retention, regrettable attrition, internal hiring, resident performance, and employee engagement.