Chief People Officer

KIPP Team and Family•Camden, 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. The network serves more than 11,000 students, employs more than 1,500 staff, has an operating budget exceeding $300 million, and plans to serve 15,000 students by 2030. The Chief People Officer will build the people strategy and talent systems needed to support the network’s growth across four cities and two states. The Chief People Officer owns the full employee experience, from recruiting and hiring through development, retention, compensation, performance management, and employee support. As a member of the executive leadership team, this leader 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 and is responsible for aligning people practices with KTAF’s values and organizational goals. During the first year, the Chief People Officer will build relationships with executive, school, and regional leaders; unify the People team around a shared vision; spend time in schools across each region; ensure hiring pipelines can support growth; assess and modernize HR, applicant tracking, and performance management systems; and establish the groundwork for a competitive, equitable, and transparent compensation strategy. The role will also guide the use of people analytics and AI in workforce planning. By 2030, the role owns goals that include 90% overall staff retention, less than 5% regrettable attrition, filling 90% of specified teacher and school leadership openings from within, 95% of residents meeting or exceeding expectations in their first year, and 90% of schools and teams scoring above the 75th percentile on Gallup’s core engagement questions. KTAF offers a salary range of $250,000–$290,000 and a benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage; a 403(b) retirement plan with matching contributions; paid time off; up to 12 weeks of fully paid parental leave for primary caregivers; employer-paid life insurance; and optional ancillary benefits.

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 and the ability to influence senior leaders and boards.
Bachelor’s degree.
Willingness to travel regularly between Newark, Camden, Paterson, and South Florida.

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.

Responsibilities

Set the multi-year people strategy and partner with 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 five People functions and coordinate work across four regions as one unified team.
Develop recruitment strategies and recruit mission-aligned teachers, school leaders, and staff across all regions in support of organizational growth.
Grow teacher pipeline programs, leader residency, and teacher-to-leader pathways to support internal leadership development and succession planning.
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.
Oversee employee-relations strategy and support for schools, maintain clear and consistent policies across regions, 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 high-performing employees.
Build relationships with executive, school, and regional leaders and spend time in schools across each region during the first 90 days.
Set the direction for a competitive, equitable, and transparent compensation strategy.
Own the network’s 2030 people goals for retention, internal hiring, resident performance, and employee engagement.