Chief People Officer

KIPP Team and Family • Miami, NJ

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About The Position

KIPP TEAM & Family Schools (KTAF) is hiring a Chief People Officer to lead the full employee experience across its network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools in New Jersey and Florida. KTAF serves more than 11,000 students, employs more than 1,500 staff, and plans to serve 15,000 students by 2030. The organization’s growth across four cities and two states makes this a role focused on building a talent strategy and systems for scale.

The Chief People Officer will own how KTAF recruits and hires, develops and retains employees, sets compensation, supports staff, and manages performance. The role is part of the executive leadership team, reports to the Co-President, and leads five functional leaders responsible for Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, HR Operations and Payroll, Employee Relations, and Compensation and Performance Management. The Chief People Officer will partner with regional leaders in Newark, Camden, Paterson, and South Florida.

In the first year, the Chief People Officer will build relationships across the organization, unify the People team, spend time in schools in each region, ensure hiring and pipeline programs can support growth, assess and modernize HR and talent systems, advance people analytics and the thoughtful use of AI, embed KTAF’s values in talent practices, and establish the groundwork for a competitive, equitable, and transparent pay strategy.

The role owns ambitious people goals for 2030, including 90% overall staff retention, less than 5% regrettable attrition, filling 90% of specified 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. The position calls for a builder and people leader who is data-driven, equity-minded, committed to KTAF’s values, and focused on supporting the teachers and school staff who serve students.

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, with 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.
• An advanced degree in Human Resources, Business, Organizational Development, or a related field.

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 in job descriptions, interview rubrics, onboarding, performance management, recognition, and leadership development.
• Develop and refine recruitment strategies and recruit mission-aligned teachers, school leaders, and staff across all regions.
• Grow teacher pipeline programs, leader residency, and teacher-to-leader pathways to support internal leadership development.
• Develop and implement professional development for home-office and school-based staff and managers, supporting succession planning and internal growth.
• Modernize HR systems and assess people-analytics and AI tools to support proactive workforce planning.
• Oversee compliant payroll across two states and lead 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 performance and equip managers to set expectations, provide feedback, and retain strong employees.
• Lead five functional leaders and work with regional leaders across Newark, Camden, Paterson, and South Florida.
• Build relationships with executive, school, and regional leaders, and spend time in schools across regions to understand staff needs.
• Own and advance KTAF’s 2030 people goals for retention, internal hiring, resident performance, and employee engagement.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• KTAF 403(b) retirement plan with matching contributions.
• Generous time-off policy.
• Up to 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for primary caregivers.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• Optional ancillary benefits, including short-term and long-term disability, accident, and hospital indemnity coverage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive