Director, HR Partners

Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. • ,

21h • $148,500 - $165,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities. As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.
Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).
Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org

Position Summary
The Director of HR Partners provides leadership and direction to the HR Partner team while working closely with the People and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (PODEI) leadership team. They also provide strategic HR consulting, tactical HR guidance, and support to assigned internal client groups. They lead the HR Partner team to effectively support business priorities, drive values, and deliver business results.
The Director of HR Partners collaborates with PODEI functional leaders to lead the Partner team in proactively addressing client needs in the areas of talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations, communications, compensation, and DEI.
The Director of HR Partners leads and carries out responsibilities in several functional areas of HR, including workforce planning, organizational design, talent management, employee relations, and policy interpretation / application. The Director of HR Partners will serve as a member of the extended HR leadership team. As such, this individual will work with HR leadership to plan and execute long term HR strategy and drive organizational initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) or HRCI Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) credential is strongly preferred
• At least 8 years of progressive HR professional experience in several functional areas of HR, including strategic partnership, workforce planning, organizational design, talent management, employee relations, DEI, and policy administration.
• Experience in compensation is strongly preferred
• Experience successfully leading and executing HR projects
• Experience successfully managing team members
• Strong and broad knowledge of multiple human resource disciplines, including talent management, employee relations, compensation practices, organizational design, DEI, performance management, and federal and state employment laws
• Experience successfully serving as a strategic and tactical partner to executives and managers
• Experience working within a Union (CBA) environment
• Experience successfully managing, coaching and developing executives and employees
• Proven client management skills and business acumen
• Strong interpersonal, relationship-building, diplomacy, and negotiation skills with the ability to empathize with others
• Excellent communication skills, including verbal, written, and presentation
• A strategic thinker who also has a strong commitment to quality and attention to detail
• A willingness to roll up your sleeves and dig in
• Ability to thrive in an ambiguous and rapidly changing environment
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to handle competing priorities and meet deadlines
• Proven ability to effectively coach employees and management through complex issues
• Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply the appropriate sections of applicable laws, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, and policies
• Ability to acquire a thorough understanding of the organization’s hierarchy, jobs, qualifications, compensation practices, and the administrative practices related to those factors
• Understanding of and ability to use different HR analytics techniques, including how to read and interpret complex data, familiarity with qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, and how to track relevant metrics and KPIs
• Proven acuity in MS office suite, with strength in Power Point, Word, and Excel
• Proficiency in using HRIS to increase efficiency and drive business results
• Ability to travel to NRDC U.S. based offices, approximately 20% annually
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles

Nice To Haves

• SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) or HRCI Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) credential is strongly preferred
• Experience in compensation is strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• Directly manages a global HR Partner team, including: setting team goals and priorities, clarifying performance expectations, providing coaching, feedback and support to team members, and actively managing performance.
• Ensuring that the HR Partner team provides the highest level of client service and consistent messaging to clients around HR initiatives, policies, topics, and frequently-asked-questions.
• Ensuring that the processes, procedures, roles and responsibilities of the HR Partner team are effective, efficient, and clear.
• Collaborates with PODEI functional leaders to lead the HR Partner team in addressing organization-wide concerns and needs.
• Proactively builds relationships with executives and leaders across the institution, serving as a trusted advisor to provide guidance and partnership on people-related issues and challenges.
• Leads or serves as a key contributor to organization-wide HR projects, including proactive, comprehensive project and stakeholder management.
• Serves as a Senior HR Partner for assigned areas, including the Executive Office:
• Provides strategic guidance and tactical support to leaders on talent-related initiatives, including business unit restructures, workforce planning and succession planning; incorporates change management guidance and principles into work plans
• Communicates with and educates clients -- both managers and team members -- on HR activities, processes, policies, and practices, ensuring that clients are well-informed of all HR initiatives. Communicates feedback, themes, learnings, and recommendations from clients back to the HR team
• Provides day-to-day performance management guidance to managers, including coaching, mentoring, counseling, career development, and disciplinary actions
• In partnership with the Director, Labor & Employee Relations, manages and resolves complex employee relations issues. Conducts effective, thorough, and objective investigations in collaboration with colleagues from People & DEI team and OGC
• Leads and/or supports rollout of annual HR cycle deliverables within client groups, including performance management, goal setting, and annual recognition
• Collaborates with clients to understand their needs and partners with other PODEI functional leads including Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Analytics, Compensation, and Communications to customize solutions
• Analyzes trends and metrics to gain insights and makes proactive recommendations to improve HR solutions.
• Maintains in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees to reduce legal risks and ensure regulatory compliance, partnering with PODEI colleagues and OGC as needed
• Travels to NRDC offices regularly, up to 20% of the time, to build relationships and collaborate with team members, client groups, and institutional leaders.

Benefits

• Generous time-off policy, highlighted by a company-wide year-end Rest & Recharge Week to reset for the new year.
• Generous family leave policy beyond federal requirements for all NRDCers
• Matching 403b whether you contribute or not
• Premium Comprehensive healthcare and mental health programs.

What This Job Offers

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