Director of People Operations

Constructive Dialogue Institute • New York, NY

2d • Remote

About The Position

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is seeking a Director of People Operations to support its rapid growth. CDI is a non-profit organization focused on equipping individuals with the skills to communicate and collaborate across differences, primarily working with U.S. colleges and universities. As CDI expands from 30 to 50 employees within the next year, this role is crucial for scaling people practices, systems, and culture. The Director will strengthen and scale CDI’s people systems while preserving its unique culture. This position involves managing a People Operations Generalist, focusing on employee experience, organizational culture, manager effectiveness, and operational systems. The role reports to the VP of Operations and requires strong collaboration with managers and leaders across the organization. It is ideal for someone who enjoys building relationships, supporting teams, and fostering thoughtful organizational growth.

Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive HR or People Operations experience, including at least 3 years in a senior generalist or leadership role.
• Experience supporting organizations through significant growth and increasing organizational complexity.
• Strong generalist experience across core HR disciplines, including employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits, compliance, and talent acquisition.
• Experience directly managing and developing employees or small teams.
• Must be based in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

• Build trust and relationships quickly and navigate sensitive situations with strong judgment, maturity, empathy, and discretion.
• Care deeply about employee experience, organizational culture, and helping managers and leaders build strong teams, especially during periods of rapid growth.
• Balance strategic thinking with practical execution and are comfortable moving between organizational planning and day-to-day people operations.
• Are proactive, systems-oriented, and highly organized; you anticipate challenges and help build processes and practices that scale effectively.
• Feel energized by CDI’s mission and aligned with our values: Embrace our Common Humanity, Practice Intellectual Humility, Prioritize Research, Deliver Excellence, Keep Improving, Stay Adaptable.

Responsibilities

• Build strong relationships across the organization and maintain a deep understanding of employee experience, organizational health, and team dynamics.
• Lead initiatives that strengthen CDI’s culture and employee experience, including onboarding, trainings, team gatherings, and org-wide rituals.
• Build and evolve the systems, feedback channels, and people practices that help CDI maintain a strong, connected, and mission-driven culture as we scale.
• Lead all-hands meetings and internal communications that build clarity, alignment, and connection across the organization.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to staff and managers by helping navigate team dynamics, challenges, and complex people situations before they become larger organizational issues.
• Coach managers on feedback, communication, accountability, and difficult conversations.
• Build and improve performance and development practices that support clear expectations, strong feedback, accountability, and employee growth.
• Partner with managers and leaders to strengthen leadership effectiveness and team health across CDI.
• Own CDI’s compensation framework and annual compensation review processes, ensuring practices are equitable, competitive, and aligned with organizational values.
• Oversee CDI’s core HR operations, systems, and compliance processes across a multi-state workforce (in partnership with our PEO, JustWorks).
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and evolving HR best practices.
• Develop and maintain HR policies, employee handbook materials, and internal practices that reflect CDI’s values and operational needs.
• Evaluate and manage HR vendors, benefits brokers, and external service providers.
• Manage and support the People Operations Generalist, including coaching, prioritization, professional development, and partnership on recruiting strategy and complex hiring processes.
• Help evolve CDI’s hiring practices, candidate experience, and talent systems as the organization grows.
• Partner with leadership to strengthen organizational planning, team structure, capacity planning, workflows, and people systems that support sustainable growth.

Benefits

• Compensation — $120,000 - 140,000 annually
• A Mission-Driven Culture — our work culture genuinely reflects our mission, characterized by intellectual humility, continuous improvement, and open-mindedness.
• Remote-First — CDI was founded as a remote-first organization, and we work hard to maintain a strong team culture across vast distances.
• Unlimited PTO — as well as 13 company holidays.
• Remote Work Support — up to $500 reimbursed for home office equipment (like desks, chairs, or webcams) and up to $50/month reimbursed for home internet or cell phone expenses.
• Other Benefits — employer-supported health, vision and dental plans, subsidized parental leave, 3% 401k match, short- and long-term disability insurance, life and AD&D insurance, $1,000 annual professional development budget.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed