[2026-2027] Director of Talent and HR
About The Position
The Director of Talent and HR serves as Yu Ming Charter School’s senior leader for talent and HR systems, outcomes, and execution across the full employee lifecycle. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer and serving on the Network Leadership Team, this role is accountable for designing, implementing, and continuously improving talent systems that ensure Yu Ming attracts, develops, retains, and exits staff in ways that are equitable, legally sound, and aligned to the school’s academic model and values. This role explicitly owns talent system effectiveness and outcomes, not just processes. The Director of Talent and HR balances strategic leadership with disciplined execution, ensuring that talent systems support instructional excellence, staff sustainability, and long-term organizational growth. The Director of Talent and HR does not primarily function as a recruiter or generalist HR manager. Instead, they act as the strategic architect and operator of the employee lifecycle, with particular accountability for teacher retention, performance management, leadership and people-management capacity, and foundational learning and development systems for non-instructional staff while ensuring HR operations are strong, compliant, and predictable. ABOUT YU MING CHARTER SCHOOL Yu Ming Charter School is a non-profit, tuition-free network of public schools located in Oakland and San Leandro and open to all residents of California. As a leader in Mandarin Immersion education, our mission is to nurture our inclusive and diverse community to become empowered, engaged, and outstanding global citizens. We currently serve 1060 students across three campuses, and continue to grow our enrollment each year. Our intentionally diverse student body comes from many racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds representing 70 zip codes across the Bay Area and 29 home languages. Founded in 2011, Yu Ming is the first Mandarin immersion public charter school in the state. We believe every child, regardless of their background or zip code, deserves a free, high-quality education that prepares them today to succeed tomorrow. Ranked the #7 Elementary School and the #2 Elementary Charter School in California by U.S. News, Yu Ming is a 2019 National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and a 2020 and 2023 California Distinguished School. Yu Ming’s future-forward model prepares young people to succeed and thrive in an interconnected and multicultural world through personalized and rigorous learning experiences, active student agency, whole child and community focus, and multilingual education. As a result, our students far outperform their peers in the district, county, and state, regardless of socio-economic status, race, language background, and learning differences. We are closing the opportunity gap for our historically underserved students every day. To learn more about our innovative school visit our website www.yumingschool.org. A Strong Director of Talent and HR at Yu Ming: Owns and advances a multi-year, network-wide talent strategy aligned to Yu Ming’s instructional model, equity commitments, and growth priorities Diagnoses and measurably improves teacher and staff retention through system design, manager capability, and clear performance expectations Designs and implements coherent performance management and learning systems that support staff growth, accountability, and sustainability Builds talent, recruiting, and HR systems that function reliably without consuming disproportionate leadership capacity Is trusted by principals and network leaders as a thought partner and risk manager, not just a service provider Uses data, structured listening, and change management to improve adult experience and organizational outcomes over time
Requirements
- 7+ years of experience in talent, HR, or people operations with demonstrated ownership of both strategy and execution
- Experience partnering with senior leaders on complex employee relations matters, including performance management and exits
- Demonstrated success designing and implementing talent and performance management systems
- Strong data literacy and ability to use information to drive decisions
- Deep alignment with Yu Ming’s mission and equity commitments
Nice To Haves
- Experience in K–12 or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred
Responsibilities
- Talent Strategy and System Ownership
- Talent Acquisition and Onboarding
- Performance Management and Career Pathways
- Learning and Development
- Employee Relations and HR Partnership
- HR Operations and Compliance
- Data, Monitoring, and Continuous Improvement
- Leadership and Collaboration
Benefits
- 100% core benefits coverage on select plans (medical, dental, vision)
- Free Access to an Employee Assistance Program offering a variety of services including counseling and legal aid
- Optional Life insurance, short and long term disability
- Pre-tax transit benefits
- 403(b) and 457 retirement plans
- 10 PTO days per calendar year
- Up to 9 accrued sick days per calendar year
- Additional time off during school breaks (Fall Break, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, Spring Break, etc.)
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
No Education Listed
