Manager, People & Talent

Barr Foundation•Boston, MA

14h•$125,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, People & Talent reports to the VP of People and Talent and partners with Foundation leadership to advance Barr’s people and talent strategy while ensuring effective day-to-day human resources operations. The role combines thought partnership, leadership, and problem solving to support the Foundation’s mission and priorities and foster an inclusive, engaged, and productive workforce. The Manager leads key initiatives, builds relationships across the Foundation, and manages core HR functions, including talent acquisition, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, and employee engagement. The role also supports learning and organizational development and is expected to bring sound judgment, strong project management skills, and a commitment to an exceptional employee experience aligned with Barr’s mission and values. The position is based in Boston in a hybrid workplace. Staff are currently expected to work in the office Tuesday through Thursday and remotely Monday and Friday, with some weeks requiring additional in-office days. Barr’s offices are in Boston’s North End and provide open, flexible spaces for collaboration and independent work, as well as meetings and events.

Requirements

5–7 years of HR experience, preferably in a nonprofit or foundation setting.
Self-starter with a strong bias to action and the ability to anticipate needs, prioritize, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
Ability to bring optimism, creativity, and thoughtful tenacity to work.
Resilience, adaptability, and the ability to stay grounded in a complex, dynamic environment.
Excellent relationship-building, communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
Impeccable judgment, tactfulness, integrity, and ability to maintain confidential and sensitive information.
High emotional intelligence and ability to empathize with employees while balancing organizational goals.
Comfort working in a diverse team setting and commitment to equity and inclusion.
Fluency with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Ability to engage with Salesforce, Ramp, Asana, and other applications used by Barr.

Nice To Haves

Greenhouse ATS experience is preferred.
Experience in a nonprofit or foundation setting.

Responsibilities

Lead the end-to-end recruitment strategy and operations, including job descriptions, recruitment channels and partnerships, candidate screening, interview panels, reference checks, communications, and alignment with Barr’s mission and values.
Work with teams before roles are posted to develop plans for identifying and attracting strong candidate pipelines.
Build relationships with candidates and deliver a high-care, inclusive recruitment experience.
Use benchmarking data from peer foundations and the Boston job market to improve talent acquisition; provide biannual trend readouts and process recommendations.
Oversee Applicant Tracking System maintenance, optimization, training, and vendor relationships.
Lead onboarding strategy and operations, focusing on the first 90 days and partnering with hiring managers as the main point of contact for new employees.
Overhaul the onboarding process and institute an annual review of onboarding practices.
Partner with the VP of People and Talent on workplace culture and projects related to career development, culture, and belonging.
Stay current on HR and talent management trends and contribute innovative ideas and continuous improvements to HR strategy and operations.
Serve as the HR liaison to employee committees.
Partner on employee engagement programs, including staff-wide training and individual coaching.
Lead employee offboarding, including exit documents, celebrations, and transition needs.
Advise employees on HR policies, workplace concerns, and employee relations matters, and address questions and issues.
Handle and resolve employee issues appropriate to the role; support disciplinary matters, disputes, and investigations.
Support leave management, accommodation processes, and other employee support programs.
Maintain knowledge of employment law requirements and best practices at the federal, state, and local levels.
Oversee employee acknowledgement gifts and life event celebrations.
Lead administration and improvement of the performance management process, including annual reviews, goal-setting, manager training, and communications.
Support employees and managers with performance goals, feedback, and professional growth opportunities.
Work with leadership to identify organizational learning and development priorities.
Coordinate with Grants Management, Finance, and Information Technology on HR contracts and budgeting.
Collaborate with the Operations Team on community- and culture-building events.
Manage the Virtual Assistant program, temporary staffing needs, HR consultants, and other assigned temporary staff or future team members.
Maintain the annual calendar of key HR activities and update the organization chart.
Advocate for Barr’s culture and ensure HR policies, processes, and daily activities reflect the Foundation’s values.
Participate in Foundation-wide activities, staff meetings, retreats, and cross-functional work groups, including culture-building, learning, team-building, and organizational-effectiveness activities.