Senior Director, People and Culture

Winrock International

1d•$175,000 - $187,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director, People & Culture provides strategic leadership and oversight for Winrock’s global human resource systems, policies and practices in support of the organization’s business goals and strategy. The role advances a high‑performing, engaged, and globally distributed workforce by ensuring people practices are effective, compliant, and aligned with organizational values. Serving as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the CFOO and the Executive Team, the Senior Director works closely with leadership, managers, and project teams to focus on organizational risk, strengthen employee performance and engagement, and build sustainable human capacity across projects, regions, and the enterprise. The People & Culture unit at Winrock is a lean team, and this role is both strategic and operational in nature. The Senior Director is expected to be a hands‑on leader and doer, who provides direct oversight and accountability for execution while leading and developing the PAC team as well as the HR function throughout global projects.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of progressive HR experience with a minimum of 3 years in a team or project leader or manager role or equivalent education and experience.
Experience working in a donor‑funded or international development environment; exposure to U.S. Government‑funded projects strongly preferred.
Demonstrated success leading HR functions across multiple locations in a global context.
Proven ability to support senior leaders, influence decision‑making, and build strong working relationships.
Broad expertise in employee relations, engagement, employment law, compensation, organizational development, and learning.
Strong collaborator with the ability to work effectively across cultures, countries, and organizational units.
Some international and domestic travel may be required.
Exceptional judgment, problem‑solving, and conflict management skills.
Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
English fluency required.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, implementation, and continued improvement of Winrock’s global People & Culture systems, policies, procedures, and practices.
Ensure effective and compliant adaptation and application of people practices across projects, countries, and regions, including during project design and proposal development.
Oversee and set the standards for efficient and effective global HR operational workflows, including onboarding, development, promotion, training, and separations.
Provide strategic leadership, supervision, and development of the People & Culture team, fostering strong collaboration, clear accountability, and high professional standards.
Establish metrics to evaluate HR effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.
Partner with leaders to strengthen performance management practices, including KPI measurements, career development, corrective feedback, and fair corrective processes.
Support employee engagement initiatives and feedback mechanisms that enhance performance, retention, and organizational effectiveness.
Serve as a senior advisor to leaders on complex people matters, workforce challenges, organizational change, and culture‑building efforts.
Serve as a strategic partner to the Executive Team in managing institutional risk related to staffing, workforce structure, and people practices.
Provide guidance on employee relations issues, including grievances, investigations, disciplinary actions, and terminations, ensuring fairness, consistency, and sound judgment.
Maintain and apply strong working knowledge of U.S. Government contracting and employment requirements and local labor laws in countries of operation.
Oversee personnel records management, payroll coordination with Finance, and completion of required federal, state, and donor reporting.
Provide leadership and direction to the compensation and benefits function, ensuring practices are competitive, equitable, compliant, and financially sustainable, including oversight of outsourced vendors and consultants as applicable.
Support and manage recruitment efforts for assigned roles and initiatives, as needed.
Oversee delivery of human capital data, analytics, and reporting to inform workforce planning, decision‑making, and employee engagement.
Build HR partner capacity and right‑sized people infrastructure across projects, regions, and countries.
Provide strategic and operational leadership for all HRIS and people systems, including the HRIS, applicant tracking system (ATS), and related platforms, with accountability for data integrity, reporting, and controls.