Vice President, People Operations

Monterey Bay Aquarium•Monterey, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

At the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity. We firmly believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices, working together, increases our capacity to serve our visitors and fulfill our mission. We welcome people from all walks of life into our team and strongly encourage people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply. This role leads the compliance, service-delivery, and data infrastructure backbone of the People & Culture function, including Employee & Labor Relations, People Analytics, Talent Acquisition, and the Volunteer & Intern programs. The goal is to ensure every employee and volunteer has a consistent, equitable experience that holds up legally, and to ground People & Culture strategy in real data. The position involves leading the cross-functional design and rollout of People Operations offerings, providing leadership to functional teams, managing annual goals, workplans, and budgets, and staying ahead of risk and compliance issues. This role partners closely with the VP, Talent Strategy and shares indirect oversight of the organization's DEIA strategy to ensure equity is built into both the operational and strategic sides of the work. The role also advises management, staff, and union programs/processes and performs other duties as required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education, training and experience
Minimum 10 years senior leadership experience across multiple P&C disciplines
Ability to lead change and manage conflict
Technical knowledge of multiple P&C functional areas
Strong commitment to developing team members
Ability to drive to big picture and connect the dots and complexities of multiple outcomes
Keen analytical skills and strategic interpretations
Experience managing relationships, negotiation, and facilitation skills
Strong organizational, time management, project management skills with emphasis on managing multiple time sensitive tasks within a fast paced high volume organization
Collaborative approach to problem resolution
Experience working collaboratively with Board Compensation Committee
Experience leading in equitable P&C practices

Nice To Haves

CCP/CBP/SHRM certification

Responsibilities

Set the vision for People Operations work groups and across MBA in alignment and support of MBA long term strategic objectives.
Contribute to MBA wide vision and long-term strategic objectives in collaboration with Senior Management.
Develop long and short-term strategies to achieve MBA objectives and the People Operations vision.
Define annual goals, workplans, and budgets for People Operations.
Provide leadership to the People Operations team, assess performance, define resources, coach, mentor, and manage employee relations within the team.
Oversee employee and labor relations casework, workplace investigations, grievance handling, and performance/conduct matters, ensuring consistent and legally sound resolution.
Serve as the organization's primary point of accountability for labor relations, including union communication, contract administration, and collective bargaining support where applicable.
Advise managers and executive leadership on employment law compliance, disciplinary action, and risk mitigation, partnering with outside/general counsel as needed.
Maintain policies, employee handbooks, and leave/accommodation practices that meet regulatory requirements.
Oversee processes workforce reporting (headcount, turnover, time-to-fill, pay equity, and compliance metrics) for the CPCO, executive team, and board; build and maintain HRIS reporting infrastructure and partner with Finance on workforce planning and budget forecasting.
Lead the organization's recruiting strategy and hiring operations, including sourcing, interviewing workflow, offer management, and onboarding logistics; ensure hiring practices are equitable, consistent, and compliant.
Set strategy and oversee operations for volunteer and internship programs, including recruitment, scheduling, training, recognition, compliance, and risk management practices (background checks, waivers, safety protocols).
Share accountability with the VP, Talent Strategy for advancing DEIA strategy, with particular focus on equitable hiring, pay equity, and fair, consistent handling of employee relations matters.
Lead cross functional design and implementation of new programs, processes, and systems; identify, select, and manage outside consultants to support People Operations work objectives.
Participate in and support P&C strategies and activities.