Director of People and Culture

About EarthRights

EarthRights International is a non-governmental, non-profit organization that combines the power of law with the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment. We take legal action against perpetrators of earth rights abuses, train activists, and work with communities to demand meaningful and lasting change.

About the role

EarthRights International is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive world. As we continue down this path of positive change, we’re actively searching for a visionary Director of People and Culture (DPC) to lead our global Human Resources operations and shape the evolution of our organization.

The DPC will play a pivotal role in shaping our workforce and culture. They will lead talent recruitment, development, and retention efforts, collaborating with HR professionals across our various offices worldwide to craft and implement internal policies. They will also establish performance metrics, align compensation and benefits with industry standards, and drive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives alongside our DEI team.

Duties and Responsibilities

Organizational Leadership

• Manage and lead a team of HR professionals, providing leadership and mentorship to direct reports with clear direction, regular honest feedback, and personal development.
• Provide leadership in strengthening internal communications with staff at all levels throughout the organization; create and promote a positive and supportive work environment.
• Leverage data analytics, insights, and industry practices to evaluate HR operations effectiveness, make recommendations for responsive or cost-effective changes; present findings and recommendations to senior leaders to create buy-in, alignment, and enforcement.
• Lead processes to make the organization diverse, equitable, and inclusive, including through hiring practices, performance management, and staff wellness and benefits.
• Lead workforce planning efforts to guide organizational staff growth.
• Develop strategies to position EarthRights as an “organization of choice” among top job candidates in the human rights and environmental advocacy fields.
• Ensure EarthRights’ compensation, benefits, and employment policies are in line with evolving industry standards through periodic salary, benefits, and policy reviews.
• Work to ensure management compliance with terms of the collective bargaining agreement with the Washington, DC union.
• Serve as an active member of the Senior Leadership Team
• Manage a team of 2-4 staff.
• Work with the Development team on fundraising proposals as needed regarding hiring plans and DEI initiatives.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership

• Support and advise the DEI team and serve as a conduit between the DEI team and SLT. Work with the DEI team to create annual DEI organizational performance plans with measurable goals and outcomes.
• Identify and schedule one-time and annual DEI trainings.
• Review policies to ensure consistency with DEI goals and actions.
• Work with the Development Director and Finance Director to ensure adequate funding for DEI, HR, and organizational development initiatives.

Global and US Human Resources Management

Policies, Processes, and Grievance Mechanisms

• Ensure EarthRights’ human resources policies and practices are in line with evolving industry standards, including salary transparency.
• Lead annual/semi-annual revisions and updates of staff Global Policy Manual.
• Provide support to human resources leads in the Amazon and Mekong regional offices to manage local hiring processes and ensure regional staff compliance with global personnel policies.
• Serve as point person for all employee relation issues including monitoring and managing an anonymous grievance mechanism. Ensure employee complaints are followed up on and interpersonal issues are resolved appropriately.
• Collaborate with leadership to update company policies and procedures, communicating and enforcing organization values in compliance with all legal and organizational requirements, standards, and procedures.
• Consult with the legal counsel as required in order to reduce legal risks and ensure regulatory compliance in the day-to-day management of employees.

Design and Lead Performance Review Processes

• Oversee performance review process for all three offices including, annual performance goal-setting process, staff development plans, and scheduling performance review cycles.
• Support managers with employee performance management efforts, including performance improvement plans, promotions, and staff development plans.

Union Engagement and Collective Bargaining

• Work with the General Counsel to ensure management compliance with the collective bargaining agreement with the Washington, DC office union.
• With General Counsel, represent EarthRights’ management in negotiations with the Washington, DC office union.

Recruitment and Hiring

• Oversee all recruiting and hiring processes, including the development of job descriptions, candidate interviews, and employment offer negotiations.
• Develop creative and thorough plans to ensure recruitment is building a diverse pipeline of candidates.
• Institute a welcoming and thorough onboarding procedure.
• Advise best practices related to talent acquisition. Serve as a strategic thought partner to ensure recruiting goals are aligned with organizational objectives.

Compensation and Benefits Administration

• Review, track and strategically enhance employee benefits to support a growing and diverse employee population. Manage the annual benefits renewal process and oversee negotiations for Open Enrollment and relationships with benefits vendors.
• Manage compensation cycles including annual base salary, promotion, and equity review cycles.
• Collaborate with SLT to develop compensation planning guidelines, and create manager training and employee communications.
• Partner with the Finance Director and Development Director to prepare and manage the annual budget for compensation and benefits costs and oversee periodic market analysis to ensure competitiveness and support internal equity.
• Act as a benefits administrator for the U.S. staff and enrol new employees in benefit programs.
• Research and resource new/changes in benefits as needed.

Internal Communications and Staff Cohesion

• Work with regional directors and regional HR leads to develop opportunities for staff in all offices to engage with one another.
• Work with the Deputy Director on improving internal communications within and across offices.
• Coordinate biannual social outings for Washington, DC-based staff.
• Write, deliver, and facilitate internal communications to help with change management and consistent messaging across the organization.

Professional Experience and Qualifications

• 10+ years of demonstrated experience in relevant Human Resources work, including familiarity with employment regulations, diversity and inclusion best practices and standard HR practices.
• Expertise and background in multiple aspects of human resources, including staff development and talent management strategies.
• Successful candidates will demonstrate People and Culture expertise as well as exceptional communications, project management, and relationship-building skills.
• Labor/Employee relations experience in a unionized setting preferred.
• Experience supporting and being adaptive to groups in multicultural environments.
• Skilled at examining data (quantitative and qualitative) and metrics to improve the organization.
• Tech-savvy: skilled in creating clear presentations and becoming familiar with new software easily.
• Passionate about improving processes and developing innovative HR solutions.
• Knowledge of best practices in HR, including expertise and comfort in facilitating meaningful and difficult conversations with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Excellent “soft skills” including verbal and written communication skills. Experience in facilitating a plus.
• Experience managing and facilitating organizational change efforts while building relationships and creating buy-in, ideally in a highly matrixed, geographically dispersed context.
• Advanced project management skills; ability to lead projects at a level to influence and obtain buy-in, and then drive execution and achievement of the right results.
• Able to work independently to achieve goals while being a team player.

Appointment details

Compensation:  We are offering the following salary range for this position:  $110,000 – $140,000 gross per annum.

Location:  Washington D.C. – This is a hybrid position with some days working in the office per week.

Reports to: Deputy Director

EarthRights International is an equal-opportunity employer that does not discriminate in its hiring practices and actively encourages people of color, women, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people to apply

How to Apply

Closing date: 14^th October 2023

To apply please click ‘apply for job’

As part of the application process kindly submit your CV and a cover letter, preferably in MS Word. All application documents (cover letter and CV) should be submitted in English.

Need help submitting your application? Please email us at [email protected]

Should you require access to information in a different format to facilitate your application please contact us via [email protected]

Please name your submitted files with the following reference: ERI_DPC

Red Sea takes our responsibility towards protecting your personal data very seriously. The data you provide is processed in line with relevant data protection legislation. For the purposes of this recruitment, and as defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Red Sea is defined as the Data Controller.

Red Sea is committed to meeting the standards set out in our Equality and Diversity statement, acting in line with the UK Equalities Act 2010 and building an accurate picture of the make-up of the workforce in encouraging equality and diversity.