About CSS

Center for Supportive Schools (CSS) is an anti-racist, fast-paced, collegial, and team-oriented organization wholly committed to helping schools become places where students want to be. Our work directly addresses student disengagement, a root cause of diminished academic performance, students dropping out of school, and other high-risk student behaviors. We partner with schools in three areas: developing all students into leaders; empowering teachers to collaborate with each other and with students; and engaging entire school communities to improve how learning happens.

CSS is driven by the vision that one day, all students will thrive in schools that graduate them prepared for the rigors of college and lives filled with meaningful work, active citizenship, and personal fulfillment.

We are committed to antiracism. Our vision for students will not be realized absent the dismantling of systemic racism that permeates schools and society. Schools are not safe, supportive, engaging, and inspiring unless they address all areas of marginalization and eradicate all the many interconnected forms of oppression. CSS's focus on antiracism results from the outsized role that racism has played in shaping the United States and its institutions, from the fact that racism intersects with all other forms of oppression and given that which we learn and develop - tools, frameworks, resources - in dismantling racism can be leveraged to abolish all other forms of oppression.

Founded in 1979, we are a national organization currently impacting 45,000 students annually and committed to supporting every K-12 school in the country. Most of our partners are economically disadvantaged communities where the consequences of student disengagement and racism can be most devastating.

For more information, please visit www.supportiveschools.org. For more information about CSS's commitment to antiracism, please visit www.supportiveschools.org/antiracism-resources.

The Role

The Director of People Operations is a member of the Center for Supportive Schools National team and reports to the Managing Director of Human Resources. This role is responsible for promoting and coordinating Human Resources (HR) programs, implementing HR strategies, and will supervise the day-to-day HR operations, including onboarding and offboarding, recruitment, performance management, responses to staff inquiries, leave management, benefits administration, and office administration. This role may manage 2 - 3 staff who coordinate the administration and recruiting functions.

Key Job Responsibilities

People Operations

• Under the direction of the Managing Director of Human Resources, drive implementation of HR strategies in the areas of talent management, employee relations, performance management, growth & development, compensation, and related HR activities
• Serve as a thought partner to the Managing Director of Human Resources and collaborate on organization-wide projects, initiatives, and people strategies
• Collaborate with Finance to ensure payroll is accurate and timely

Benefits Management

• Conduct HR and benefits onboarding for new talent
• Serve as primary liaison with benefits consultants and employees related to inquiries and escalations of claims
• Lead annual open enrollment process, including system testing, communications to staff, and partnering with benefits partners to facilitate staff training
• Integral collaborator on internal benefits committee for benefits renewals, exploring competitive benefits plans and innovative benefits strategies
• Report, maintain, and monitor all Workers' Compensation case files; follow-up on open cases
• Manage leaves administration process, ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal laws and standards
• Verify accuracy of invoices related to insurance benefits and approve for payment

Administration

• Responsible for facilities management for the organization, including lease negotiations for NJ and NY
• Manage office renovation and expansion projects and day-to-day upkeep and security of the NJ office
• Maintain appropriate insurance policies for all of CSS's business needs, including conducting annual assessments of our insurance needs, submitting applications for competitive pricing, and completing audits as required by insurance providers
• Responsible for the contracts and/or relationships with business liability insurance brokers, benefits insurance brokers, and utility providers to ensure sufficient coverage, quality services, staff support, and good market value
• Responsible for approving all invoices from above-mentioned vendors and others

HR Compliance

• Monitor and ensure the organization's compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including EEOC, FMLA, ADA, ACA, and other requirements
• Ensure the accuracy of data maintained on the HRM system and explore and recommend new ways of utilizing this platform
• Identify and propose internal policy changes
• Update internal policy manuals, procedures, and guidelines, as required
• Ensure staff files are compliant and up to date

Employee Relations

• In collaboration with the Managing Director of Human Resources, ensure a culture of dignity, respect, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging by promoting the organization's values and identifying opportunities for improvement
• Respond to employee questions and concerns offering coaching, counseling, and conflict resolution, as needed
• Conduct routine employee investigations
• Recommend changes to employment policies and practices with particular focus on: diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging of all employees; compliance with local and federal law; and meeting our funders' requirements

Qualifications and Experience

You have a minimum of 7-10 years of HR generalist experience. In addition, you have likely had the following experiences and have demonstrated the following attributes:

• Senior HR certification highly desirable
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills
• Ability to adapt to the needs of the organization and employees
• Ability to prioritize tasks and to delegate them when appropriate
• Thorough knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software
• Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn the organization's HRIS and talent management systems

COVID-19 Vaccination & Testing

CSS requires all school-facing staff members to be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. As of the time of this position announcement posting, fully vaccinated means receiving two vaccination doses of either the Pfizer vaccine or the Moderna vaccine, or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Non-school facing staff members who are not vaccinated because of a CSS- approved medical or religious accommodation must submit a copy of a COVID-19 test result 48-72 hours in advance of any CSS-related in-person interaction (this includes in-person interaction with other staff, in-person training events, office visits, business meetings, and/or school visits).

Location

This is a hybrid job role with eligibility to work from a home office and from our national office in Princeton, New Jersey.

Work Environment/Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of being stationary and working on a computer
• Occasional lifting up to 20 pounds

Compensation and Benefits

The anticipated start date for this position is November 2022. The annual salary range for this exempt position is $98,600 - $123,300. CSS offers the following benefits:

• Comprehensive and competitive benefits plan, including health, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, health reimbursement accounts, commuter and transit accounts
• 403(b) plan with employer match
• Generous paid time off
• Paid holidays and winter break
• Flexible work option based on job role eligibility
• Employee Assistance Program
• Reduced schedule on Fridays during summer months
• Phone stipend

To Apply

Interested applicants are requested to apply by emailing a cover letter and CV/résumé to resumes@supportiveschools.org. Please include (1) the title of the position in the subject line of your email and (2) where you found the position posting in your cover letter. Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (PIBOC) are strongly encouraged to apply.

Center for Supportive Schools is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and equity in its work and staff. CSS's Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action related policies are available upon request.