Director of People & Culture

About this role

Advocates For Children (AFC) is a dynamic social justice organization that strives to ensure a high-quality education for New York students who face barriers to academic success, focusing on students from low-income backgrounds. AFC works on behalf of children and youth who are at greatest risk of academic failure due to poverty, race, ethnicity, disability, homelessness, immigration status/limited English proficiency, or involvement in the child welfare or juvenile/criminal legal systems. We use uniquely integrated strategies to advance systemic reform, empower families and communities, and advocate for the educational rights of individual students.

AFC grounds our work in our organization’s values:

• Family-Centered: We listen to what families want for their children and empower them with information and support.

• Expertise: W e ground our advocacy in more than 50 years of experience with the NYC public schools and deep knowledge of the legal and education systems affecting the students and families we serve.

• Passion: We are united by our unrelenting drive to dismantle obstacles to education and our unwavering dedication to NYC’s students and families.

• Community: We foster collaboration and inclusive practices within our team and with outside partners so we can learn from different perspectives and unite in advancing our common goals.

• Justice: We view the law as a powerful tool to bridge gaps in access to education and help families from under-represented communities fight for their rights.

• Impact: We recognize that our value lies in the difference we make in the lives of students and their families and push ourselves to achieve concrete results.

For more information on AFC, see www.advocatesforchildren.org .

JOB SUMMARY

AFC is committed to shaping and sustaining a thriving, equitable, and high-performing organizational culture. The Director of People & Culture is a new senior leadership position for Advocates for Children that will join the Executive Team in this effort. Building on AFC’s existing policies and practices, this role will lead strategies for talent development and performance, learning and development, and equity and inclusion during an exciting period of organizational evolution and future growth.

As a member of the Executive Team, and in close collaboration with the COO and the Director of HR & Finance, the Director of People & Culture will partner with leaders and staff to uphold and operationalize AFC’s values, support staff at all levels, and ensure a consistent, positive, and equitable employee experience across the organization. The Director will bring both strategic vision and hands-on leadership to AFC’s dynamic and people-centered team culture and community.

The Director of People & Culture will focus on culture, talent, leadership development, and organizational learning, partnering closely with HR, the COO, and the Executive Director to refine and strengthen existing people and operational practices, ensuring alignment across all people-related functions and joining AFC’s board-led efforts to support and invest in the workforce of the future.

This position will report to the Chief Operating Officer.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizational Leadership

• Serve on the Executive Team, contributing to organizational strategy, decision-making, and long-term planning in close partnership with the Executive Director, COO, and Director of HR & Finance.

• Operationalize AFC’s mission and values into clear organizational practices, norms, and systems that foster a people-centered, equitable, and inclusive culture.

• Partner with leaders and staff across projects and departments to design and guide organizational change initiatives that support learning and development – including change management practices – advance equity, strengthen culture, and prioritizes data-informed decisions and technology and systems adoption to advance AFC’s mission.

• Support and advise the Executive Director, COO, Director of HR & Finance, and AFC’s executive team on risk management and employee relations matters.

Talent Development & Performance Feedback

• With the COO and Director of HR & Finance, collaborate across the organization to design a talent development and performance feedback strategy that aligns with AFC’s organizational goals.

• Lead AFC’s talent development strategy with a focus on performance feedback, growth pathways, and leadership development structures; evaluate effectiveness and recommend and implement approaches that best support AFC’s performance feedback philosophy and organizational needs.

• Review, implement, and oversee staff performance feedback processes; assess effectiveness, and recommend improvements as the organization evolves.

• Coach supervisors on inclusive leadership, effective feedback, approach to conflict resolution, and staff development.

• Plan and deliver training for supervisors and managers to strengthen management capabilities and align leadership practices with AFC’s values.

• Plan and deliver training for all staff to strengthen shared skills in communication, collaboration, inclusive practice, and alignment with AFC’s values and ways of working to support high-quality performance and service delivery.

• Work closely with other internal committees focused on organizational support.

Recruitment, Hiring & Onboarding

• Lead and continuously improve structured, equitable recruitment and hiring processes for all staff positions.

• Support effective hiring practices by helping staff streamline processes, ensure consistency, and provide a positive experience for candidates as ambassadors of AFC.

• Collaborate with hiring managers to define role competencies, design hiring timelines, and support inclusive decision-making.

• Oversee the strategic use of the Greenhouse applicant tracking system, including training hiring committees, managing workflows, analyzing applicant data, and recommending and im

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