Head of People and Culture

About the role

The Head of People and Culture is a strategic and operational leader responsible for building, modernizing, and stewarding a high-performing, mission-aligned people function at the Legal Defense Fund (LDF).

Responsibilities

• Establish strong HR capacity and execution.
• Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing Human Resources team.
• Establish service standards, accountability measures, and performance expectations.
• Strengthen foundational HR practices while leading organizational change and building trust across the organization.
• Ensure responsive, high-quality HR support for leaders and employees.
• Improve HR operations and execute the strategic plan.
• Lead implementation of LDF's people strategy aligned with organizational priorities.
• Modernize HR operations, systems, policies, and processes across the employee lifecycle.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, HRIS data integrity, payroll processes, and organizational policies.
• Utilize workforce analytics, dashboards, and reporting to support strategic decision-making.
• Oversee HR budgets, vendor relationships, employee relations processes, and operational consistency.
• Drive high performance capability across the organization.
• Lead leadership development, manager training, and performance management initiatives.
• Coach leaders on employee relations, conflict resolution, and organizational effectiveness.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous feedback, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Partner with executive leadership to strengthen organizational capacity and employee performance.
• Promote a culture of wellness, inclusion & joy.
• Strengthen employee engagement, recognition, and wellness initiatives.
• Leverage surveys, engagement data, and employee feedback to improve retention and organizational effectiveness.
• Foster an inclusive workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and connected to LDF's mission.
• Advance Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning.
• Oversee recruitment, workforce planning, succession planning, onboarding, and talent development.
• Partner with hiring managers to strengthen hiring decisions and candidate experience.
• Advance compensation, career pathing, and job architecture initiatives.
• Utilize hiring and retention data to continuously improve talent strategies.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and talent strategy.
• Build credibility and trust throughout the organization while navigating complex organizational dynamics.
• Translate HR insights and workforce data into actionable recommendations that strengthen organizational effectiveness.

Qualifications and Attributes

• Commitment to LDF's mission and racial justice.
• Demonstrated expertise across HR operations, employment law, compliance, HRIS, analytics, employee relations, and organizational development.
• Strategic, data-informed leader with experience modernizing HR functions and leading organizational change.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, coaching, and influencing skills.
• Experience supporting complex, matrixed organizations and navigating sensitive employee relations matters.

Compensation & Benefits

Anticipated Salary: $210,000-$225,000. Salary is based on market competitiveness, internal equity, geographic location, and the selected candidate's experience and qualifications.