Human Resources Director

About the role

Unruled Masses (UM) is a New York‑based 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that researches and exposes abuses of power, educates the public on corruption, empowers people to counter corruption through nonviolent civic action, and inspires hope through community. As the Human Resources Director – Volunteer Operations, you will lead the growing volunteer workforce, build inclusive policies, develop training and protections, manage volunteer agreements, shape the volunteer experience, oversee personnel platforms, keep volunteers informed, and help coordinate events and community‑building efforts.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the large and growing influx of volunteers; work with the volunteer coordinator team to ensure consistent recruitment, interview, onboarding, and off‑boarding processes.
• Create and implement diversity, equity, and inclusion policies; ensure accessibility so participation barriers are removed for every volunteer.
• Develop standard and role‑based training; ensure volunteers have the training, safeguards, and protections needed, including compliance with applicable labor laws.
• Work with legal advisors to develop a comprehensive volunteer agreement and a clear, consistent process for review, signing, and renewal.
• Design the volunteer experience beyond onboarding: keep volunteers engaged, recognized, and growing, including a personnel feedback process to understand and address participation and turnover.
• Oversee the platforms used to manage volunteer records, applications, communications, and training, in partnership with the Technology team to protect volunteer data and privacy.
• Help the Communications team keep volunteers informed through internal updates and regular check‑ins.
• At times, help plan and coordinate volunteer events in UM’s major hub cities.
• Support the full range of people operations as UM grows, including volunteer conduct and conflict resolution, record‑keeping, and respectful off‑boarding.
• Help design a volunteer recognition and leadership pathway for strong contributors to grow into team‑lead roles.
• Lead the design of a volunteer‑engagement program that tracks participation and addresses attrition, and report findings to UM leadership.
• Collaborate with the communications team on volunteer‑facing stories, updates, and spotlights.
• Help build volunteer community in new places, including support for future college campus chapters.

Requirements

Ideal qualifications combine people‑operations experience, policy knowledge, inclusion expertise, systems proficiency, clear communication, discretion, and mission alignment.

• Proven experience in human resources, volunteer management, or people operations, preferably in a nonprofit, advocacy, or community‑based setting (paid or volunteer experience counts).
• Working knowledge of workforce policy development, volunteer agreements, and applicable labor and employment considerations, with judgment to involve legal counsel when needed.
• Experience creating or applying DEI and accessibility practices that enable participation for people of different backgrounds, abilities, and circumstances.
• Comfort selecting, configuring, and managing HR, volunteer‑management, and collaboration platforms, respecting data privacy.
• Strong plain‑language writing and communication skills, consistent with UM’s commitment to accessibility, and ability to keep a large, distributed community informed and motivated.
• Ability to handle sensitive personnel matters fairly, confidentially, and professionally.
• Demonstrated, nonpartisan commitment to democracy, human rights, and the belief that organized, peaceful communities can hold power accountable.

Benefits

• Shape the Community – design the experience that welcomes, trains, and keeps the volunteers who power the movement.
• Founding Team Status – work directly with UM leadership to build a nonpartisan, public‑interest research and civic action organization from the ground up.
• Leadership Growth – build real experience leading people, policy, and systems at a fast‑growing organization.
• Transformative Impact – play a direct role in moving people from isolation and hopelessness into organized, hopeful, and effective collective action.

Pay

This is an unpaid volunteer role.

Schedule

We are flexible on time but ask for at least 6–8 hours a week to oversee volunteer operations, with occasional additional time for events in our hub cities.