Director of Human Resources

Organizational Overview

Do you want to help ensure that every organizer, advocate, and changemaker in the progressive movement has what they need to create bold, people-powered change? Join us in making that vision a reality.

Launched in 2018, The Movement Cooperative (TMC) is a nonprofit member cooperative uniting more than 80 national and state-based organizations and over 1,400 affiliates through shared infrastructure and collaborative support. We bridge the gap between vision and capacity—democratizing access to tools, data, and strategic expertise that help our members organize more efficiently, campaign more effectively, and drive lasting impact across the movement.

As a cooperative, TMC is governed by and for its members, with a board(s) made up primarily of staff from member organizations. Together, we’re reimagining what’s possible when movement groups have the infrastructure they need to thrive.

Position Overview

The Director of Human Resources plays a pivotal role in ensuring an equitable, compliant, and thriving workplace at TMC. As the senior HR leader for TMC’s human-centered, fully remote, and unionized workplace, they report to the Chief of Staff. This role is responsible for shaping the organization’s people strategy while ensuring smooth day-to-day HR administration.

The Director is a leader who is energized by both high-level considerations and operational execution. They enjoy visioning, leading change, and coaching leaders, while also valuing reliable systems, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through. They integrate compliance and operational efficiency into a cohesive people strategy that supports a values-driven and high-performing workplace.

As the sole HR leader, the Director is responsible for HR strategy and operations, labor relations, employee relations, people management, benefits administration, compliance, HR vendor management, and organizational development. They lead TMC’s People Operations team, including the Operations Strategist and Learning & Development Lead, which strives to empower TMC staff to thrive by building and sustaining concise, transparent, and equitable practices, policies, and procedures across HR, systems, learning, and culture. This role is part of the Programs constellation at TMC.

Responsibilities

HR Operations & Administration (~20%)

Own the organization's HR infrastructure: HRIS/PEO (Rippling), benefits platforms (Human Interest, WageWorks/HealthEquity), ATS (Greenhouse), and related tools, ensuring data integrity, accurate reporting, and reliable day-to-day operation.

Lead payroll and compensation processing and reporting, in partnership with the CFO, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and timely delivery of pay and benefits.

Own benefits administration. Serve as a point of contact for complex benefits questions and collaborate with external vendors as needed. Lead annual benefits open enrollment, including communication planning, system setup, and coordination with external vendors.

Own PTO administration and reporting.

Maintain the Employee Handbook, HR policies, SOPs, job descriptions, and personnel files, keeping them current with law, CBA provisions, and best practices.

Serve as project manager for federal, state, and local compliance reporting, in partnership with the PEO and legal counsel as needed.

Serve as primary or triage point for HR-related inquiries from staff, union leadership, and outside parties, ensuring timely, accurate, and consistent responses.

Lead proactive communications to staff on policy, benefits, procedure changes, and other people-related announcements (including the monthly People Operations newsletter highlighting benefits, changes, events, and culture).

Maintain systems, documentation, and workflows that support accountability and consistency, and reduce dependence on memory.

People Experience, Relations & Performance (~20%)

Oversee the full employee lifecycle (hiring, promotions, transitions, and separations) in alignment with organization policies, CBA provisions, employment laws, and HR best practices.

Serve as the primary point of contact, trusted advisor, and administrator for employee relations matters like conflicts, extended leave requests, accommodation requests, and sensitive HR issues.

Own the performance management lifecycle: goal-setting, feedback cycles and reviews, and introductory period processes.

Coach managers to apply policies consistently, deliver effective feedback, and lead with equity and clarity.

Lead investigations and conflict resolution processes; escalate high-risk matters to legal counsel as appropriate.

Lead employee experience research (surveys, interviews, stay/exit conversations) and translate findings into actionable recommendations.

Drive retention and engagement strategies grounded in data and what staff are telling you.

Partner with the L&D Lead on standard trainings and ongoing learning programs.

Labor Relations & CBA Administration (~15%)

Actively administer the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), including day-to-day interpretation, application, and compliance with contract provisions including regular reporting requirements.

Manage the grievance process end-to-end (intake, investigation, documentation, resolution, and coordination with legal counsel when needed).

Serve as primary staff liaison to the Labor Management Committee (LMC) and steward productive, trust-based labor-management relationships.

Interpret CBA provisions with managers and the executive team; flag implementation issues and propose resolutions before they escalate.

Facilitate Bi-Annual Equity Audit process, as required by the CBA, including hiring of outside consultants, consultation with LMC, and leading review and strategy for implementation of feedback.

Track grievance patterns, labor relations trends, and contract risks; report to the Chief of Staff and executive team as needed.

Stay current on labor law, employment law, and HR best practices; maintain active HR certification (SHRM-CP/SCP or PHR/SPHR).

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Design (~15%)

Guide leadership through periods of change and ambiguity with clarity, follow-through, and steady decision-making.

Serve as trusted advisor to executive and senior leadership on change management, organizational transitions, and people-related risk.

Translate TMC's organizational strategy into a people strategy that advances the mission, supports long-term sustainability, and reflects the organization's structure.

Partner with the Chief of Staff and leadership teams to plan workforce needs, organizational structure, role design, and capacity.

Ensure job descriptions and competency matrices are holistically considered and aligned with compensation model categorizations, so roles are described consistently and pay decisions are equitable.

Identify people-related risks early (staffing gaps, compliance gaps, labor relations issues) and bring forward options before they become crises.

Support succession planning for key organizational roles, in partnership with executive leadership.

Contribute to organizational strategy as a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT).

Team Leadership: People Operations (~15%)

Lead the People Operations team with a focus on clarity of priorities, coaching, and quality of deliverables.

Set team goals and OKRs aligned with the organization's strategy; hold accountability through documentation, regular check-ins, and follow-through.

Coach team members in their day-to-day work and professional growth.

Make decisions about when to delegate, when to stay close to the details, and when to step in directly.

Plan for team capacity and coordinate cross-training.

Oversee the team’s maintenance of staff information spaces (e.g. Notion, Drive, Slack) with direct accountability for HR-specific sections.

Manager Development, Coaching & Leadership Partnership (~15%)

Lead difficult conversations with managers and staff with confidence, humility, and a commitment to resolution.

Build trust with managers through reliability, clear communication, and consistent follow-through.

Coach and advise managers across the organization on people decisions, team dynamics, and leadership challenges.

Develop and maintain training and resources for new and experienced managers to ensure management practices are consistent, compliant, and human-centered across the organization, partnering with the L&D Lead on design and delivery.

Convene and facilitate manager meetings, design agendas that advance leadership practice and build a coherent manager community.

Qualifications

Experience

8+ years of progressive HR experience, including 4+ years in a senior HR leadership role and 2+ years managing people.

Active CBA administration in a unionized workplace is a must-have. Candidates should have hands-on experience with contract interpretation, grievance management, and labor-management collaboration (not just familiarity with these concepts).

Current HR certification (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP), or willingness to obtain within 6 months of hire.

Proven success operating as the senior HR leader for a small-to-mid-sized organization (~50 people), ideally as a sole HR practitioner or with limited direct support.

Experience working across multiple state jurisdictions.

Demonstrated experience with employee relations, conflict resolution, performance management, and workplace investigations.

Strong background in HR compliance, federal and state employment law, and labor relations.

Track record of building and maintaining iterative and dependable HR systems, processes, and documentation.

Experience using and administering HRIS, benefits management systems, and ATS.

Experience working in or with values-driven, progressive, member-driven, and/or nonprofit organizations.

Proven experience supporting organizations through significant change management moments.

Demonstrated commitment to anti-racism, equity, and justice in workplace practices.

Skills

A blend of strategic vision and operational rigor; equally energized by long-term planning and today's to-do list.

Expert interpersonal and communication skills; able to coach, mediate, and advise across all levels of the organization.

High emotional intelligence, discretion, and judgment in handling confidential and sensitive matters.

Strong project management and prioritization skills; able to track dozens of moving priorities without dropping balls.

Skilled at creating accountability through documentation and follow-through.

Deep understanding of employment law, labor law, and HR compliance.

Strategic thinking with the ability to align people strategy with organizational strategy and equity commitments.