Position Summary:

The Associate Director, People Strategy partners closely with People Strategy leadership to design, implement, and continuously improve human resources programs and initiatives that enhance the employee experience, strengthen manager capability, ensure compliance, and foster a culture of accountability and growth. The Associate Director serves as a trusted advisor and operational partner within the People Strategy team and reports to the Vice President, People Strategy.

The Associate Director is a Washington, DC-based role, reporting to the office in person 2 days/week.

Position Responsibilities:

Employee & Labor Relations:

• Collaborates on employee relations investigations in partnership with the VP, People Strategy, ensuring matters are handled with consistency, sound judgment, confidentiality, and alignment with organizational values.

• Advise and guide managers through disciplinary, performance improvement, and corrective action processes, promoting equitable, timely, and well-documented outcomes.

• Support interpretation, administration, and consistent application of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in partnership with the VP, People Strategy, and other organizational leaders.

Performance Management & Talent Strategy:

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the performance review system; assess its effectiveness in strengthening staff development, manager accountability, and organizational outcomes.

• Oversee the administration, adoption, and strategic use of the performance management platform, using data and feedback to improve process quality and user experience.

• Champion a performance culture grounded in accountability, equity, timely feedback, and clear expectations for staff and managers.

• Lead on operational and maintaining HRIS systems.

Policy, Compliance & Total Rewards:

• Revise and communicate HR policies to promote legal compliance, consistency, operational clarity, and alignment with HRC’s organizational values.

• Advance compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws by advising leaders, identifying risk areas, and supporting consistent people practices.

• Contribute strategic analysis and recommendations to the total rewards strategy, including compensation analysis, benchmarking, and equity review.

• Analyze workforce, compliance, and employee relations trends that may affect organizational objectives or operational resources; interpret relevant laws and policies and advise management and employees accordingly.

• Oversee timely and accurate compliance reporting, including OSHA, EEOC, unemployment, and other applicable labor and employment requirements.

Recruitment & Workforce Planning:

• Handle full-cycle recruitment for assigned roles and advise leaders on workforce planning, talent pipeline strategies, and staffing decisions that support organizational priorities.

• Coach and guide hiring managers on equitable, effective, and legally compliant hiring practices that strengthen candidate experience and decision quality.

• Manage job architecture and position classification reviews to support internal equity, role clarity, and consistent organizational design practices.

• Act as backup for new hire orientation as needed, ensuring onboarding practices reinforce organizational culture, expectations, and employee engagement.

Benefits:

• Serve as back up on employee benefits administration as needed, helping ensure accurate, responsive, and employee-centered service delivery.

• Contribute to benefits-related projects and process improvements that enhance program administration, employee communication, and operational effectiveness.