Director, People - Novato - Community Action Marin

Description

About Community Action Marin

COMMUNITY ACTION MARIN'S MISSION: We make it possible for people in Marin to achieve well‑being by providing the vital services they need. Together, we break down the barriers that get in the way of fair and lasting change in service to better outcomes for all.

Position: Director of People & Culture Reports to: Vice President, People & Culture Department: People & Culture Pay Rate: $120,000- $150,000 yr.

Essential Functions

Employee Relations Leadership

• Lead CAM's employee relations function, providing guidance to managers on corrective action, communication, performance concerns, and conflict resolution.
• Serve as the primary investigator for allegations involving misconduct, discrimination, retaliation, or policy violations.
• Conduct investigations that are timely, equitable, well‑documented, and aligned with legal, CBA, and CAM policy standards.
• Coach program directors and supervisors to ensure consistent implementation of policies and expectations across all CAM programs and sites.
• Partner with the VP, People & Culture and legal counsel to manage complex or high‑risk ER cases.
• Establish and maintain clear Employee Relations response timelines and service‑level expectations for managers and program leaders.

Policy, Compliance & Risk Management

• Oversee the development, maintenance, and communication of People & Culture policies, ensuring they comply with federal, state, and local regulations as well as collective bargaining agreement requirements.
• Ensure consistent agency‑wide compliance in key regulatory areas such as FMLA/CFRA/PDL leave administration, ADA/FEHA accommodations, wage and hour requirements, workers' compensation processes, and safety and incident reporting.
• Work with program directors to support consistent adherence to policies and workflows.
• Monitor changes in employment law and recommend timely policy and procedural updates.
• Collaborate with Compliance, Finance, and program teams to support audit readiness and mitigate operational risk.
• Partner with program leadership to crosswalk People & Culture policies against external regulatory requirements (OHS, CDE Title 5, CCL Title 22) and identify conflicts or misalignment.
• Maintain a policy exception or escalation framework for regulated programs where legal or regulatory standards supersede internal HR processes.

People & Culture Operations Oversight

• Supervise and support the People & Culture Manager in delivering high‑quality P&C operations by overseeing all core functions, including benefits administration, leave of absence processes, workers' compensation reporting, ADA/FEHA accommodation, and the integrity and workflow management of the HRIS and personnel records.
• Ensure efficient and consistent operational processes for onboarding, offboarding, position control, job changes, and personnel actions.
• Partner with Finance and IT to ensure payroll alignment, HRIS accuracy, and smooth system integrations.
• Identify opportunities to improve P&C procedures and implement process changes that strengthen clarity, efficiency, and employee experience.
• Oversee personnel file compliance and documentation standards across the agency.
• Support operational components of workforce planning in collaboration with program directors and the VP, People & Culture.
• Partner closely with Early Childhood Education (ECE) program leadership to support staffing compliance in licensed and regulated environments, including workforce requirements tied to Head Start Program Performance Standards, California Community Care Licensing (Title 22), California Department of Education requirements (Title 5), and employment considerations for permitted teaching staff.
• Ensure People & Culture operations appropriately support credentialing, background clearance, staffing documentation, and audit readiness across ECE programs.

Employee Engagement & Culture

• Lead CAM's employee engagement strategy, including ownership of agency‑wide engagement surveys, pulse checks, staff feedback mechanisms, and related analysis.
• Ensure employee engagement strategies account for operational realities such as shift work, site‑based staff, and the union environment.
• Partner with leaders and managers to develop meaningful, measurable action plans based on survey insights; monitor progress and communicate outcomes across the agency.
• Oversee employee engagement events and recognition efforts, including all‑agency events, appreciation activities, and culture‑building initiatives aligned with CAM's values.
• Support and enhance the onboarding experience by ensuring new staff receive a consistent, welcoming, and culturally aligned introduction to CAM, partnering closely with the P&C Manager and program leaders.
• Coordinate CEO‑led staff engagement activities, including CEO luncheons, listening sessions, and special recognition gatherings; ensure strong communication, logistics, and participation.
• Participate in regular site visits with the People & Culture team and other leaders to maintain visibility, gather employee feedback, strengthen relationships, and identify opportunities to improve workplace culture and practices.
• Collaborate with the Director, Learning & Training to ensure that engagement findings inform leadership development, manager capability‑building, and staff learning initiatives.
• Serve as a cultural ambassador, reinforcing fairness, consistency, and CAM's core values across all departments and programs.

Compensation & Classification Support

• Conduct compensation benchmarking and internal equity reviews under the guidance of VP, People & Culture.
• Support salary placement, classification consistency, and updates to job architecture.
• Partner with Finance to ensure compensation practices align with budget, grants, and CAM strategy.
• Ensure classification and compensation decisions align with credentialing, permit requirements, and regulatory role definitions in ECE programs.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Build strong working relationships with directors, managers, and cross‑departmental partners to support effective people practices.
• Provide operational and ER‑related consultation to leaders to strengthen accountability and consistency across CAM.
• Collaborate with the Director, Learning & Training to ensure ER, compliance, and engagement themes inform agency‑wide training priorities.
• Serve as a thought partner to the VP, People & Culture on operational issues, compliance risks, and organizational improvements.
• Participate in agency committees, working groups, and strategic initiatives as needed.

Qualifications

Education

• As a CAM Requirement, all applicants must possess a High School Diploma or equivalent (GED), Bachelor's degree in Human Resources/Organizational Development/Business Administration or related field.
• Certification such as SHRM‑SCP, SPHR preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in HR experience, with at least 2–3 years in a managerial or director‑level role in a complex organization.
• Experience supervising and developing P&C team members and leading cross‑departmental initiatives.
• Experience working with union contracts (preferred), investigations, and policy compliance required.
• Experience working in or supporting Early Childhood Education (ECE) or similarly regulated human services environments is strongly preferred. Familiarity with Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS), California Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing requirements (Title 22), California Department of Education requirements (Title 5), and employment considerations related to permitted teaching staff in California is highly desirable.
• Experience partnering with program leadership to support staffing compliance, credentialing, background clearance requirements, and audit readiness in licensed settings is a plus.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong understanding of California employment law, labor standards, and HR compliance practices.
• Expertise in employee relations, training design, and policy development.
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential, complex, and high‑stakes personnel matters with professionalism and discretion.
• Experience working in unionized, nonprofit, or multi‑site environments strongly preferred.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).
• Proactive communicator with strong coaching, facilitation, and influencing skills across diverse audiences.
• Experience leading P&C investigations and resolving conflict in a thoughtful and trauma‑informed manner.
• Ability to translate policy and compliance requirements into clear, staff‑friendly procedures.
• Skilled in cross‑functional project management and system improvement work.
• High attention to detail, follow‑through, and documentation standards.
• A strong commitment to social justice, equity and the agency's mission to provide high‑quality programs to serve low‑income individuals and families.
• Deep understanding – and ability to articulate – the role equity, inclusion, and diversity plays in our work.

Software

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications: Outlook, Word, Excel, and Internet Explorer.
• Experience with HRIS platforms (Rippling strongly preferred), Power BI, Asana, and budget systems (Sage preferred).

Confidential and Sensitive Information

• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and maintain confidentiality.

Physical Demands

Employees in this role may be required to perform the following physical activities, with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Bend: Flexion of the upper trunk forward while standing and knees extended, or knees flexed when sitting.
• Lift: Exertion of physical strength to move objects 10-25 lbs from one level to another.
• Carry: Hold or rest weighted objects 10-25 lbs directly on hands, arms, shoulders, or back while moving from one location to another.
• Climb: Ascend/descend with gradual or continuous progress, using both hands and feet.
• Push: Exertion of force on or against an object (weight/size) to move it from one location to another.
• Feel: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin.
• Travel: Travel to sites using a personal vehicle may be required based on job duties.