Director of People and Culture

New York City 

Hybrid - 2 days in office

About itrek

itrek empowers rising and current influentials to experience Israel firsthand. Through peer, professional and faculty-led Israel Treks, both graduate students from top programs and industry leaders experience Israel’s innovation, diversity and complex reality. With over 25,000 participants across 130 nationalities since its launch in 2011, itrek brings the richness and complexity of Israel to life through Israel Treks that combine education, culture, and fun–and leave a lasting impression on participants.

itrek is a 30-person team based in New York and Israel that continues to operate as a fast-moving and nimble organization. We love exploring new ideas and collaborating as a team to push ourselves and our thinking.

Position Overview

The Director of People & Culture will be responsible for leading all aspects of Human Resources including recruiting/retention, benefits, hiring/onboarding, OKRs, performance management, compliance, training and development, and all other HR strategy and operations. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this position will be responsible for the overall administration, coordination, and operation of HR functions that support the success of the organization and its strategic objectives. This position is best suited for someone who thrives in a culture that blends an impact driven nonprofit with a business environment and in a high growth stage. 
Primary Responsibilities

Culture/Employee Relations

• Assess and advance employee engagement and satisfaction; provide strategic recommendations to maintain and improve employee relations and shape organizational culture.

• Serve as HR contact for all staff; proactively engage employees to improve working relationships, build morale, and increase productivity and retention.

• Develop and implement an employee communications strategy. 

• Manage the annual retreat and oversee other employee events and appreciation activities. 

• Manage and resolve complex employee relations issues; where applicable, conduct effective, thorough and objective investigations.

Professional Development/ Performance Management

• Lead a culture of learning at itrek by supporting individual, departmental and managerial training needs; create a resource library; monitor and evaluate success of training programs.

• Manage the annual goal setting development process (itrek uses OKRs) and quarterly business reviews; create reports for the Executive Team and Board of Directors.

• Manage performance management activities including ongoing feedback and annual performance evaluations; collaborate with the COO to develop and implement new performance management approaches and systems.

• Maintain knowledge of industry trends and best practices in workplace development and change management. 

• Provide guidance to supervisors, and support them in carrying out their responsibilities on personnel matters (supervision/coaching, mentoring professional development); provide supervisors and staff members with coaching and resources to help resolve and prevent interpersonal and team conflicts and adapt to different leadership styles. 

Hiring, Onboarding, Offboarding

• Manage the recruitment and hiring process including collaborating with managers on crafting job descriptions and working with itrek’s external recruiters to attract top talent.

• Supervise the onboarding and offboarding processes. 

• Conduct exit interviews, analyze data and make recommendations to the Executive Team for corrective action and continuous improvement.

Compensation/Benefits

• Administer a consistent and progressive compensation and benefits program to ensure itrek is competitive within its market.

• Monitor budgets for recruiting, training/staff development, and benefits programs. 

• Partner with the Finance Department on all HR administration.

Regulatory/ Compliance

• Ensure compliance with all local, state, federal and Israel employment-related laws and regulations; update policies, procedures, handbooks as needed; provide guidance and training to staff as required.

HRIS/Technology

• Maintain and maximize implementation of human resources information systems (HRIS); advance use of technology in HR functions and activities to support programmatic and fiscal needs. 

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related field required. Advanced degree or SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification a plus. 

• Minimum 7 years of HR generalist experience

• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing effective HR policies and programs that align with the organization’s goals and values

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; able to partner effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders; demonstrated ability to coach and counsel 

• Excellent leadership and management skills with experience leading and developing a high performing team

• Resourceful and able to find creative solutions, thinking beyond current systems and approaches, while recognizing the impact of decisions and actions on the entire organization

• Passion for itrek’s mission and excitement to work in a mission-driven, growth stage organization

• Strong project management skills and adept at managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

• Ability to deal with conflict effectively, and to manage difficult situations confidently and calmly

• Working knowledge of New York City and federal laws and regulations affecting employer practices and compliance requirements; specific knowledge of requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations preferred 

• Proficiency in Google Workspace (Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides), Microsoft Office, and familiarity with other workplace software such as Greenhouse, Slack and Monday

Benefits

• Dynamic and fast growing non-profit organization

• Generous vacation time package including Jewish and American holidays and the ability to leave early for Shabbat and Jewish holidays

• Work from Anywhere weeks and a wellness stipend

• Paid sick leave and parental leave

• High quality Medical, Vision and Dental Plans available 

• 5% company match on retirement savings in company 401k

Salary range $95,000-$120,000; commensurate with experience 

itrek is a hybrid work environment with a minimum of two days per week in the office.