Senior Director, People & Culture

About the Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists, without regard to their political ideology, to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal. We protect the rights of all people to have access to diverse and independent sources of information. Founded in 1981 as an independent, nonprofit organization, we have helped win the early release of imprisoned journalists, secure convictions in journalist murders, and enable positive legal reform in countries where the climate for free expression has deteriorated.

We are headquartered in New York City with a global team comprised of staff members and contributors based worldwide. This structure allows us to monitor and respond to press freedom threats in real time, ensuring that journalists everywhere have the support they need.

We are dedicated to upholding values of equity and free expression in both our internal operations and external endeavors. As an international organization, we strive for our people to be representative of the global community we support and to equip our team with the opportunities and resources they need to thrive.

Learn more about our fight to defend freedom of the press at https://cpj.org/.

The Senior Director, People & Culture Opportunity

We are seeking a mission-aligned Senior Director, People & Culture (Senior Director) with both strategic vision and strong execution skills to lead our human resources function. Since 2021, when we established the first dedicated HR role at CPJ, we have implemented key systems, processes, policies, and roles to support staff. We are now seeking a Senior Director who will strengthen the foundation already in place and continue to build out a highly responsive, consistent, and globally effective People & Culture function.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, the Senior Director will play a central role in supporting our globally distributed, hybrid workforce. They will be responsible for aligning people strategies with CPJ’s mission and organizational structure, strengthening management practices, bolstering organizational efforts around equity and inclusion, and improving day-to-day operations. This leader will also serve as the internal point person for CPJ on labor relations, owning engagement with union representatives, leading on grievance resolution, and helping foster a culture of transparency, fairness, and accountability across union and non-union staff. The Senior Director will provide leadership to a small People & Culture team, ensuring strong alignment with organizational goals, clear roles, and accountability.

This is a high-impact opportunity for an experienced HR professional to shape and lead an evolving department at a critical time for press freedom and as we continue to grow our international presence. The Senior Director will have direct access to leadership and contribute to key organizational decisions as a true partner across the organization.

To view key responsibilities, please see the full job description

https://www.dsgco.com/search/22475-cpj-senior-director-people-culture/

Candidate Profile

As a strong candidate for the Senior Director, People & Culture role, you will demonstrate many, though perhaps not all, of the following experiences and skills:

• You come to this role with at least 8 years of progressive HR experience, including management roles and experience supervising and developing People & Culture or HR staff.
• You bring experience managing HR policies and practices across international contexts, including working with globally distributed teams.
• You have experience working with U.S. unionized workforces.
• You demonstrate proven success in leading culture change, staff engagement, and building systems that promote shared accountability, leveraging strategic thinking to develop and implement plans that respond to organizational need, capitalize on opportunities, and manage risk.
• You possess excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills, with a solutions-oriented approach as well as excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• You lead with cultural competency and an emphasis on treating others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect, with an understanding of how to how to engage a highly diverse, global workforce. Experience supporting an employee population with a focus on wellness and trauma-informed practices is considered a plus.
• You bring an understanding of how to navigate ambiguous situations and ensure fair, consistent, and appropriate decisions in line with organizational policies and values.
• You have strong organizational, time management, and delegation skills in order to manage multiple priorities within a small team and a relatively new function.
• You may offer additional attributes that would be valuable in this role, including SHRM-CP/SCP or other HR certification and/or fluency in additional languages.

Location

This position requires working at least three consecutive days a month from our New York office, located in midtown Manhattan.

We promote a flexible working environment with hybrid and flexible work schedule opportunities. Our NYC office was designed to be a place where we can work effectively and collaboratively, bringing energy, inspiration, commitment, and deep learning to our mission.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary for the role is anticipated to range from $160,000 - $180,000, commensurate with experience. CPJ offers a generous benefits package.

Contact

DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Cassie Scarano and Kirstin Griffiths. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.

DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.

CPJ provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.