What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Human Resources position at Teaching Matters?
Director of Human Resources
About Teaching Matters
Teaching Matters is a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that every child, no matter zip code, has equitable access to great teaching. Our mission is to close the opportunity gap of a radically unequal education system for underserved and historically marginalized children. For 30 years we have supported over 1,500 schools to advance academic achievement; deepened the teaching practice of 35,000-plus teachers, and affected the learning of over 600,000 students. We bring deep knowledge, experience and a commitment to effective, research-based school and district support. We have a team of over 80 coaches which, together, have a successful history of providing professional development to thousands of educators with the overall goal of strengthening teacher effectiveness and leadership to improve student achievement.
Position Summary
This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on partnership with leaders and managers. The Director of HR oversees organizational policies, compliance, employee relations strategy, performance management frameworks, manager development, compensation structures, and HR systems and processes. This role also manages recruiting operations and provides leadership during phases of expansion.
Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, the ideal candidate is a highly strategic and operationally strong HR leader who can build scalable systems while fostering a strong, mission-aligned culture.
Roles And Responsibilities
HR Strategy & Organizational Development
About Teaching Matters
Teaching Matters is a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that every child, no matter zip code, has equitable access to great teaching. Our mission is to close the opportunity gap of a radically unequal education system for underserved and historically marginalized children. For 30 years we have supported over 1,500 schools to advance academic achievement; deepened the teaching practice of 35,000-plus teachers, and affected the learning of over 600,000 students. We bring deep knowledge, experience and a commitment to effective, research-based school and district support. We have a team of over 80 coaches which, together, have a successful history of providing professional development to thousands of educators with the overall goal of strengthening teacher effectiveness and leadership to improve student achievement.
Position Summary
This role combines strategic leadership with hands-on partnership with leaders and managers. The Director of HR oversees organizational policies, compliance, employee relations strategy, performance management frameworks, manager development, compensation structures, and HR systems and processes. This role also manages recruiting operations and provides leadership during phases of expansion.
Reporting to the Vice President of Operations, the ideal candidate is a highly strategic and operationally strong HR leader who can build scalable systems while fostering a strong, mission-aligned culture.
Roles And Responsibilities
HR Strategy & Organizational Development
- Develop and execute a people strategy aligned with organizational goals and growth
- Design and implement scalable HR systems, policies, and processes
- Partner with senior leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and change management
- Lead organization-wide HR initiatives that strengthen accountability, communication, and employee experience
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations
- Maintain and evolve HR policies, employee handbook, and compliance frameworks across multiple locations
- Monitor employment law changes and proactively implement necessary updates
- Partner with legal counsel on sensitive employee relations and risk mitigation matters
- Oversee investigations and resolution of complex employee issues
- Build and maintain organization-wide performance management frameworks and practices
- Coach managers and senior leaders on employee relations, feedback, accountability, and difficult conversations
- Design and implement manager training on performance management, compliance, and leadership effectiveness
- Support succession planning and leadership development initiatives
- Partner with leadership on compensation philosophy, salary structures, and pay equity practices
- Oversee HR systems, reporting, people analytics, and operational effectiveness
- Ensure HR processes support organizational scale and consistency
- Analyze workforce trends and provide strategic recommendations to leadership
- Manage and support the recruiting function and recruiting team member(s)
- Partner with hiring managers to improve hiring processes and workforce planning
- Strengthen recruiting operations, candidate experience, and hiring consistency across the organization
- Champion an inclusive, equitable, and collaborative organizational culture
- Ensure consistency and equity in employee experience across teams and geographies
- Partner with HR team members to support engagement initiatives and staff communication strategies
- 8–12 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including multi-state operations
- Deep knowledge of U.S. employment laws and compliance requirements
- Proven experience scaling HR systems and processes in a growing organization
- Strong change management and communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to influence and coach senior leaders
- Commitment to building inclusive, equitable workplace practices
- This position works 12 months and is a full-time position, funding dependent and permitting.
- Salary range: $141,723 - $165,344 per year, based on experience. Starting salaries are based on metrics that are non negotiable to ensure equitable practices. See our compensation philosophy here.
- 403b options, with 6% match after one year of employment.
- Full benefits available, including generous PTO and sick time.
- Biannual social gatherings with the team
- Teaching Matters is unable to hire any employees of the New York City Department of Education within one year of the end of their employment.
Salary : $141,723 - $165,344