Director of Human Resources - Employee Relations

Job Description

Job DescriptionDirector of Human Resources, Employee Relations

Department

Human Resources

Reports to

Chief People Officer

Location

Regional Support Office - Oakland

Type

Full-time

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

Full Year

About KIPP NorCal

We are a thriving nonprofit network of 23 free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factor in making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Our student community consists of over 7,100 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San José, Redwood City, and Stockton. 80% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 27% are multilingual learners, and 17% receive special education services. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students’ diversity.

Role Overview

The Director of Human Resources – Employee Relations sets the strategy and standards for employee relations across KIPP Northern California, ensuring equitable, consistent, and legally sound practices that strengthen employee experience and organizational effectiveness. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this role leads the Employee Relations department, directly manages three Associate Directors of Employee Relations, and is accountable for department results, team performance, and resource allocation.

In this role, you set strategy for your full department and own its results, team, and budget. You exercise independent judgment within established policies and decision-making authority, partnering with the Chief People Officer on high-risk personnel decisions and escalating matters requiring Chief-level approval.

Core Responsibilities

Employee Relations Strategy and Department Accountability

• Sets the annual Employee Relations strategy and department Key Results, translating organizational priorities into clear standards, measurable outcomes, and accountability systems that promote equitable and consistent practices across KIPP NorCal schools and the Regional Support Office.

• Defines department-wide employee relations protocols, service expectations, and escalation pathways that enable timely, consistent, and legally sound responses to workplace concerns across a distributed organization.

• Directs the evaluation of employee relations trends, case outcomes, and organizational risk indicators, ensuring that data informs department priorities, preventive interventions, and recommendations to the Chief People Officer.

• Shapes the department's approach to complex employee relations challenges, balancing legal compliance, employee experience, organizational values, and operational needs while escalating high-risk decisions for Chief People Officer approval.

Investigations, Conflict Resolution, and Risk Management

• Directs the organization's employee relations investigation framework, establishing standards for impartiality, documentation, confidentiality, timeliness, and consistent resolution of allegations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other workplace misconduct.

• Defines investigation oversight and escalation standards, ensuring Associate Directors manage cases effectively while the Director maintains direct involvement in particularly sensitive, high-risk, or high-visibility matters as warranted.

• Sets standards for employee relations resolutions, including corrective action, performance management, discipline, termination, mediation, and restorative approaches, ensuring recommendations are legally sound, equitable, and aligned with organizational policies.

• Directs KIPP NorCal's Title IX coordination responsibilities, ensuring applicable reporting, investigation, resolution, and compliance processes are implemented consistently and in partnership with appropriate school leaders, organizational stakeholders, and legal counsel.

Employee Relations Policy, Compliance, and Systems

• Sets the standards for employee relations policies, tools, and systems, ensuring consistent application of employment practices and compliance with applicable federal, California, and local employment requirements.

• Directs the annual review and revision of the Staff Handbook in collaboration with the Chief People Officer and relevant department leaders, ensuring policies remain current, accessible, and aligned with organizational expectations.

• Defines department systems for case documentation, investigation quality assurance, reporting, and continuous improvement, ensuring accurate records, appropriate confidentiality, and reliable information for leadership decision-making.

• Shapes the organization's response to emerging employment law requirements and employee relations risks, coordinating with legal counsel and relevant stakeholders to ensure timely policy updates, appropriate risk mitigation, and organizational readiness for formal employment-related proceedings, including arbitration.

Leadership Advising and Organizational Capability

• Sets the department's approach to advising school leaders, managers, and senior executives on employee relations matters, ensuring leaders receive consistent, practical, and legally informed guidance on workplace concerns and personnel decisions.

• Directs professional learning and manager development related to employee relations, including performance management, corrective action, workplace conduct, conflict resolution, and policy implementation, strengthening leaders' ability to address concerns effectively and equitably.

• Shapes cross-functional partnerships with the Chief People Officer, Total Employee Experience leadership, school leaders, and other Regional Support Office departments to improve employee relations processes and strengthen organizational alignment.

• Defines feedback and improvement mechanisms that identify recurring workplace concerns, evaluate manager support needs, and inform preventive strategies that strengthen employee experience and reduce avoidable employee relations issues.

Department Leadership, Talent Development, and Resource Stewardship

• Directs