[Remote] Head of People Operations

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (PJMF) is a $1.5 billion philanthropy working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, data science, and the public interest. This role exists to ensure the team advancing the mission is supported and developed, leading critical pillars of the People & Culture function including employee relations, manager capability, and talent acquisition.

Responsibilities

• Lead employee relations responsibilities and serve as a primary point of contact for employee questions, concerns, and policy interpretation
• Independently handle employee relations matters, including advising managers on performance and conduct issues and resolving workplace concerns with limited oversight
• Document issues and processes with precision
• Exercise judgment in identifying and escalating highly complex or high-risk matters to the VP and outside counsel with a clear written record
• Design and run a manager coaching curriculum for people managers across all functions
• Coach managers through employee relations situations: performance concerns, difficult conversations, team dynamics, and conflict resolution
• Maintain and refine a manager toolkit to reduce reliance on P&C for routine people-related decisions
• Identify capability gaps across the management layer and build targeted development responses
• Lead full-cycle recruiting for technical and non-leadership roles, including sourcing, screening, interview design, and offer coordination
• Manage the ATS and ensure a consistent, well-documented candidate experience
• Develop interview frameworks tied to PJMF's competency model
• Support the VP on senior searches
• Own the annual and mid-year review cycle end-to-end: system launch, communication, calibration preparation, timeline management, and quality review
• Maintain and improve our performance management infrastructure on our 3rd party platform
• Support managers in writing evidence-based assessments
• Flag patterns across team ratings and bring a calibration perspective to the VP
• Build an annual L&D calendar aligned to organizational competency needs
• Design onboarding that accelerates time-to-contribution for new hires
• Source and manage external facilitators and vendors for specific programs or organizational needs
• Own day-to-day HR operations: new hire setup, offboarding, employment verifications, and status changes
• Administer benefits in partnership with our PEO
• Maintain compliance with federal and multi-state employment law requirements for a remote workforce
• Manage record retention and I-9 compliance
• Maintain HRIS accuracy and serve as the primary system administrator for all people systems

Skills

• 10 or more years in HR, with at least 7 years in roles focused on employee relations, manager development and coaching, or talent management
• Technical recruiting experience required
• Demonstrated experience coaching managers through performance and conduct situations effectively
• Deep working knowledge across core HR disciplines: employee relations, talent development, performance management, full-cycle recruitment, compensation and benefits, and multi-state employment law
• Experience designing and delivering effective learning programs that drive behavior change
• Demonstrated ability to deliver coaching conversations and group facilitation sessions for managers at all levels
• Hands-on experience with Google Workspace, Asana, Culture Amp, or a comparable performance platform, an ATS, and LinkedIn Recruiter
• Demonstrated use of AI tools in an HR context, with enough working knowledge to evaluate new tools, spot limitations, and advise the team on practical applications
• Hands-on experience with HRIS platforms, benefits administration, and multi-state compliance in a remote workforce
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• Work eligibility: Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. (No visa sponsorship available)
• Experience managing a team is preferred
• HR certification is strongly preferred

Benefits

• Health Coverage – Foundation-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees, spouses/domestic partners, and dependents. Coverage includes family planning support, a One Medical subscription, and begins on the date of hire.
• Employer-paid group term life insurance and short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Long-term Rewards – 401(k) retirement plan with generous matching up to 6% of annual pay, plus an additional discretionary match at the end of the year.
• PTO & Leave Options – Paid time off, which allows team members to take the time they need for vacation, illness, volunteer time, bereavement, medical leave, so they can return to work able to contribute fully to our mission. The foundation recognizes 11 paid national holidays per year and also hosts a winter break at the end of the year.
• Parental Leave – Up to 6 months of gender-neutral paid leave for parents and caregivers when they have a new addition to their families
• Remote Work Environment - Ability to work 100% remotely within the USA, but not alone, with mature, socially minded professionals. Annual all staff summit in the Summer. Remote work stipend to support remote working needs.
• Wellness Support – Employee Assistance Programs, access to Ginger, Headspace, and SmartSpend Plus, along with financial well-being providers
• Learning Reimbursements – Foundation policy encouraging employees to explore development opportunities such as peer learning, internal training, and external activities; savings on student loans (available via insurance provider)
• Philanthropic Gift Matching – opportunity for team members to support nonprofits in their community, reflecting PJMF’s commitment to social impact

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