Director of Human Resources

About SVA

Southern Vision Alliance (SVA) is a values-based “grassroots intermediary” organized to provide infrastructure, capacity-building, coaching, and technical assistance to groups and projects led by directly impacted communities. SVA supports emergent grassroots groups and efforts organizing for social, racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice in the U.S. South. We build movement infrastructure, mobilize resources, and incubate collaborative solidarity. SVA is headquartered in Durham, NC, and supports a diverse cohort of fiscally sponsored projects, groups, and funds across North Carolina. 

Job Description 

The Director of Human Resources is a supervisory position responsible for overseeing HR management and department operations that adhere to organizational policies and procedures. Their duties include communicating between executive leadership and management, managing the HR department budget, and coordinating with management to ensure compliance with HR laws and regulations. The Director of HR will supervise employees on the HR team and have the support of a current HR associate. 

Supervision

• The Director of HR will supervise employees on the HR team and potentially other employees. For the employees they direct, supervisors will hold regular check-in meetings, provide annual evaluations, and may institute disciplinary action as needed.
• The Director of HR uses independent judgment to:
  • transfer, evaluate, assign work, require tasks and deliverables, and set deadlines.
  • Approve PTO requests and schedules
  • Approve or alter work plans
  • Evaluate and discipline supervisees
  • Handle conflicts among supervisees in accordance with SVA’s policies
  • Recommend promotions or terminations

Equity and Inclusion

• Infuse knowledge and best practices related to racial equity in the creation and development of all HR related strategies, practices, initiatives, and policies.
• Support conversations related to power, privilege, and structural racism to foster conditions for a culture where all staff can experience a sense of belonging.

Employee Relations

• Recommend employee relations practices necessary to establish positive relationships and promote a high level of employee morale and motivation.
• Develop and support employee relations and corrective action practices and procedures that are equitable and honor confidentiality.
• With support from the executive team, administer and execute tasks in delicate circumstances as needed by providing reasonable accommodations, investigating allegations of wrongdoing, and making terminations.
• Serve as a resource for all staff by providing resolution-oriented guidance when sensitive issues arise.

Compensation and Benefits

• Oversee workers’ compensation, disability, and time off/leave programs and ensure that these programs are competitive, cost-effective, and equitable.
• Support executive leadership to establish and oversee compensation and salary structure and related pay policies; monitor for competitiveness, equity, and effectiveness.

Culture

• In coordination with the executive team, lead efforts to build and execute strategies and processes that are aligned with SVA’s values and that promote a culture of belonging, mutual accountability, a positive work environment, and staff engagement
• Identify and implement best practices for employee engagement and retention
• Support the sponsored projects HR functions in the spirit of collaboration, friendliness, accessibility, a coaching and teaching approach, and prompt responsiveness

Hiring, Onboarding, Offboarding

• Understand current organizational structure and job responsibilities to collaborate with managers to design recruitment, selection, and onboarding processes that are legally compliant and support the ongoing development of a highly diverse and engaged staff
• Work collaboratively with managers and other key staff to identify processes and initiatives for staff to feel understood and valued, knowledgeable about benefits and resources, and empowered to mutually solve problems

Compliance

• Ensure legal compliance in all HR programs, policies, and procedures 
• Identify and utilize internal and external HR data to proactively monitor trends and employment law, identify risks, and make recommendations for new or revised programs, policies, and procedures
• Collaborate with external legal counsel to ensure Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) compliance and other legally required employment law requirements
• Oversee updates to the personnel handbook and other human resources policies

Performance Management and Talent Development

• Lead the creation and implementation of a performance management process that aligns with SVA’s mission, vision, and strategy
• Provide support to managers in identifying resources and strategies for talent development and for advancing and retaining BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) employees as well as other underrepresented groups in the workforce, including, but not limited to, LGBTQ people, working class and poor people, and people with disabilities

Administrative

• Liaise with SVA’s Professional Employer Organization (PEO)
• Liaise with Finance to support payroll and other relevant tasks as needed
• Assist in issuing employment contracts and salary/title change memos
• Manage the development and maintenance of employee and contractors’ HR documents
• Maintain current staff contact information
• Process, file, organize, and maintain all HR and employment documents for staff
• Utilize appropriate internal communications threads for sharing information with the team
• Attend mandatory annual meetings, such as the All Member Gathering
• Support other functions as assigned

Required Skills

• Manages a high volume of work with efficiency: Has, or can create, a system for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. Able to juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. Meets deadlines. Follows through on commitments. 
• Entrepreneurial and resourceful: Consistently overcomes challenges and leverages resources to creatively solve problems. Proposes solutions to issues without much guidance (but isn’t afraid to ask questions). Proactively asks for help, anticipates problems, and course-corrects where needed. 
• Attention to detail: Notices and fixes errors that others might overlook. Acknowledges mistakes and turns them into learning opportunities. Has a track record of leaving things better than they found them. Has excellent verbal and writing skills. 
• Strong sense of ownership and resilience: Plans ahead and finds alternative paths, when needed, to get to the finish line. Bounces back from setbacks and rejections. Holds a high bar even when things are hectic.
• Trustworthiness and authenticity: Comes across as genuine. Says what they mean. Builds authentic relationships across lines of difference, such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, ability, gender identity, citizenship status, or other identities. 
• Supervisory skills: Has experience managing multiple staff, including experience with performance improvement processes, difficult conversations, coaching, clear and direct feedback, and is skilled at receiving feedback and suggestions from supervisees. 
• Conflict management and resolution: Demonstrated, concrete experience in conflict management and resolution skills.

 Qualifications

• At least five years of experience in an HR leadership position.
• Supervisory experience and/or capability.
• Knowledge of employment law and legal compliance.
• Proficiency in GSuite and Excel is required. 
• Familiarity with Canva and Slack preferred. 
• Experience working with fiscal sponsorship strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated commitment to the SVA’s vision of a powerful,  multiracial, working-class movement-building as a path towards liberation for all people.