Overview:

About Rising Ground

Founded as an orphanage in 1831, Rising Ground has been at the forefront of evolving community needs. Driven by the belief that each of us can thrive when life has hope and opportunity, Rising Ground provides caring support and proven paths to positive change, helping children, adults, and families rise above adversity, and each year, Rising Ground is a positive force in the lives of more than 72,000 individuals annually. We do this through 101 programs across 138 sites, throughout New York City and Westchester. Our strong belief and commitment to diversity is shown not just through our work with supported persons but is integral to the building of a strong staff that reflects the communities we serve. Rising Ground is headquartered in New York City.

About the Role

The Assistant Vice President of Human Resources provides support, guidance and leadership for all HR functions: talent acquisition, employee / labor relations, payroll, benefits, compensation, and regulatory compliance. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Human Resources, this position ensures that the organizational human resources strategy aligns with the mission, vision, values, and strategic direction of the Rising Ground.

The Assistant Vice President of Human Resources is a key thought leader with a strategic mindset who serves as a trusted advisor and partner to drive human resources initiatives that support the overall mission and strategic direction of Rising Ground. The Assistant Vice President is focused on continuous service improvement and operational excellence; and provides strategic leadership and vision for an organization committed to being an employer-of-choice and for fostering a culture that is diverse, equitable, inclusive and forward thinking. As a direct report to the Senior Vice President of Human Resources, the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources serves as a key leader who drives initiatives and provides strategic and day-to-day oversight for all core HR functions. The Assistant Vice President of HR is responsible for other programs including employee relations, staff and leadership development, benefits and wellness, implementation of personnel policies and procedures, talent acquisition and orientation, staff compensation, performance management systems, compliance issues and personnel records.

Responsibilities:

· Provides overall leadership and support of the Human Resources division; oversees the areas of Benefits Administration, Worker’s Comp, Talent Acquisition, Compensation, and Employee Experience.

· Leads and directs Human Resources staff in all activities; establishes goals, objectives, and priorities for staff, and assesses staff performance at regular intervals recognizes staff success and counsels staff as appropriate regarding performance and conduct.

· Drives and develops measurable goals and achievements, moving HR to a more metrics driven, data-oriented entity. Develops and monitors report card updates and sets foundation for organizational excellence.

· Consults with programmatic leadership, managers and supervisors regarding departmental competencies and provides coaching/consulting on various HR related matters.

· Develops and cultivates vendor relationships, delivering the best available internal programs and value-added offerings to the benefit of the staff and organization.

· Provides the professional leadership necessary to build and maintain “best practices” in Human Resources, including the development of a strong team with strong relationships at all levels.

Employee Experience/Relations

· Supports communication among employees and management by providing guidance and consultation regarding problem solving, dispute resolution, regulatory compliance, litigation avoidance and strives to resolve internal conflict informally through appropriate conflict management and mediation techniques

· Manages and oversees the organization’s performance evaluation process (initial probation process and annual evaluations), including recommendations for process improvement as well as implementation

· In collaboration with Legal Counsel, interprets Federal and State regulations, and organizational policies and procedures, in the area of employee relations

· Advises managers and supervisors on the enforcement of employment law, workplace health & safety regulations and related personnel policies and procedures

· Responsible for developing policies and procedures to facilitate the implementation of negotiated agreements/ contracts; interprets organization’s policies/procedures and MOU for employees as needed

· In consultation with administration, supports the management of employee relations cases, from incident report through final disposition; formulates responses, proposals and settlements for presentation to HR and organizational leadership.

· Supports the investigation of employee complaints and issues, detailing reports of findings and recommendations for resolution to the appropriate parties

· Works proactively to assist and address employee relations matters by implementing strategic management measures, such as employee relations briefings and trainings for managers and supervisors as needed

· Researches, analyzes and prepares data for use to drive staff retention, optimization, and employee meetings

· Supports the management of Family Medical Leave (FMLA), Unemployment Insurance and Workers Compensation processes to ensure compliance with federal/state laws develops and conducts trainings on specific subject matter as needed

· Collaborates with the Benefits and Leaves manager to ensure accuracy of workers compensation data and records; enforces all appropriate. Implements a light duty program for the organization.

· Oversees Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) regulations as it pertains to workers compensation

· Ensures effective representation of the organization at hearings and other administrative processes involved with employee and labor relations matters, unemployment, workers compensation, grievances and related matters

· Responsible for regularly managing workplace accident data in order to comply with OSHA 300 and 310 reporting guidelines

· Collaborates with respective staff (compliance) in addressing College matters of mutual concern; assists in the development and implementation of effective affirmative action and equal opportunity programs within the College

· Stays abreast of current trends in Human Resource Management, specific to employment law

· Attends meetings and trainings internal and external to the organization that will increase knowledge in Human Resource and Management/Employee Relations

· Supports the overall employee experience proposition and models an exemplary service offering to our staff

· Participates in and supports all employee experience offerings and functions

Administration and Management

· Implements strategic planning in relation to personnel programs and trends in human resources management; establishes and implements long-range programs in all aspects of human resources

· Leads and spearheads the HR integration and data migration from legacy systems to the organizations new ERP

· Collaborates with the HR Leadership and program managers to work on various projects as needed

· Communicates regularly with the organizations community regarding changes to Human Resources processes or matters that affect staff

· Maintains knowledge of industry trends and employment legislation pertaining to all Human Resources matters

· Establishes and identifies key performance indicators for the organizations and talent management functions; assesses the organizations success and market competitiveness based on these metrics

· Ensures compliance with all organizational audit requirements as it relates to human resources and offers support to the programmatic functions.

· Serves as acting VP of HR, assuming duties and responsibilities in their absence

· Performs other duties as assigned.

Additional Requirements:

· Authorized to work in the U.S.

· Ability to work in-person in New York City (NY) for at least 3 days or more per week.

· Ability to travel to other Rising Ground sites as necessary.

Supervisory Responsibility:

Yes

Work Environment:

Corporate Office: This role operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday in our Headquarters at 1333 Broadway office in Midtown Manhattan. Work hours options are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm, 10 am - 6 pm.

Qualifications:

· Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in Human Resources Administration, Operational Leadership or related field or the professional equivalent thereof.

· At least ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership and supervisory experience in HR.

· Exemplary leadership and management skills, with a high degree of self-awareness and emotional intelligence.

· Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple direct reports (at least 5), both of exempt and non-exempt classifications.

· Evidence of work with state agencies on issues related to employment and labor relations

· Must be a highly motivated individual with demonstrated leadership abilities and hands on approach to administer HR functions.

· Demonstrated interpersonal and communications skills and possesses excellent verbal and written communication skills.

· Exemplary facilitation skills with proven ability to design, deliver, and format programs to drive organizational leadership development.

· Demonstrated cultural awareness and sensitivity working with individuals of diverse identities.

· An exemplary model of professionalism, dependability, and trustworthiness.

· Exemplary organizational skills and attention to detail.

· Strong analytical, strategic, and problem-solving skills.

· Thorough knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations.

· Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.

· Knowledge of and experience with varied human resource information systems.

· Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.

Preferred Qualifications

· Master’s degree from an accredited institution in a related field and professional HR certifications

· SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP; HRCI Certification

· Strong experience working with technology and educational integrated software systems

· Knowledge of and working experience with non-profit organizations

· Strong quantitative and statistical skills and experience with HR data analysis and reports

· Working knowledge of employment laws, and EEO compliance and reporting requirements

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Application & Interview Process 

While the interview process may vary slightly, the general process will be: 

Application reviewed by Talent Acquisition Team member 

Phone screen with Hiring Manager 

Panel Interview with HR Leadership 

Final Round with HR Management.

Interview Decision & Feedback 

Our Compensation & Benefits 

The pay rate for this position is between $120,000 - $140,000/Yr., depending on experience and fit for the role. Rising Ground offers competitive compensation based on the midpoint of the market among not-for-profit organizations of similar size. We believe in compensating staff members fairly in relation to each other, their qualifications, and their impact on behalf of the organization, and take internal and external equity seriously. Given our commitment to equity, Rising Ground does not negotiate compensation offers; instead, each compensation offer is determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking. You will have an opportunity to discuss compensation in more detail after you begin the application process. Rising Ground also provides competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development. Our current benefits include: 

Medical, Dental & Vision Benefits 

Flexible Spending Accounts 

Wellness Program 

Employee Assistance program 

401k Retirement plan 

Vacation and Paid Time Off 

Our Commitment to Diversity, Fairness, and Belonging

Rising Ground is comprised of unique and valued individuals who together make the organization effective in assisting the children, adults and families who come to us for support. We believe that only when all employees contribute fully as their true selves can Rising Ground's true strength, vision, and values come to fruition. We recognize the ubiquitous social biases and structures that impact and shape the experiences of all people, including our own staff and people supported. Among the many biases present in our society that shape our personal and professional experiences race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender expression are all factors that can present hurdles. As such, Rising Ground is committed to being an anti-racist and inclusive organization that will actively strive to overcome both systemic and interpersonal biases that perpetuate oppression.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

It is the policy of Rising Ground that the Agency wholly complies with equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, alienate, citizenship status, gender, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.