People and Culture Specialist

People and Culture Specialist

New York, NY

Hybrid

Anticipated deadline to submit application: September 16 at 12:00pm EST. Position may close early if application limit is met. Apply promptly for full consideration.

The Opportunity

The People and Culture Specialist  will join the Employee Experience (EX) team whose mission is to promote an inclusive, engaging, and meaningful work experience for all of our employees through all areas of the talent lifecycle. 

The Specialist, People and Culture leads the design, development, delivery, and administration of programming and initiatives in support of CEO’s organizational culture, employee engagement and retention, and belonging. They coach and support teams, leaders, and individuals to drive and embed CEO’s values in our daily practice at CEO. 

As part of our mission, we strongly encourage individuals who have lived experience of incarceration or involvement in the justice system to apply for this role.

Who We Are

The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) provides employment services to people recently released from incarceration. Across the United States, 8,000-9,000 people participate in CEO each year, transitioning to employment that supports themselves, their families, and their communities.

What began as a demonstration project of the Vera Institute of Justice in the 1970s to address employment barriers facing the formerly incarcerated following release in New York City has grown into the leading reentry employment organization in the country, where over 30,000 formerly incarcerated individuals have secured full-time employment since 1996.

Who You Are

• You have 5+ years of experience in program management (in Human Resources preferred)
• You have in-depth knowledge of best practices related to organizational culture, employee engagement, and fostering belonging in the workplace
• You have demonstrated success in trust building and developing and managing initiatives that involve motivating, coordinating, and collaborating with geographically dispersed, diverse teams
• You have demonstrated success in managing multiple projects and programs simultaneously, responding quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities
• You are experienced in coaching others to short and long term outcomes in the area of organizational culture with creative, targeted, and sustainable solutions
• You have the ability to streamline and optimize processes without compromising on impact 
• You are passionate about culture and equity-building work to ensure all employees have opportunities to achieve their full potential
• You have a high degree of curiosity, empathy, and emotional intelligence
• You are collaborative, resilient, open, and growth-minded when faced with difficult conversations and feedback
• You have strong verbal and written communicator and facilitator, with the ability to communicate information through a variety of formats
• You have the ability to focus on data and feedback to drive and inform drive strategy and decision-making
• You are adept and skilled at maintaining confidentiality and trust as a member of the HR team

What You’ll Be Responsible For

Responsibilities of the People and Culture Specialist will include, but are not limited to, the following:

Initiative and Program Management (60%)

• Develop, implement, and manage CEO’s Affinity Group Program and Inclusion Training Series 
• Create and manage schedules, identify facilitators, and provide tools, processes, communication, and resources to enable successful execution and administration of culture and engagement programs
• Work effectively with leaders and cross-functional teams to design, develop, and implement additional initiatives and programs that drive organizational culture and engagement during all phases of the talent lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, ongoing development, performance management, and retention
• Project manage and support, sometimes in cross-organizational teams and groups, initiatives and programs that support the retention, development, and mobility of our justice-impacted staff, leading efforts to collect, organize, analyze, and share data that supports the organization’s understanding of progress to goals and take action
• Use employee feedback and data to assess the impact of learning and culture programs, support continuous improvement, and adapt to evolving development needs
• Support the development and delivery of the full People Analytics strategy including surveys on onboarding, engagement, and exits, partnering with People Analytics on analysis, reporting, and sharing recommendations based on key findings 

Coaching and Consultation (20%)

• Serve as an advisor for Employee Experience team leadership, Senior Leadership, managers, and employees on culture, engagement, and belonging, helping to identify gaps and solutions that benefit teams and CEO
• In partnership with and as a representative of Employee Experience, provide guidance to managers, situations, and projects relating to personnel and organizational culture matters, such as workplace performance and interpersonal challenges
• Liaise with teams and managers across the organization to support team culture, engagement, and belonging, developing and recommending solutions to support progress
• Maintain knowledge of current and emerging engagement, culture, belonging, and retention best practices 

Organizational Support and Team Management (20%)

• Represent CEO at conferences, professional associations, and other stakeholder meetings
• Facilitate, schedule and lead effective team meetings
• Support the Director II, Culture & Engagement, as well as the broader Employee Growth & Development and Employee Experience teams, in key strategic areas, including but not limited to: employee training and mobility efforts, developing and implementing systems for measuring the success of employee experience initiatives, and building visibility of the Employee Experience Team’s work at all levels of the organization
• Additional duties as needed related to core Employee Experience priorities

Compensation and Benefits  

The salary range for this position is $79,600-$88,500/annually. CEO's compensation philosophy considers a variety of factors including experience, internal equity, and the labor market associated with the city in which the position is located. The labor markets associated with the cities in which CEO is based are variable, and the salary range included here reflects this. Our salary offer will fall within this range and will be reflective of the labor market of the city in which the position is based, as well the other factors named above. 

We recognize that salary is a part of the overall compensation package and also provide a comprehensive benefits package, including medical and dental coverage, as well as professional development opportunities to our staff.

We also offer paid parental leave, participation in a retirement plan, sick and vacation leave, paid holidays and more. We are a workplace that promotes continual learning and teamwork, offering lunch and learns, team outings, holiday gatherings and more for our staff.

More About Us

Center for Employment Opportunities believes that everyone deserves the chance to shape a stronger future for themselves, their families, and their communities. People who are justice involved are highly encouraged to apply for vacant positions at all levels. CEO is committed to the CROWN Act, and creating an open space where our employees can present as their true authentic selves. 

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, gender, gender identity, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, caregiver status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law. We value diverse experiences, including with regard to educational background and justice system contact.

Please note that due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position or reply to candidates' inquiries via phone or email.