Job Description

Organization Overview

America Votes works with over 400 state and national partner organizations to advance progressive policies, win elections, and protect every American's right to vote.

Since 2003, America Votes has been the common link between many of the largest and most influential issue and membership organizations in the country, serving as the coordination hub of the progressive community. America Votes' work has brought together a wide range of causes and built a unified coalition that has transformed how the progressive community works. America Votes works year-round nationally and in more than 20 states, acting as permanent campaign infrastructure to continually advance progressive causes and win elections.

Racial Equity Statement

As a leader of collaborative efforts to mobilize voters, protect voting rights, and win elections, America Votes is committed to advancing racial equity within our organization and across our coalition. We acknowledge the systematic racism that permeates all facets of our society, beginning with the foundational right to vote. America Votes is also engaging with an understanding of the ways gender, sexuality, and other forms of oppression intersect with race and how those relationships impact inequities faced by our staff, our partners, and the communities that we engage in our work. America Votes strives to model our commitment to racial equity through our internal and external operations, programs, and partnerships. We acknowledge the inequitable structures that continue to exist and are moving forward with a sustained commitment in time, resources and people to challenge structural racism and work towards creating a reflective organization and democracy.

Position Overview

America Votes is seeking a strategic, people-centric, and collaborative Senior Director of Human Resources (SDHR) who brings deep HR expertise and leadership experience, and is dedicated to embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion into every layer of the organization’s culture and operations.

Through leadership of the Human Resources team, the SDHR will be responsible for overseeing the entire employee lifecycle and creating a best-in-class employee experience through its recruiting and outreach efforts, management of compensation and benefits, onboarding, learning and development initiatives, and ongoing employee engagement.

The ideal candidate is a visionary HR leader who thrives in a dynamic electoral environment and brings experience working with high-performing teams, attracting and retaining diverse talent, and improving processes and systems.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

The SDHR is an advisor, expert, and strategic partner to AV’s senior leadership team on all human resources and people matters. Reporting directly to the Deputy Executive Director of Operations, this position oversees all aspects of human resources functions, including employee relations and engagement, compensation and benefits, performance management, leadership development and staff retention, and compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations.

Leading a small team, the SDHR helps create an environment that both meets the collective needs of our workforce and cultivates an inclusive, accessible, and high performing organizational culture for AV’s most valuable resource—a passionate and committed staff of approximately 75+ employees in approximately 12+ locations.

The SDHR essential duties and responsibilities include:

Strategic HR Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive vision and strategy for the organization’s human resources function that centers staff experience, aligns with organizational goals and values and ensures compliance with internal policies and relevant government regulations.
• Provide expert guidance to organizational leadership on matters of workforce planning, employee relations, compensation, benefits administration, performance management, people management culture, and other HR and employee engagement topics.
• Partner with organizational leadership to advance the culture of America Votes, including embedding principles of race equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging in organizational practices and policies.

HR Direction

• Responsible for the successful planning and high-quality day-to-day execution of all key functions of the Human Resources team, including directing talent acquisition and development, employee engagement, performance management, employee and labor relations, compensation, benefits, on- and off-boarding, compliance, HRIS systems, records, and data.
• Build or strengthen key HR processes to meet the evolving needs of the organization - for example, by revamping AV’s new hire onboarding program or improving the staff professional development program.
• Play a key role in management’s relationship with the staff Union; lead the management team in contract negotiations, execute the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and lead the development of strategies for ongoing engagement with the Union.
• Stay abreast of the evolving legal landscape in areas such as labor law and regulations in partnership with in-house counsel, and implement strategies to mitigate HR-related financial, regulatory compliance, and litigation risk.

Department and People Management

• Lead a small team of three, including building a welcoming and inclusive team culture, providing direction to the HR team overall, leading the effort to set and regularly manage the team goals and budget, driving all internal processes within the team such as goal-setting and annual performance reviews.
• Actively coach and develop staff across the organization to achieve their goals - providing constructive feedback and guidance, creating opportunities to learn from both successes and setbacks, mentoring staff to grow as professionals and leaders, and holding staff accountable to meet goals.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS

• HR subject matter expertise: Proven experience across HR disciplines and a command for best practices across talent management, workforce planning, and succession planning. Demonstrated expertise in core HR functions, including payroll administration and employee benefits such as compensation analysis, medical insurance issues and programs, and defined contribution plans.
• HR leadership experience: At least ten years of experience in human resource roles, including four years of experience in a senior-level position with progressively responsible professional experience, and several years of staff management experience..
• Experience strengthening organizational culture: Skilled at proactively building organizational culture, with racial equity as a guiding principle and a clear vision for defining and integrating internal values within a complex and evolving organizational environment.
• Unionized staff expertise: Experience leading HR and managing employee relations in a unionized environment, including negotiating and administering multiple collective bargaining agreements.
• Mission-driven workplace experience. Background in advocacy, nonprofit, or otherwise mission-driven workplace environments. Prior experience in the progressive political arena and/or campaigns is highly preferred.
• Proactive leadership style: Demonstrates a strong sense of ownership for the work of the HR department, including setting a clear vision for the work, motivating others to advance the vision including those that do not report to you, proactively identifying issues before they arise, and actively seeking solutions and advancing the work without needing constant guidance or supervision.
• Ability to manage in complexity : Strategic and analytical thinker with ability to pivot from big picture to detailed implementation as needed; comfort managing and prioritizing multiple work streams and complex projects simultaneously; ability to navigate and assess complex situations and respond with excellent judgment and a high level of discretion; comfort operating in fluid environments.
• Cultural competence: Understanding of race, gender, sexuality and other aspects of identity, their intersections, and how that plays out in the work; ability to build strong relationships and trust across race, gender, class, and other group identities, both internally and externally; experience integrating equity and inclusion considerations into HR practices, compensation frameworks, internal systems and processes, employee relations, and organizational culture.
• People-Centered and Empathetic : Embodies a deep commitment to supporting staff and prioritizing the human experience, approaching challenges with sensitivity and a nuanced understanding of diverse employee needs.
• Influential and Confident Communicator: A high-EQ leader skilled in navigating complex conversations and building trust through clear communication that resonates with a diverse, mission-driven workforce. Demonstrated ability to create, write, and present a variety of materials for a diverse set of audiences.

We know that candidates will be stronger in some areas of this role more than others. Please don’t let that stop you from applying!

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

The salary for this position is $135,000 - $150,000 per year.

This position is full-time, must be based in the greater Washington, DC area, and could involve up to 10% travel. Staff in the DC area work a hybrid schedule and are typically in the office several days a week.

TO APPLY

Submit a resume and a cover letter at The cover should be concise, compelling, and tells us about your interest in our work and what you would bring to the role. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

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