Director of People

Job Announcement: Director of People & Culture

Organizational Overview: Columbia Riverkeeper is a successful nonprofit organization that unites communities to fight for clean water and our climate. Columbia Riverkeeper advances high-profile campaigns to recover healthy salmon populations and protect the Columbia River from fossil fuels, toxic pollution, the Hanford Nuclear Site, and other threats facing Columbia communities and salmon habitat. Our work is featured in national media, including CNN, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Los Angeles Times.

Across our campaigns, we promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in environmental decisions and our own actions. This includes working in solidarity with Tribal Nations to achieve common goals. Our team includes community organizers, scientists, communications specialists, and attorneys. To learn more about our commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, click here, and to learn more about our values, click here.

Location: Portland, OR with the option to work remotely up to two days per week.

The position requires periodic travel to the Hood River office and occasional travel within the region for events and meetings. Columbia Riverkeeper currently offers remote/hybrid work for some positions as a benefit and subject to periodic reviews.

Job Type: Full-time, Exempt Position.

Position Description: The Director of People & Culture is a senior leadership position that partners with Columbia Riverkeeper’s Executive Director to advance organizational mission and values, cultivate organizational culture aligned with the organization’s values, infuse equity, diversity, and inclusion into all aspects of the employee experience, and ensure compliance with laws and the organization’s policies.

This position has oversight for the development and implementation of people operations strategies that enhance the overall employment experience.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a member of the Leadership Team which is the senior staff team which is responsible for:
  • Organizational compliance with local, state, and federal laws as well as internal policies
  • Developing and updating organizational policies and procedures
  • Developing and reviewing organization-wide and operations plans
  • Promote organizational values in how the organization operates
• Lead the consideration to adopt nonprofit best practices in support of employee recruitment, retention, and the organization’s mission
• Lead quarterly supervisor meetings and in doing so:
  • Communicate legal and policy updates as they apply to supervisors
  • Advance equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives
  • Support supervisors in their professional development
• Supervise operations staff and contractors
• Lead, or serve on, hiring committees for employees and contractors, including soliciting bids, hiring, and managing contractors
• Lead the project management of short-term and long-term projects, including complex or special projects, to support the organization and advance the employee experience

People Operations

Oversee full employee lifecycle from recruitment to separation; support managers and employees as they navigate through it

• Career Development/Employee Mobility: Provide guidance rooted in compliance, best practices, and organizational effectiveness in the decision-making process in promotions, demotions, and job transfers
• Professional Development: Lead, or outsource facilitation for, periodic training and professional development initiatives, as needed
• Manager Support: Guide managers in setting meaningful goals, delivering feedback, and coaching team members
• Performance Management: Coordinate personal performance improvement plans and accommodation plans; and coordinate three (3) month and six (6) month reviews for new employees as well as annual reviews for all employees
• Classification and Compensation: Manage employee classification process and compensation management systems, support in developing and updating job descriptions, and perform competitive market wage analysis
• Benefits Administration: Recommend benefit offerings based on workforce needs and best practices
• Compliance: Maintain knowledge of, and compliance with, current employment laws and regulations for a multi-state workforce, with support from HR contractor and outside legal counsel
• Change Management: Communicate policies and benefits to staff, assess and respond to questions, complaints, or grievances according to Riverkeeper’s policies and values
• Employee Relations: Navigate complex interpersonal issues and communicate issues impacting organizational operations and staff wellbeing in Operations Leadership Team meetings to facilitate informed decision-making
• Data Management and Analytics: Recommend, develop, maintain, and report on workforce data as organized in systems and databases, such as Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) and other tools
• Staff Meeting: Contribute to plans for weekly staff meetings and other special staff meetings

Administration Support

• Provide back-up support to ensure continuity of operations when the following colleagues are out of office:
  • Advancement Director
  • Finance & Administration Director
  • Events + Operations Coordinator
• Support the Leadership Team in developing and implementing the annual organizational budget with a focus on managing the program budget allocated for employee experience and retention initiatives
• Manage and work with cross-functional teams to develop and implement systems and processes to increase equity, efficiency, and effectiveness

Steward of Culture + Employment Experience

• Advance the organization’s values through regular evaluation and revision of internal policies and practices with continued growth toward diversity, equity, and inclusion goals
• Serve on internal committees, liaise with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) contractors, and work with the Executive Director to support planning staff training and facilitated discussions. Ensure tracking and reporting back to the staff on JEDI initiatives to help Columbia Riverkeeper advance the organization’s justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion commitments
• Communicate with staff, board members, funders, vendors, contractors, and the public in person, on the phone, and over email in a manner that reflects the organization’s values
• Oversee the annual organizational evaluation; evaluate systems, create avenues for gathering employee feedback, interpret and report on the data, and make recommendations on responding to feedback
• Contribute to staff wellbeing, satisfaction, and belonging by regularly connecting with staff individually and in teams, identifying opportunities for improved operations, and connecting staff members to resources
• With support from the Events & Operations Coordinator, plan staff retreats, appreciation initiatives, and events

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Minimum ten (10) years of experience in Human Resources or People Operations, with at least eight (8) years in a leadership role in this field
• Minimum four (4) years of experience supervising a team of two or more people
• Involvement or leadership in Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) spaces (ex: committees, initiatives, programs, outside community involvement etc.)
• Experience with employee engagement and belonging, culture and organizational change management, and HR compliance
• Minimum education of a Bachelors of Science or Arts, with a demonstrated history of professional development in the field of Human Resources. To advance our value of equity and to recognize the knowledge gained through lived experience, no specific professional certifications or area of study are required. Please detail your relevant education, experience, and training in your resume or cover letter
• Nonprofit experience as an employee, volunteer, or board member is preferred

* A note to potential candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, and other candidates from most-impacted communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s welcome. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.

Salary Range & Benefits: $90,000 to $110,000 depending on experience. Benefits include medical and dental insurance, generous vacation package, paid holidays and personal days, 401(k) employer contribution and matching, an encouraging and flexible work environment, training budget, wellness stipend, and career growth opportunities.

To Apply: Email a resume and a short cover letter and three professional references to with the subject line “Director of People & Culture.” Please combine the cover letter, resume, and references into a single PDF attachment titled “Last Name.First Name Director of People & Culture.”

Application Deadline: 12/19/2024. Consider applying early; the Hiring Team will review applications on a rolling basis.

Start date: Preferred start is February 1, 2025.

Columbia Riverkeeper is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.