Head of People and Culture

Legal Defense Fund’s bold vision for its Human Resources team is for the organization to be known for its vibrant culture, for supporting its people, and for being a place where top talent comes to make civil rights history.

The Head of People and Culture is a strategic and operational leader responsible for building, modernizing, and stewarding a high-performing, mission-aligned people function that utilizes best practices, improves the employee experience, and builds on the organization’s legacy and established culture to reach our vision.

This leader will partner with the Chief Operations Officer & General Counsel, executive and senior leadership, and HR staff to set forth and implement an actionable plan to achieve this vision and attract, grow, and retain the right talent in the right roles.

In addition to deep expertise in human resources best practices and compliance requirements, a successful leader will have a strong understanding of and experience with change management, recognize the importance of stakeholder engagement and experience, have deep experience in talent and culture, and will be able to take a long-term view of culture and organizational change.

This role will oversee all aspects of human resources, including talent acquisition, people development and culture, employee relations, HRIS and data analytics, operations and compliance, and total rewards. The Head of People and Culture will strengthen organizational culture; elevate employee morale and engagement; and ensure that policies, systems, and practices support equity, accountability, and performance.

This leader will be responsible for strengthening foundational HR practices while leading the continued evolution of the People function in service of the needs and structures of LDF. This includes addressing opportunities to enhance consistency in operational processes, decision-making, and internal trust, while advancing a more proactive, strategic, and data-informed approach.

In doing so, this role will lead a critical transformation of the HR function, building a more trusted and effective partner to both employees and leadership.

THE HEAD OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE WILL

Establish strong HR capacity and execution.

• Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing Human Resources team.
• Establish service standards, accountability measures, and performance expectations.
• Strengthen foundational HR practices while leading organizational change and building trust across the organization.
• Ensure responsive, high-quality HR support for leaders and employees.

Improve HR operations and execute the strategic plan.

• Lead implementation of LDF's people strategy aligned with organizational priorities.
• Modernize HR operations, systems, policies, and processes across the employee lifecycle.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, HRIS data integrity, payroll processes, and organizational policies.
• Utilize workforce analytics, dashboards, and reporting to support strategic decision-making.
• Oversee HR budgets, vendor relationships, employee relations processes, and operational consistency.

Drive high performance capability across the organization.

• Lead leadership development, manager training, and performance management initiatives.
• Coach leaders on employee relations, conflict resolution, and organizational effectiveness.
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous feedback, collaboration, and professional growth.
• Partner with executive leadership to strengthen organizational capacity and employee performance.

Promote a culture of wellness, inclusion & joy.

• Strengthen employee engagement, recognition, and wellness initiatives.
• Leverage surveys, engagement data, and employee feedback to improve retention and organizational effectiveness.
• Foster an inclusive workplace where employees feel valued, supported, and connected to LDF's mission.

Advance Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

• Oversee recruitment, workforce planning, succession planning, onboarding, and talent development.
• Partner with hiring managers to strengthen hiring decisions and candidate experience.
• Advance compensation, career pathing, and job architecture initiatives.
• Utilize hiring and retention data to continuously improve talent strategies.

Support organizational growth and strategy.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on organizational design, workforce planning, and talent strategy.
• Build credibility and trust throughout the organization while navigating complex organizational dynamics.
• Translate HR insights and workforce data into actionable recommendations that strengthen organizational effectiveness.

QUALIFICATIONS AND ATTRIBUTES OF THE HEAD OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Education and Professional Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; graduate degree or equivalent professional experience preferred.
• Minimum five years leading a Human Resources function and ten years of progressive HR experience.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership to develop and implement HR strategy.
• Human Resources experience within legal services, nonprofit organizations, or similarly complex environments strongly preferred.

Other Qualifications and Competencies

• Commitment to LDF's mission and racial justice.
• Demonstrated expertise across HR operations, employment law, compliance, HRIS, analytics, employee relations, and organizational development.
• Strategic, data-informed leader with experience modernizing HR functions and leading organizational change.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, coaching, and influencing skills.
• Experience supporting complex, matrixed organizations and navigating sensitive employee relations matters.
• Based in or willing to relocate to New York City and able to travel regularly to LDF offices.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Anticipated Salary: $210,000-$225,000

Salary is based on market competitiveness, internal equity, geographic location, and the selected candidate's experience and qualifications. LDF is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please Note: This posting provides an abbreviated overview of the position due to character limitations. The complete job description, including the full scope of responsibilities and qualifications, is available through the application link.

The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to you without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, veteran status, medical condition or disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local law.