Vice President, People and Talent - On-Ramps : Job Details

DonorsChoose makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education.

About the Organization

Since 2000, more than 6 million people and partners have contributed $1.5 billion to support 2 million teacher requests for classroom resources and experiences. Projects range from art supplies to build the set for a school musical, to books and puzzles that affirm students' identities, to bird seed for an at-home science project. We proudly serve all US public schools, public charter schools, and Head Start centers, and we combat systemic inequity by driving a majority of donations to schools that have been historically underfunded due to economic and racial inequity.

DonorsChoose has been recognized as a best place to work by GOOD Magazine and the Nonprofit Times, while Fast Company named DonorsChoose one of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World—the first time a charity has made this list. Our dedicated team works from across the United States to bring classroom dreams to life.

DonorsChoose is also at an exciting and pivotal moment of growth and innovation, exploring and testing new ways - through both growth and new product offerings - to eliminate educational inequity for all students. To learn more about the organization, visit their website.

About the Role

DonorsChoose is seeking a strategic, collaborative Vice President, People and Talent (VPPT) to lead its People and Talent team. This leader will be responsible for setting and managing a robust people operations strategy, overseeing talent acquisition, HR operations, performance management, and leadership development for DonorsChoose. Additionally, the VPPT will align DonorsChoose's people operations to their broader organizational vision, and will partner with the wider team to codify their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion, embedding tangible processes and actions into existing operations and structure.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you'll manage:

• People and Talent

  • Effectively lead and influence people, culture, and internal HR and talent functions and needs
  • Develop and oversee employee relations, performance management, and talent development and retention strategy
  • Work closely with organizational leaders on organizational design, role definitions, performance management, feedback, and talent development efforts
  • Develop and execute learning and development strategies and manager training and coaching

• People Operations & Analytics

  • Coach and guide the team responsible for people operations, including benefits, compensation, HR systems, people data, and compliance
  • Support the creation of best-in-class tools and technology that drive innovation and iteration across all people practices
  • Continue to develop scalable and customizable people solutions, responsive to current external factors and internal data

• Talent Acquisition

  • In partnership with the Director of Talent Management, design and implement a talent acquisition strategy to attract and retain a robust and diverse pipeline of talent
  • Coach and support hiring managers across the organization on strategies for recruiting diverse and high-potential talent

• Serve as an organizational leader, inside and outside of the organization

  • Translate complex HR decisions and issues for the broader DonorsChoose team, in a way that fosters clarity and trust
  • Collaborate across the organization and leadership teams to align the People and Talent vision with broader organizational goals
  • Serve as a thought partner and advisor to the broader DonorsChoose team on people and talent questions and issues, pushing back and effectively navigating conflict and complexity, as needed

• You will report to the Chief Operating and People Officer.
• You will supervise two direct reports on the People and Talent team and a total team of eight.

Required Skills and Experience

Studies have shown that leaders from underrepresented groups only apply to jobs if they feel they meet 100% of the qualifications. As no individual candidate meets every qualification, we encourage candidates who meet most of these requirements to apply:

• You have deep experience managing and growing talent. You take pride in team members hitting or exceeding goals.
• You are committed to equity. You believe that advancing racial equity is one of the most important ways to make a difference in the world and have a track record of making sound decisions to advance racial equity goals.
• You are a people and talent leader and bring expertise in strategic human resources and talent development.
• You are a natural relationship builder. You understand what motivates individuals and institutions and can adjust your style accordingly to quickly build strong rapport.
• You are a strategic thinker. You can assess any situation, think through several different paths for addressing it, and you are decisive in determining the best path forward.
• You think like an owner. You have an entrepreneurial spirit, you like to build, and you have sought out opportunities for your organization to shine.
• You are a team player and thrive when collaborating with colleagues; you are willing to be a hands-on contributor.
• You bring a creative lens to solutions. You are comfortable forging a path in the face of ambiguity and complexity; in fact, you view this as an opportunity for innovation.
• You use data and empathy to make decisions and can create scalable and customizable solutions grounded in both analytics and compassion.
• You are a thought leader on people and talent issues and stay abreast of trends and innovations in the HR field.
• You have at least 10-15 years of relevant work experience.
• College degree or commensurate years of experience (10-15+) required.

Additional Details

At DonorsChoose, we embrace a distributed work model that combines the flexibility of remote work with the value of in-person connection. While our team spans the United States, we prioritize collaboration, relationship-building, and alignment through meaningful face-to-face interactions.

For this VP of People & Talent role, we are prioritizing candidates who live in the greater NYC area or can easily commute by car or train. This includes candidates in CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, NJ, PA, RI, and VA.

Half of our 200-person team works in or near NYC, and our office serves as a vibrant hub space for staff to work as they wish. We believe in-person time is essential for building relationships, strengthening culture, and fostering collaboration. While this job is largely remote, we seek a candidate who values in-person engagement and is eager to contribute to our team culture. We're seeking a leader who is energized by key people moments like leading manager-training sessions, hosting a retreat, or facilitating a workshop for our Fellow class.For senior leaders not based in NYC, travel will be required approximately 10 times a year to participate in key team activities and events.

Our compensation philosophy ensures that we are both externally competitive with tech-forward nonprofits of a similar size and internally fair in our pay practices. The following ranges represent the target offer range, given the scope and experience expectations for this role.

• The hiring salary range for this role is $160,000 - $180,000 and will be commensurate with experience
• We have a hiring salary range of $180,000 - $200,000 for specific higher cost of labor locations, which include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Boston, and Washington, D.C.

Exact compensation details will be commensurate with experience and location. In addition, we are open to a variety of experiences and recognize that the person we hire may be less experienced or more senior than this job description, as posted. If that's the case, an updated salary range will be shared with candidates if they move forward in our hiring process. Once an employee is hired, the salary range for their role increases to ensure they are able to receive performance-based raises and grow in their role.

DonorsChoose offers full-time staff 25 paid vacation days per year and 11 paid holidays, a rich employer-paid individual and family health plan, a matching 401(k) plan (up to 5% of base salary), annual professional development stipend, and casual and flexible work environment. To learn more about what it is like to work for DonorsChoose, visit our careers page.

Equity at DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose is an organization increasingly representative of the varied races and ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, and abilities that comprise our nation. DonorsChoose.org focuses on attracting, retaining, and advancing diverse talent because it makes us more effective, high-performing, creative, and resilient.

If you are passionate about our mission, highly skilled in your field, and looking for a place where you can bring all of yourself to work, we want you.