Director, HR Partners

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.  

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).  

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org 

The Director of HR Partners provides leadership and direction to the HR Partner team while working closely with the People and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (PODEI) leadership team. They also provide strategic HR consulting, tactical HR guidance, and support to assigned internal client groups. They lead the HR Partner team to effectively support business priorities, drive values, and deliver business results.   

The Director of HR Partners collaborates with PODEI functional leaders to lead the Partner team in proactively addressing client needs in the areas of talent acquisition, talent management, employee relations, communications, compensation, and DEI.  

The Director of HR Partners leads and carries out responsibilities in several functional areas of HR, including workforce planning, organizational design, talent management, employee relations, and policy interpretation / application.  The Director of HR Partners will serve as a member of the extended HR leadership team. As such, this individual will work with HR leadership to plan and execute long term HR strategy and drive organizational initiatives.   

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions: 

• Directly manages a global HR Partner team, including:  
  • setting team goals and priorities, clarifying performance expectations, providing coaching, feedback and support to team members, and actively managing performance. 
  • ensuring that the HR Partner team provides the highest level of client service and consistent messaging to clients around HR initiatives, policies, topics, and frequently-asked-questions.   
  • ensuring that the processes, procedures, roles and responsibilities of the HR Partner team are effective, efficient, and clear.    
• Collaborates with PODEI functional leaders to lead the HR Partner team in addressing organization-wide concerns and needs.  
• Proactively builds relationships with executives and leaders across the institution, serving as a trusted advisor to provide guidance and partnership on people-related issues and challenges. 
• Leads or serves as a key contributor to organization-wide HR projects, including proactive, comprehensive project and stakeholder management.   
• Serves as a Senior HR Partner for assigned areas, including the Executive Office:  
  • Provides strategic guidance and tactical support to leaders on talent-related initiatives, including business unit restructures, workforce planning and succession planning; incorporates change management guidance and principles into work plans  
  • Communicates with and educates clients -- both managers and team members -- on HR activities, processes, policies, and practices, ensuring that clients are well-informed of all HR initiatives. Communicates feedback, themes, learnings, and recommendations from clients back to the HR team   
  • Provides day-to-day performance management guidance to managers, including coaching, mentoring, counseling, career development, and disciplinary actions   
  • In partnership with the Director, Labor & Employee Relations, manages and resolves complex employee relations issues. Conducts effective, thorough, and objective investigations in collaboration with colleagues from People & DEI team and OGC 
  • Leads and/or supports rollout of annual HR cycle deliverables within client groups, including performance management, goal setting, and annual recognition  
  • Collaborates with clients to understand their needs and partners with other PODEI functional leads including Talent Management, Talent Acquisition, Analytics, Compensation, and Communications to customize solutions  
• Analyzes trends and metrics to gain insights and makes proactive recommendations to improve HR solutions.  
• Maintains in-depth knowledge of legal requirements related to day-to-day management of employees to reduce legal risks and ensure regulatory compliance, partnering with PODEI colleagues and OGC as needed   
• Travels to NRDC offices regularly, up to 20% of the time, to build relationships and collaborate with team members, client groups, and institutional leaders.  

The above list of duties is not comprehensive but generally demonstrates the types of matters under this position’s responsibility. Other duties may be assigned.  

Minimum Education & Experience:   

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field required, or equivalent combination of education and experience  
• SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) or HRCI Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) credential is strongly preferred  
• At least 8 years of progressive HR professional experience in several functional areas of HR, including strategic partnership, workforce planning, organizational design, talent management, employee relations, DEI, and policy administration.  
• Experience in compensation is strongly preferred  
• Experience successfully leading and executing HR projects 
• Experience successfully managing team members  
• Strong and broad knowledge of multiple human resource disciplines, including talent management, employee relations, compensation practices, organizational design, DEI, performance management, and federal and state employment laws  
• Experience successfully serving as a strategic and tactical partner to executives and managers  
• Experience working within a Union (CBA) environment 
• Experience successfully managing, coaching and developing executives and employees  

Skills, Abilities, Competencies 

• Proven client management skills and business acumen  
• Strong interpersonal, relationship-building, diplomacy, and negotiation skills with the ability to empathize with others  
• Excellent communication skills, including verbal, written, and presentation  
• A strategic thinker who also has a strong commitment to quality and attention to detail  
• A willingness to roll up your sleeves and dig in  
• Ability to thrive in an ambiguous and rapidly changing environment  
• Demonstrated project management and organizational skills  
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills  
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to handle competing priorities and meet deadlines   
• Proven ability to effectively coach employees and management through complex issues  
• Ability to comprehend, interpret, and apply the appropriate sections of applicable laws, guidelines, regulations, ordinances, and policies  
• Ability to acquire a thorough understanding of the organization’s hierarchy, jobs, qualifications, compensation practices, and the administrative practices related to those factors   
• Understanding of and ability to use different HR analytics techniques, including how to read and interpret complex data, familiarity with qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, and how to track relevant metrics and KPIs  
• Proven acuity in MS office suite, with strength in Power Point, Word, and Excel   
• Proficiency in using HRIS to increase efficiency and drive business results 
• Ability to travel to NRDC U.S. based offices, approximately 20% annually 
• Commitment to NRDC’s mission, values, and DEI principles 

 PHYSICAL DEMANDS   

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position within the described work environment. 

Frequently: Perform desk-based computer tasks 

Frequently: Ability to interact and communicate with employees and others as necessary 

Frequently:  Attend planned meetings and collaborate with management and coworkers 

Occasionally: Ability to attend events and activities in the office or offsite  

Work is sometimes performed primarily in office.  The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet in office settings and moderate in other situations.  Hours of employment may sometimes require working flexible and/or longer hours, including nights and weekends, when necessitated by projects. The job includes work-related situations such as those involving challenging, important, urgent, time-sensitive, or multiple matters. 

NRDC is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, both in our work and in our workplace. We believe that celebrating and actively welcoming diverse voices and perspectives is essential to solving the planet's most pressing environmental problems, and we encourage applications from candidates whose identities have been historically under-represented in the environmental movement. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.  

We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and is commensurate with skills and experience. Internal equity will be reviewed and considered to determine a final offer. For this position, the salary range is $148,500 to $165,000.  

Perks & Benefits 

Not only do we care about taking care of our planet, we care about taking care of you. When you join our team, we invest in your total well-being. Here is a small glimpse on how we plan to support you: 

• Time to Unplug & Recharge: Enjoy a generous time-off policy, highlighted by a company-wide year-end Rest & Recharge Week to reset for the new year. 

• Family – First: Generous family leave policy beyond federal requirements for all NRDCers 

• For your Future: Matching 403b whether you contribute or not 

• Hybrid Policy: The freedom to balance your time around your needs - that means, 8 days per month in-office. In-office day requirements can be met with off-site work events such as retreats, conferences, and other work-related travel. 

• Well – being: Premium Comprehensive healthcare and mental health programs. 

To apply, visit www.nrdc.org/careers and upload your résumé and cover letter. Please mention where you saw this posting and upload any additional materials that showcase your abilities. Due to the high volume of applications, we will contact only those candidates we would like to interview. Please no phone calls, emails, or in-person résumé drop-offs. 

If you experience technical problems while applying or if you are a person with a disability and need assistance applying online, please reach out to iCIMS Customer Care at 1-800-889-4422. 

For more about NRDC, visit www.nrdc.org.