About Safe Passage Project
Safe Passage Project (SPP) is a highly-focused nonprofit immigration legal services organization which provides free lawyers to immigrant children facing deportation. Founded in 2013, SPP has grown to include 45 employees, two offices, and an annual budget of over $5 million. It manages over 1,200 open cases a year.
To date, SPP has supported more than 3,000 young people in NYC and Long Island. The New York Immigration Courts, some of the busiest immigration courts in the US, have more than 15,000 juveniles on their dockets, many of whom are fleeing trauma in their countries of origin such as gang violence and recruitment, abuse, and sexual assault. Immigrant children are not afforded free legal representation by the government, regardless of their age. As a result, more than half of immigrant children in immigration proceedings must go to court without the aid of a lawyer. Among unaccompanied children with legal representation, immigration court data shows that 73% are allowed to remain in the United States, whereas only 15% of unrepresented children are allowed to stay. This is where Safe Passage Project steps in, both through providing immigrant youth with direct representation by staff attorneys and through a robust network of pro bono attorneys who SPP attorneys train, mentor, and supervise.
For more information on Safe Passage Project, please visit https://www.safepassageproject.org/.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Associate Director of Human Resources will oversee several critical functions that support Safe Passage Project’s continued success as an organization, including managing and oversight of all HR operations, developing and maintaining policies and procedures, compensation and benefits oversight, and talent management and organizational culture. In addition, they will work in partnership to ensure the success of all operational functions and collaboratively across the entire organization so Safe Passage Project is growing a high-performing culture where staff feel engaged, motivated, and appreciated.
The Associate Director of Human Resources will lead the charge of moving Safe Passage Project forward by implementing HR practices, systems and tools where they currently don’t exist, and improving all structures and practices wherever possible. This role will work closely with the Associate Director of People & Operations as well as team members across the organization who are committed to an inclusive, fair, and safe culture.
The Associate Director of Human Resources responsibilities include:
HR Expertise - (80%)
- Serve as point person for all human resources matters, including policies and procedures, employee relations, manager coaching, and compensation and benefits; develop and executive best-in-class human resource strategies that align people with organizational goals;
- Lead & execute all PEO related engagement and services including but not limited to payroll, benefits administration & renewals, training, employee relations, FMLA, and maintaining compliance with federal and state employment laws.
- Facilitate onboarding and offboarding processes for all employees, interns, consultants, and vendors;
- Lead recruitment process, strategize with department heads and executive team in hiring planning, including job postings, vetting candidates, reference checks, and scheduling of interviews, and develop & identify recruitment pipelines;
- Maintain and enhance the organization’s existing performance management and development systems;
- Comfort and experience with making recommendations on new approaches, policies and processes to effect continual improvements in human resources efficiency and effectiveness;
- Ensure all employees, across a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, feel valued, welcome, integrated, and included in the workforce;
- Knowledge of trends in HR & legal compliance (e.g., labor laws, taxes, non-exempt/exempt classification/ keeping up to date with most recent regulations).
Organizational Culture - (20%)
- With a focus on retention, support the growth of a high-performing, stable culture and community, developing relationships across the organization and implementing engagement and appreciation initiatives;
- Support the organization’s work with Safe Passage Project’s union (ALAA – UAW Local 2325);
- Formalize programs to support current and future people managers at all levels of the organization;
- Work with all staff to support & enhance professional development goals
- Serve as a key advisor to the Executive Director, particularly regarding strategic, culture, and personnel matters;
- Facilitate the creation and implementation of ongoing DEIA strategies.
Candidate Profile
The Associate Director of Human Resources will have a high level of professional and proven experience, an acumen for human resources leadership, and the demonstrated ability to lead and manage this area for a rapidly evolving organization. They will bring strong expertise and background in multiple aspects of human resources. They will be a hands-on generalist, capable of leading the function individually and deeply committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.
The ideal candidate will have most, if not all, of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
- Expertise in human resources, including employee lifecycle management and prior experience with unionized workers and collective bargaining processes preferred;
- Familiarity with professional employer organizations (PEO) and human resources information systems (HRIS) strongly preferred but not required;
- Experience overseeing compliance efforts, and developing administrative processes and procedures;
- Strong partnership skills, able to establish credibility and rapport with team members;
- Influential with a demonstrated ability to coach and counsel employees;
- High degree of emotional intelligence, interpersonal, and negotiation skills;
- Track record of successfully navigating complex employee relations situations;
- Excellent written, analytical, oral, organizational, and time management skills;
- Understanding of current HR trends in compensation, benefits, and performance management;
- SHRM certification or additional HR certification is preferred but not required;
- Experience facilitating and implementing DEIA best practices & strategies; and
- A commitment to the work of Safe Passage Project and readiness to grow and learn with the Safe Passage Project team.
Compensation & Benefits
Safe Passage Project offers a competitive salary in the range of $115,000 - $120,000 annually. In addition, SPP offers a hybrid work environment, flexible hours, open PTO, medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, 12 weeks paid family leave, short-term & long-term disability, 401(k), professional development stipend, home office stipend, and additional work-from-home options.
Contact
Trisha Sutrisno and Shelby Woods of Koya Partners have been exclusively retained for this search. To express your interest in this role please submit your materials by filling out the Talent Profile. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. If you require reasonable accommodation during your application process, please let the team at Koya know.
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Safe Passage Project is an equal opportunity employer and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ+ applicants.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of the Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.
