Deputy Chief of People & Culture

Digital Promise

Status: Full-time, exempt employee

Reports to: Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Deadline: Resume reviews begin immediately. Best considered by late May.

About Digital Promise

Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner. We work with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities to design, investigate, and scale innovations that support learners. Our vision is that every person engages in powerful learning experiences that lead to a life of well-being, fulfillment, and economic mobility.

Digital Promise bridges the gap between research and practice by embedding research and development (R&D) throughout their work. By uniting a diverse ecosystem of educators, researchers, and developers, Digital Promise translates insights into sustainable solutions to put research into action and drive the purposeful use of technology in education. Through future-facing networks like the League of Innovative Schools, and initiatives like Artificial Intelligence in Education, Digital Promise fosters Powerful Learning experiences designed to equip learners for a changing future.

Digital Promise is a fast-paced, high-growth organization with a diverse, hardworking, and geographically dispersed 180-person team. Internally, Digital Promise fosters an inclusive and collaborative environment that embraces innovation and a shared sense of purpose. With a strong emphasis on teamwork, integrity, and a passion for shaping the future of learning, Digital Promise cultivates a culture that inspires creativity, compassion, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of those it serves.

Learn more about Digital Promise’s work to shape the future of learning at digitalpromise.org.

Position Summary

Leading Digital Promise’s human resources function, the Deputy Chief of People & Culture (DCPC) is essential to the continued growth of the organization. Digital Promise’s People & Culture team empowers employees, values their unique perspectives, and provides opportunities for growth and development. 

The DCPC serves as a trusted partner to Digital Promise executives and senior leadership, providing creative solutions commensurate with a high-growth work environment. Reporting to the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (VP and COO), the DCPC will work with Digital Promise’s leadership to develop and implement organizational practices and initiatives that maximize employee performance, engagement, and retention, while ensuring human resources policies and programs align with the mission and strategic objectives. They lead and support a four-member People & Culture team, including the Senior People Partner, the People Operations Manager, and the Senior Recruitment and Operations Associate.

The DCPC is responsible for developing and implementing human resources strategy in support of the organization’s overall business plan and strategic direction. They lead talent acquisition and management, performance management, training and development, compensation, and succession planning. They provide strategic leadership by articulating human resources needs and plans to the executive management team.

The DCPC champions a strong, values-led organizational culture grounded in equity, guided by Digital Promise’s four Shared Humanity paradigms: Leadership, Team, Culture, and Dreaming. The new DCPC will have the opportunity to co-create with the broader Digital Promise team to weave the Shared Humanity framework into the fabric of Digital Promise.

Specific areas of responsibility include:

People & Culture 

• Oversee all aspects of the organization’s human resources functions, systems, and tools for talent acquisition, career development, succession planning, retention, transitions, training, leadership development, compensation, and benefits.
• Assess and finetune human resources systems and processes, grounded in an equity lens.
• Direct comprehensive strategic recruiting and retention plans to meet future talent needs. 
• Develop and implement competitive and equitable compensation and benefits plans.
• Regularly review and amend organizational policies, procedures, and practices based on best practices and changes to local, state, and federal laws.

Professional Learning & Coaching

• Direct and integrate a variety of professional learning and coaching initiatives across the organization, including integration of the Shared Humanity Framework.
• Oversee the development and implementation of performance management frameworks; provide direction to senior leadership on promotions, professional pathways, and awards.
• Provide guidance to Employee Resource Groups, ensuring they provide opportunities to build team culture, career development, and other employee needs.
• Set strategy and lead training to engage team members on organizational policy changes and implementation across the organization.
• With the marketing team, coordinate, prepare, and disseminate internal organization-wide communications related to personnel policies and procedures, culture-building activities, and other professional learning and coaching initiatives. 

Leadership and Strategy

• Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and implement strategic human capital strategies and policies that support the organization’s mission and vision. 
• Partner with VP & COO to assess short- and long-term team performance against operational plans. Maintain continuous lines of communication to keep the VP & COO informed of all human resources issues.
• With senior leadership, establish frameworks for succession planning and professional pathways that correspond to Digital Promise’s strategy and objectives.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the executive and senior leadership of each team regarding key organizational and management issues, as well as equity initiatives.
• Provide supportive organizational leadership that develops employees through coaching and inspiration, rather than solely compliance.
• Develop, analyze, and recommend improvements to strengthen organizational culture.
• Lead, develop, and inspire a team of talented professionals focused on human resources and professional learning. 
• Maintain knowledge of industry trends and employment legislation to ensure organizational compliance with federal, state, and local regulations pertaining to all employment matters.

Experience, Skills, and Qualities

The DCPC position will be a challenging and rewarding opportunity that requires a diverse set of skills and experiences. While we understand that no single candidate can possess every qualification listed below, the following are priority areas:

• Education in human resources or related fields of study required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible human resources experience.
• Expert knowledge of core human resources operations, including compensation and benefits, employment policies, compliance, payroll, recruiting, and performance evaluations. SHRM certification strongly preferred. 
• Experience designing and implementing organizational development programs including career pathways, professional development, and competency modeling.
• Professional knowledge of embedding equity principles and practices into human resources.
• A significant supervisory record, including managing multiple direct reports, developing high-performing teams, and setting an inclusive, positive workplace culture. 
• Systems-oriented; adept at successfully implementing/integrating systems, policies and protocols and training teams on how to adopt new ways of working. 
• Strong technological skills; experienced at adopting new technologies to create efficiencies. 
• Demonstrated capacity to work independently in a fast-paced environment, while managing competing tasks, deadlines, requirements, and decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively and persuasively present new information to diverse and non-expert audiences including program teams, leadership, and board members. 
• A high level of emotional intelligence, integrity, cultural sensitivity, and interpersonal skills; ability to effectively engage and influence key stakeholders and decision-makers.

Location & Travel

Digital Promise is a bicoastal organization with offices in Washington, D.C., and California. Employees work remotely across the United States. Digital Promise meets at least four times a year for in-person team retreats, once for an organizational-wide retreat, and on an as-needed basis. The DCPC routinely travels to meet with employees and support and build organizational culture. Travel is approximately 15%.

Compensation

Digital Promise is committed to creating and maintaining equitable compensation practices by offering competitive salaries, conducting equity audits, and utilizing marketplace research and tools. Digital Promise’s salary bands are based on geography. The range for this position is $167k –$188k, up to $209k for DC and New York City, and up to $230k for California. Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, employer-sponsored 401(k), and paid time off, including paid parental leave.

Application Process

Digital Promise is conducting this search in partnership with Good Insight, a national executive search firm serving the nonprofit sector. Interested applicants should upload a PDF resume and a detailed cover letter to www.good-insight.org/careers. 

Resume reviews begin immediately. For best consideration, please apply by mid May. Early applications are encouraged due to the pace of the search. Please direct confidential inquiries to Carlyn Madden and Erin Lau at DigitalPromise@good-insight.org. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

Digital Promise is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applications without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.