ABOUT US

　　Democracy Fund is an independent and nonpartisan, private foundation that confronts deep-rooted challenges in American democracy while defending against new threats. Since 2014, we have made grants of more than $275 million in support of those working to strengthen our democracy through the pursuit of a vibrant and diverse public square, free and fair elections, effective and accountable government, and a just and inclusive society. In addition to grantmaking, Democracy Fund advocates for better solutions and works with partners to grow philanthropic support for our democracy.

　　Democracy Fund champions leaders and organizations who defend democracy and challenge our political system to be more open, just, resilient, and trustworthy. We believe that experimentation, learning, and adaptation are key to the health and resilience of any system, whether it is our organization or the American political system. As grantmakers, we focus on listening and being of service to our grantees, who are visionaries and our collaborators, and on ways we can more deeply embed diversity, equity, and inclusion as values central to the success of our work and mission. To learn more, visit www.democracyfund.org and www.democracyfundvoice.org.

　　POSITION SUMMARY

　　The Operations Team supports the execution of Democracy Fund’s work, ensuring that our colleagues have the resources, trainings, and infrastructure necessary to fulfill our mission. We hold ourselves accountable not only to talking the talk but also to walking the walk as we adopt. The Managing Director (MD), People, will join a talented and evolving executive leadership team in leading and executing Democracy Fund’s mission to create a more inclusive, multi-racial democracy. The MD will need to be a listener and leader, someone who is both strategic and hands-on. They will bring proven experience in creating and executing a robust talent development strategy and operationalizing these ideas with a systems and process orientation across all people initiatives.

　　Democracy Fund is a dynamic, mission-driven philanthropy with a staff of more than 75 people that is committed to centering racial equity in both its external strategies and internal operations. Becoming a valued partner to the leadership team will require understanding the organization, listening, facilitating broad collaboration, and sharing insights and contemporary best practices regarding talent. The call to action is to build strong relationships and processes, to further develop the capabilities of all leaders and managers across the organization, and to bring the people organization to a level of operational excellence that enables talent development, retention, and growth.

　　The MD will lead a team of HR professionals and must be hands-on, proactive, flexible, collaborative, and innovative in shepherding initiatives that attract, develop, and retain outstanding talent.

　　This position reports to Laura Chambers, our Chief Operating Officer.

　　The Managing Director’s primary responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:

　　PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

　　PEOPLE STRATEGY & PROGRAMS

　　Collaborate with the executive team to ensure that HR strategies directly support the organization's goals and strategic plan. Regularly review and adjust HR practices to align with the evolving needs of the organization as well as team member feedback.

　　Develop and maintain employment policies and procedures that encompass recruitment, retention, compensation, training, development, and compliance. Ensure that policies are communicated effectively to all team members and are consistently applied.

　　Ensure that all HR decisions and practices are aligned with Democracy Fund’s strategy, mission and culture.

　　Build a culture of integrity and accountability through ethical decision making and by holding others accountable. Collaborate closely to address HR misconduct/management issues and build systems to strengthen people management practices.

　　Anticipate organizational challenges and provide exceptional HR consultancy services. Offer guidance on complex HR issues and ensure alignment with strategic goals.

　　PEOPLE OPERATIONS

　　Continuously enhance HR systems and processes to streamline workflows and create a user-friendly experience for team members. Implement technology solutions that facilitate self-service for routine HR tasks.

　　Develop a compensation strategy based on reliable benchmarks and aligned with the organization's goals. Ensure that compensation practices are fair, transparent, and in line with market standards.

　　Assess, make recommendations, and execute on annual performance measurement and compensation review philosophy and practices to ensure equity, market competitiveness, and simplicity.

　　Redesign the people team structure to focus on achieving service delivery excellence and consistent practices across all people operations.

　　TALENT ATTRACTION & DEVELOPMENT

　　Continue to evolve the talent strategy (inclusive of the entire talent life cycle) from talent attraction, development, recognition, engagement, and retention. Use data analytics to track, analyze, and report key metrics that measure the success of talent initiatives.

　　Provide leadership development opportunities that equip managers with the skills to lead diverse teams effectively and foster an inclusive work environment.

　　Establish Democracy Fund as an attractive employer in the talent market by showcasing the organization's mission and values. Mobilize multiple sourcing avenues to attract high-quality and diverse talent. Prioritize a positive candidate experience throughout the recruitment process.

　　CULTURE & INCLUSION

　　Champion programs and initiatives that foster a diverse and inclusive workplace culture.

　　Empower HR and People Team members through coaching, training, and professional development opportunities.

　　Implement initiatives that enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and well-being. Lead efforts to foster an inclusive and engaged workplace culture.

　　Facilitate transparent and open communication, shared responsibility, and streamlined expectations that foster a high performing, accountable, and engaged workforce.

　　Partner closely with certain key stakeholders and groups to ensure collaboration; ensure the right groups are in place to ensure broad socialization of employee change initiatives.

　　Conduct ongoing pulse checks to assess the employee experience; perform analysis and action planning; paying close attention to data trends tied to level, tenure, and other dimensions of DEIB; ensure all action planning is measured and communicated.

　　Serve as thought partner with The Omidyar Group HR leads.

　　TEAM LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT

　　Manage and collaborate with Program Directors to set ambitious, motivating, and realistic priorities for respective initiatives.

　　Empower direct report(s) to do their best work by providing ongoing guidance, coaching, and feedback on their core day-to-day responsibilities, project management goals, and overall professional development.

　　Serve as a leader within the broader organization by helping lead cross-team collaborations and participating in organizational planning.

　　Actively work to support the success of other members of the Democracy Fund team and cultivate an organizational culture that is highly collaborative, positive, and productive.

　　PIVOTAL EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

　　Passion for strengthening American democracy.

　　Deep commitment to racial equity and justice.

　　A high level of integrity that embodies and reflects Democracy Fund values.

　　Human Resources Leadership

　　Significant experience leading a Human Resources team, driving impact in a complex, diverse, and mission-driven organization like Democracy Fund. 10+ years of direct HR experience as both a strategic and operational HR leader. Brings strength working with a leadership team and building followership across an organization.

　　Total Rewards Leadership

　　Must have a successful track record of leading and transforming compensation and benefits strategy and programs. Has touched all aspects of the function, including executive compensation. Drive pay practices using data, collaborating with executive leadership and Boards to make difficult decisions.

　　Transformation

　　Change management experience and inspiring leadership skills to manage growth, foster an inclusive culture, accelerate results, and keep employees motivated and engaged. Ideally, brings experience assessing and transforming organizational structures, HR systems, processes and policies.

　　Systems Thinking

　　First principal thinker and a problem solver. Strong analytical and critical thinking skills. Attention to detail and accuracy. Ability to align human capital with overall organization strategies. A collaborative and flexible partner to the business.

　　Culture Add

　　We envision an open and just democracy that is resilient in the face of change and worthy of the American people’s trust. To get there, Democracy Fund champions the leaders who defend democracy and who challenge our political system to be more open and just.

　　We’re a team with diverse political opinions, extensive expertise, and the desire to create a more open and just democracy. 

　　Our team is inspired by a deep passion for democracy and a sense of responsibility and service – both to the field and to driving change forward. We are a diverse and highly-collaborative collection of experts, grantmakers, advocates, and strategists. We are curious and open-minded, we embrace learning, and we seek out varied viewpoints.

　　Leadership Capabilities

　　Shape Strategy – Anticipate and interpret market change, envision the future, and decide strategic priorities.

　　Inspire & Influence – Co-create meaning and purpose, engage and energize the organization, and lead through influence.

　　Build Talent & Teams – Develop Talent, build and develop teams, strengthen organizational capability.

　　Drive for Results – Drive execution, continuously improve the core, and reallocate resources at pace.

　　Disrupt & Challenge – Create possibilities from new thinking, generate disruptive change, and lead change.

　　Lead Innovation - Experiment, collaborate across boundaries, and scale and invest in new ideas.

　　Democracy Fund follows a hybrid-remote and in-the-office model, which enables flexibility and meets collaboration needs. New staff are expected to reside in the DMV, and are expected in the office several days a month.

　　SALARY

　　Salary range begins at $250,020 per year.

　　HOW TO APPLY

　　Interested candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to our Jobs page. Applications submitted without a cover letter or lacking the desired years of experience will not be considered. Take this opportunity to tell us about yourself and why you're interested in joining our team. No calls please.

　　Democracy Fund is committed to a diverse workplace, seeking voices and expertise from people from across the political spectrum. Our board, staff, advisors, and grantees include Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. Democracy Fund is an Equal Opportunity Employer, where we encourage candidates of all ages, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity to apply.

　　Powered by JazzHR