Senior Manager, Talent and Engagement

THE OPPORTUNITY:

At the West End House (WEH) our mission is at the heart of all we do. We provide high-impact programs that support youth as they achieve academic success, explore the arts, develop career readiness & leadership skills, and adopt healthy lifestyles. We are committed to advancing racial equity through our work and throughout all aspects of our organization- our youth programs, our community and family engagement, and our board and leadership. To achieve this and deliver high quality programming year after year, West End House is committed recruiting, developing, and retaining a team of dedicated and talented staff. Our employees reflect and build upon our values - opportunity for all, youth first, joy, equity, and community.

To support our continued growth, WEH seeks an energetic and collaborative Senior Manager, Talent and Engagement with excellent interpersonal skills and a passion for youth development. This is an exceptional opportunity to lead employee recruitment, development, and retention strategies and ensure top talent fuels our critical mission. If you have experience in HR and want to focus on the deep work of talent development and culture building, this role is for you.

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), the Senior Manager, Talent and Engagement will play a leadership role in developing an environment where our entire team can thrive. They will foster an organizational culture for staff that in turn promotes an optimal experience for our youth.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Attract & Recruit Diverse Candidates

• Build on WEH’s current recruitment and hiring processes to attract quality diverse employees at every level.
• Support hiring managers by drafting, posting and networking position descriptions, screening candidates, interviewing, and recommending candidates for hire.
• Work with senior leadership to create and execute the communications strategy and branding for recruitment and talent acquisition, which will offer candidates insight into all that WEH has to offer.
• Assess the competitiveness of WEH compensation and benefits programs and practices against the relevant markets and make recommendations for improvements and changes.
• Build and monitor a DEI strategy for the organization to foster the kind of inclusive workplace that attracts and retains the very best talent.
• Develop relationships with higher education and community partners to expand WEH’s talent pipeline.

Onboard, Develop & Retain Talent

• Implement and make improvements to WEH’s onboarding and new hire training process, making sure that employees feel welcomed, informed about their benefits, and prepared to excel in their roles.
• Continue to build and evolve WEH’s talent retention processes including organizational core competencies, goal setting, performance metrics, feedback, coaching, annual reviews, and fair compensation.
• Manage WEH’s professional development programming, identifying and implementing training and development opportunities for individuals and teams.
• Develop coaching and learning throughout the organization to ensure staff are prepared for new challenges and/or new roles.
• Coordinate with, and guide as necessary, managers to address employee relations issues, both responsively and proactively

Lead Culture-Building

• Define strategies for WEH’s organizational culture goals, working to make WEH an employer of choice.
• Ensure that WEH is an equitable and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued and can thrive through training, coaching, and practice.
• Develop and steward succession plans that promote organizational growth from within.
• Other projects may be assigned by COO or CEO.

Oversee benefits and systems to optimize employee experience

• Work collaboratively with our HR partner Positively Partners, COO, and Finance team to optimize benefits for employees and organization.
• Ensure compliance with processes around payroll, timesheets, PTO, overtime, etc.
• Work with Positively Partners on benefit plan communication, enrollment, and administration, not limited to health benefits, 401K administration, disability, etc.
• Stay abreast of benefit and policy trends and best practices
• Manage WEH compliance with all labor and employment laws keeping current on changes in local, state, and federal law.
• Oversee other systems that affect employee experience (employee files, requests for leave, workers compensation, DUA, payroll systems) managed by Positively Partners to ensure accuracy and improve the overall operations.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of data requested by BGCA, Department of Labor, etc. and all reporting relative to state and federal law.
• Track and maintain all employee certificates and licenses.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

There are a multitude of ways to learn and grow professionally and we know that people gain skills through a variety of professional and educational experiences. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. With this in consideration, we are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate most of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, human resources, or relevant field required.
• Five or more years of professional experience in key aspects of human resources in the nonprofit sector and/or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of and experience in recruiting, staff development, and benefits management.
• Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups of people from all social and economic segments of the community.
• Current knowledge and understanding of current and developing practices in human resources.
• Experience in business and human resources related computer software applications, which may include Microsoft suite, as well as talent management systems, payroll and time and attendance systems, etc.
• Working knowledge of Massachusetts and federal labor law and legal requirements for 501(c)(3) organizations
• Ability to think strategically for the organization on an operational basis.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Demonstrated leadership experience.

Our comprehensive benefits are designed to enhance all aspects of our employees’ lives: physical health, financial security, general well-being and professional development.

Salary & Retirement We offer competitive salaries based on market value and candidate experience, including generous contributions to a 401(k) plan (no match required) to ensure our team is secure now and in the future.

Time off The team enjoys 15 – 25 paid vacation days based on tenure with 16 holidays and eight wellness days giving them the opportunity to recharge their batteries throughout the year.

Insurance We provide strong medical, dental, and vision plans along with a flexible spending account, for you and your family, in addition to life insurance, long term and short term disability coverage.

Parental Leave West End House offers generous parental leave for the birth or adoption/foster placement of a child.

Learning We offer professional development funds for each team to use at their discretion and coordinate regular team gatherings to foster continuous learning and build community.

And More... Team members have access to our pool & fitness center for their personal use; receive daily, scratch made meals; and can elect pre-tax commuter and childcare benefits.

Salaries ranges are developed in alignment with West End House’s internal compensation policy. Because internal equity is critical, offers are firm. The compensation philosophy outlines salary growth potential for all employees so that staff can know how to increase their salary through performance.