Associate Director of Human Resources - Employee, HR & Administration

Location:
District of Columbia
United States

The Associate Director of Human Resources provides strategic and operational HR leadership that advances organizational priorities while ensuring compliance with U.S. employment laws and best practices. This role partners closely with senior leaders, managers, and the global HR team to design and deliver effective HR programs across talent management, employee relations, compliance, compensation, benefits, and organizational development. The role has primary responsibility for the U.S. workforce and oversight of HR team members and service delivery for domestic operations.

The Associate Director will play a critical role in shaping a positive employee experience and translating people strategy into effective, compliant execution across the U.S. workforce.

CORE RESPONSIBLITIES

HR Operations & Team Leadership

• Ensure a high-quality onboarding experience that sets new hires up for success and compliance.
• Lead and develop HR staff, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee HR operations including identifying opportunities to streamline processes and improve service delivery to managers and employees.
• Oversee effective use and continuous improvement of HR systems (e.g., HRIS) to ensure data integrity, reporting accuracy, and operational efficiency.
• Establish and monitor service standards to ensure timely, consistent, and high-quality HR support to managers and employees.

Strategic HR Leadership & Analytics

• Translate people strategy into specific plans that reflect legal, cultural, and operational realities.
• Contribute to enterprise-wide HR initiatives, including performance management, workforce planning, and HR systems enhancements.
• Champion Belonging and Impact practices across talent processes and employee experience initiatives.
• Establish and monitor key HR metrics (e.g., turnover, engagement, performance) and use data insights to drive continuous improvement and inform leadership decisions.

Employee Relations & Performance Management

• Lead complex employee relations matters, including investigations, performance concerns, disciplinary actions, and conflict resolution, ensuring consistency and fairness.
• Advise managers on performance management, coaching, and corrective action in alignment with organizational values and policies.
• Support and oversee the annual performance review process and ongoing feedback culture.

• Ensure consistent application of policies and equitable outcomes across employee relations matters to mitigate organizational risk.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with U.S. federal, and state employment laws (e.g., FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, wage and hour).
• Oversee leave programs (FMLA, state leave programs, ADA accommodations) and ensure audit-ready documentation.
• Partner with Legal counsel on sensitive personnel matters and employment-related risk.
• Maintain accurate, compliant HR documentation and records to support internal audits, reporting requirements, and legal defensibility.

Compensation & Benefits

• Lead salary benchmarking, market analysis, and compensation planning processes, including merit, promotion, and equity adjustments.
• Ensure consistent and compliant application of compensation and benefits programs.
• Support executive compensation reviews and related documentation as needed.
• Partner with leadership and Finance to ensure compensation decisions are aligned with organizational strategy, budget, and market competitiveness.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• 8-10+ years of progressive HR experience, including leadership and management responsibility across core HR functions.
• Experience in nonprofit, humanitarian, global health, or international development organizations preferred.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. employment laws and HR best practices, including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, and multi-state compliance.
• Demonstrated experience supporting a distributed or multi-state U.S. workforce.
• Proven ability to lead HR functions in growth, transformation, or change environments.
• Experience working with HRIS systems and leveraging HR data and analytics to inform decision-making.
• Strong leadership, people management, and team development skills.
• Excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management capabilities.
• High attention to detail with a commitment to operational excellence and compliance.
• Ability to balance urgency with risk mitigation, quality, and sound judgment.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution skills and the ability to translate strategy into action.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodation may be provided for individuals with disabilities.
• Physical demands:
• Ability to work in a typical office environment and operate standard office equipment.
• Ability to communicate in verbal and written form.
• Ability to travel as needed
• Work environment:
• Typical office or hybrid work environment with minimal noise exposure.
• Travel for extended periods by air and other modes of transportation. Project HOPE employees work in the global health field and may be required to travel or work in countries where working conditions are classified as "hardship".

Salary range starting at $90,000 -105,000 per year. Compensation for the role is dependent on several factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, and experience. Project HOPE offers comprehensive benefits as part of the total compensation package, including health, dental, vision, and life insurance, 403(b), paid leave, and much more. For more information about our benefits, please visit our benefits page.

Due to the substantial number of inquiries, we receive, only candidates who have met the required experience & qualifications for this position will be considered.

No phone calls please. However, since we are active around the world in the field of public health, we may wish to retain your CV in our database for other/future opportunities, unless you direct us otherwise.