Position SummaryAscend is seeking a Head of People to support one of our local partner firms to develop and lead talent programs that attract and retain a team of highly engaged professionals who will serve as the Firm's future leaders. This position will oversee all People / Human Resources and administrative operations, including talent acquisition, talent engagement / employee relations, performance management, and learning & development. The Director, People will enable business growth by devising and deploying strategic initiatives that deliver best-in-class HR solutions for our partner firm.
Key ResponsibilitiesPeople Leadership & Strategy- Serve as a key advisor to the leadership team on strategic human capital needs of the business.
- Develop a data- and research-informed human capital strategy, ensuring the execution of People-focused objectives on the Firm's strategic plan.
- Maintain a deep understanding of the business's talent needs that takes into account the competitive dynamics of the Accounting industry, refreshing strategic outcomes as needed to support the business.
- Collaborate with the leadership team to deploy programs focused on talent attraction & retention, professional development, and seamless integrations of newly-acquired assets.
- Leverage compensation data to develop standardized pay scales based on relevant market analysis to ensure our partner firm remains competitive in the talent market.
- Drive forward opportunities for continuous improvement, proactively addressing & mitigating talent-related risks and staying apprised of changes in relevant regulations, policies, and industry protocols.
People Operations- Ensure best-in-class delivery of all employee services (i.e. benefits enrollment, employee relations, payroll, etc.) while addressing relevant employee questions proactively and in a timely manner.
- Manage internal communications on all relevant People matters, ensuring relevant information is clear, accessible, and actionable.
- Manage all compliance for personnel matters, including hiring and termination procedures.
- Lead the development and monitoring of People KPIs for the partner firm, identifying leading indicators and anticipating / tackling issues proactively.
Professional Development and Talent Management- Lead the buildout of "Academy" programs that include comprehensive training programming in partnership with Ascend People leadership.
- Direct semiannual performance evaluations based on role scorecards that create supportive and meaningful feedback loops for partner firm employees; incorporate best practices and teach managers how to provide consistent, effective performance management strategies and bonus evaluations.
- Partner with Ascend's Head of Professional Development to implement relevant learning pathways by role / level, leveraging existing resources (e.g. LumiQ, LCVista).
- Ensure the firm has A players in all key roles for driving future growth.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Track record of supporting People- and / or Talent-focused objectives with clear, effective, and actionable strategies
- Superior EQ and influencing skills paired with outstanding oral and written communication abilities
- Excellent leadership attributes with the capacity to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams
- Strong organizational, critical thinking and prioritization skills
