Director, Global People Partner

World Central Kitchen, Inc. (WCK) seeks a talented and committed Director, People Partner to provide leadership for our entire global team including employees, independent contractors, and volunteers. Part of a growing People team, the successful candidate must be a true expert in people relations and culture building management, experienced in implementing strategic plans that build proactive, anticipatory/reactive relations strategies, solutions, and guidelines that ensure the people's experience and leadership effectiveness are at its peak. 

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who has a strong background in employee relations, performance and talent development. They should have  a passion for guiding and leading innovative and socially responsible people practices. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with utmost discretion.

This new role will report to the Chief People Officer (CPO) and work in concert with the People team and senior leaders across our growing global organization. This role requires a sincere commitment to WCK’s mission, with some travel, including internationally, and the expertise and empathy to provide effective leadership while promoting and enabling a fair and inclusive workplace. 

This position is for a full-time exempt hybrid role, located in Washington DC. The role will require onsite presence at our headquarters office for a minimum of 3 days per week.

Key Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Provide expert-level guidance, advice, and support to People colleagues, executives, and people managers across WCK on a wide variety of people relations issues, policies, procedures, and workplace investigations to create and sustain a positive People experience. 
• Drive employee engagement through the design and implementation of innovative and impactful initiatives as a trusted adviser with all levels of leadership in providing continuous training and development regarding how to encourage positive staff interactions and communication.
• Conduct investigations into employee-related incidents, including but not limited to harassment, discrimination, and policy violations.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures related to employee investigations, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of investigations, including findings, recommendations, and any disciplinary actions taken.
• Innovate and execute the annual cycle of goal setting, career and development planning, ongoing performance check-ins, and mid-year and year-end performance assessments and our feedback.
• Design and deliver learning and development programs and initiatives, including leadership development programs, to build a pipeline of effective leaders at all levels of the organization, fostering a culture of continuous learning and development.
• Creates talent tools, resources, training, and materials, such as onboarding content and performance management communications.
• Develop and implement initiatives to enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention, leveraging employee feedback, surveys, and data analytics to drive positive organizational culture and employee experience.
• Utilize data-driven insights and analytics to assess talent trends, identify areas for improvement, and make data-informed decisions to optimize talent management programs and processes
• Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and best practices, integrating DEI principles into all aspects of talent management to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• Lead change management efforts related to talent management initiatives, ensuring effective communication, stakeholder engagement, and organizational readiness for change.

Other Duties: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities for the position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. All positions are required to perform any additional tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

• Minimum of 8-10 years of People experience required in a global organization, demonstrating a track record of progression.
• Must possess extensive expertise in employee relations, including conducting investigations and providing training at a senior level.

• Proven expertise in successfully establishing and expanding culture-building initiatives on a large scale.

• Experience supporting direct employees, Employer of Record employees, independent contractors, and volunteers.
• Demonstrated strong knowledge of global People practices, employme