Director, Employee Relations -RI

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

Each of our schools is a vibrant learning community shaped by its local context yet guided by a shared set of values: leading for racial equity, striving for excellence, embracing challenge, caring for the whole person, choosing joy, and going further together. These values guide our work across the organization and reflect both who we are and who we aspire to be.

At Achievement First, we are strengthened by being one network — united by shared values, a common mission, and a deep belief in what’s possible for our students. At the same time, we know that education is a deeply local endeavor, which is why we work in close partnership with families and local communities to ensure each school has the resources and support it needs to thrive.

Together, we’re building a future where every student receives an excellent education grounded in the strengths of their community, and where the impact of our collective work endures for generations.

We are looking for a strategic and dynamic Director, Employee Relations to join our Talent Operations team.

Your Impact

Achievement First’s Talent Operations team ensures strong talent practices are effectively and consistently implemented across the Achievement First network as the organization adapts to scale. The team also seeks to create a world-class employee experience such that all employees feel valued and want to stay at Achievement First to relentlessly support student success. 

We believe that compassionate, consistent and fairly implemented talent practices are critical to our success at building a network of high performing schools that can close the achievement gap at scale. Reporting to the Managing Director, Employee Relations & HR Policy, the Director,  Employee Relations will play a critical role in helping to promote our positive workplace. The team accomplishes this by: 

• Overseeing comprehensive performance evaluation systems ​
• Offering competitive total rewards package
• Fueling people leadership practices with strong talent data, clear guidance,​ and efficient processes
• Creating avenues for employee input and feedback through various talent management surveys

Reporting directly to the Managing. Director, Employee Relations & HR Policy, you will be responsible for:

• Providing expert knowledge and guidance on employment relations functions for your portfolio of schools, executing on investigations, facilitating staff trainings, and other talent management issues as needed
• Advising schools in leading conflict resolution, mediation facilitation, and overall performance management support including but not limited to warnings, performance improvement plans, and other employee communication 
• Building capacity for the Talent Operations team through ongoing employee relations data review and continuous improvement of all HR functional areas
• Managing HR administration, including but not limited to employment verifications, vaccination tracking, case manageme