Pillar Search is honored to partner with UTEC on the search for their new Chief People Officer (CPO). This role is hybrid and based in their office in Lowell, MA. This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Human Resources professional with experience building a strong organizational culture, scaling growing organizations, and who shares UTEC’s commitment to diversity and social justice.

ABOUT UTEC

UTEC is a nationally recognized program for justice-involved young adults. The program starts behind the walls of correctional facilities and intensive street outreach/gang peacemaking and transitions into an intensive program in the community post-release. The nature of their educational services, wraparound supports and counseling, social enterprise/workforce development, organizing/policy work, training institute, and innovative partnerships creates a variety of impacts in the lives of the individuals and communities they serve.

Last year, UTEC served over 600 young adults including a range of outreach activities, and approximately 150 young adults intensively through their comprehensive program. During this fiscal year, 75% of young adults at UTEC avoided arrest. With over 20 years of experience, UTEC is a catalyst, innovating in the way they serve young adults (ages 17-25) who are criminally and/or gang involved in Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley. Learn more about UTEC at https://utecinc.org.

UTEC values a strong, positive culture. Their organizational values are:

• Assuming goodness behind everyone’s actions.
• Show madd love, unconditionally accepting each person.
• Offer everyone a clean slate, never giving up.
• Carry out respectful curiosity, always seeking out moments to connect.
• Be a sponge, actively seeking feedback.
• Embody contagious passion in all they do.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

Above all, the Chief People Officer will drive a joyful, mission-driven, and positive organizational culture!

The CPO is responsible for leading UTEC’s people and talent strategies, managing and mitigating organizational risks, and continuing the development of their human resource-related strategies, policies, and procedures. This role will be responsible for setting strategy, managing employee relations, workforce development, oversight of talent development and acquisition, onboarding, performance management, succession planning, staff and leadership training, policy development, benefits administration, and organizational compliance.

The CPO plays a key leadership role in supporting the agency’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas of management and ensuring UTEC’ DEI vision is embodied in their work and workplace culture. This position acts as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on a variety of issues, including employee relations, leadership development, organizational culture, and talent management; therefore, strong expertise in executive-level management, communication, business process improvement, and DEI strategic planning with a social justice lens is required.

This position will report to UTEC’s incoming CEO.

The CPO will work to support and strengthen UTEC’s systems and culture with a customer service and growth mindset. They seek candidates with experience aligning their people and talent strategy to their business strategy. In addition, the CPO will bring expertise independently designing and executing human capital strategies and processes/process improvements across a large team, change management, leading an organization to implement new approaches to strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion, ability to work across a dynamic and diverse set of relationships, managing complex and sensitive situations rounded in values and in accordance with HR best practices and the law. The PO will also focus on leading the administration of benefits, ensuring that he UTEC benefits continue to remain competitive and meet the needs of employees.

The new CPO will partner with Executive Management in fine-tuning a new performance management process and development of a system of alignment between compensation and performance management.

This role will lead and manage a talented team of HR professionals, including the Director of HR and HR Associate, providing ongoing feedback and coaching, annual review/goal setting, and serving as a strategic thought partner. This role will also oversee, as needed, recruitment consultants.

THE IDEAL CPO CANDIDATE

UTEC is seeking a values-driven CPO with experience as a senior organizational leader in human resources and recruitment with a strong background in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work, preferably in the nonprofit sector. The ideal CPO candidate will possess the following experiences and attributes:

• Experience leading the HR function with a focus on employee experience.
• Strong knowledge of current HR best practices, laws, and trends.
• Deep understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion, and restorative justice as a steppingstone to transformative justice., the nuances of the topics aligned with it, and creating DEI initiatives.
• Experience building inclusive and engaged workplaces, and cultural awareness and sensitivity with a lens on racial, gender, sexual identity, class, and all forms of oppression.
• Ability to deal with conflict effectively and to manage difficult employee relations situations confidently and calmly.
• A collaborative, influential, goal-oriented, and coaching focused style of leadership with direct reports, peers, employees, and leadership.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills and the ability to find creative solutions to cultural, administrative, and organizational challenges.
• A track record of successful change management.
• Experience creating and/or implementing leadership development programs.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• A big-picture thinker who recognizes the impact of decisions and actions on the entire organization. Exhibits sound and accurate judgement and makes timely decisions.
• Desire to be part of hardworking, collaborative, fun, and values-driven team.
• At least 7 years of progressive human resources experience, with at least 3-5 years at the management/director level, and proven experience with diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on transformative and social justice.
• Bachelors/Masters degree preferred, or equivalent work experience.
• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP a plus

SALARY & BENEFITS

The salary range for the CPO role is $130,000-$150,000 annually. This is a hybrid role, with 3 days per week in UTEC’s office in Lowell, MA.

UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 4 weeks of vacation (3 standard for all new employees and week of agency-wide closure between the Christmas and New Year holidays), 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, health, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, an annual cost of living increase, 457(b)-retirement plan, and up to $4,000 per employee of professional development support annually. With time, benefits increase to 6 weeks of vacation, increased coverage of health and dental insurance costs, and availability for a 3-week sabbatical.

UTEC stresses the importance of work-life balance and offers several wellness opportunities including additional time off (i.e., for the past two years they have closed at 3:00 p.m. on summer Fridays), an employee assistance program, down payment assistance for first-time home buyers, parental leave, bereavement support, and unlimited free coffee!

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

UTEC is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity, equity, and inclusion.  People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. You can read more about their commitment to diversity at https://utecinc.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion.

TO APPLY

UTEC’s Chief People Officer search is being managed by Pillar Search & HR Consulting. Please submit your materials via the UTEC website at https://utecinc.applytojob.com/apply/R0J0CAPtZY/Chief-People-Officer