Job Description
Managing Director, People Partner (Business Partner)
TEAM: People Team
REPORTS TO: Vice President, People & Performance
LOCATION: Flexible
WHAT YOU'LL DO
At Teach For America, we are inspired by a single mission - one day, all children will have access to an excellent education. Achieving that mission requires evolving how we work, lead, and support our people so they can thrive in an agile, ever-changing environment.
We are seeking a Managing Director, People Partner (Business Partner) to serve as a trusted advisor to leaders and managers, providing strategic and day-to-day partnership that strengthens team effectiveness, develops talent, and supports an exceptional staff experience. In close collaboration with senior People Team colleagues, you will help leaders navigate talent decisions, foster healthy team cultures, and implement people strategies that enable teams to achieve meaningful impact.
WHAT YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
Portfolio Management (50%)
- Partner with directors, managing directors, and selected senior leaders to provide strategic guidance on talent management, team effectiveness, staff development, and employee experience.
- Build trusted relationships with leaders to understand team dynamics, identify opportunities, and proactively address talent needs.
- Consult on organizational design, workforce planning, and team structures that align with business priorities.
- Help leaders identify capability gaps and recommend development strategies to strengthen team performance.
- Coach managers through key talent processes, including hiring, onboarding, performance development, performance improvement, change management, and compensation cycles.
- Facilitate leadership development sessions and learning experiences in partnership with other People Team functions.
- Serve as the primary People Team partner for assigned client groups, connecting leaders with the appropriate People resources and expertise.
Employee Relations & Manager Coaching (20%)
- Provide coaching and consultation to leaders navigating performance concerns, employee relations matters, and workplace challenges.
- Support managers in using performance improvement processes as developmental tools.
- Advise leaders on policy interpretation, standards of conduct, and workplace expectations.
- Partner with Employee Relations colleagues to escalate and resolve complex or sensitive matters appropriately.
- Help leaders navigate difficult conversations while promoting consistency, equity, and compliance.
Support Talent Systems & Organizational Initiatives (20%)
- Contribute insights from client groups to strengthen talent programs, policies, and systems across the organization.
- Partner across the People Team to implement talent initiatives, including performance development, onboarding, annual talent processes, and manager enablement.
- Gather feedback from leaders and staff to identify trends and recommend continuous improvements.
- Analyze talent data—including engagement, retention, promotions, and exit trends—to support informed decision-making within assigned portfolios.
Agile Team Support (10%)
- Support special projects and cross-functional People Team initiatives as organizational priorities evolve.
- Contribute to organization-wide talent efforts and provide capacity during periods of increased demand.
- Demonstrate flexibility by adjusting priorities in response to changing organizational needs.
- Collaborate across the People Team to ensure consistent, high-quality support for staff and leaders.
A WEEK IN THE LIFE
As a Managing Director, People Partner, no two weeks look exactly alike. You may spend one day coaching managers through performance conversations, partnering with leaders on hiring plans, or facilitating talent calibration discussions. Another day might include reviewing engagement data, supporting change management planning, or collaborating with colleagues to improve talent processes.
Throughout the year, you'll help leaders strengthen team effectiveness, implement organizational talent practices, and create environments where staff can do their best work.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
Minimum Qualifications
- 7–10 years of progressive Human Resources experience, preferably in Business Partnering, HR Consulting, Organizational Development, or a Human Resources Generalist role.
- Experience partnering with people leaders to solve talent and organizational challenges.
- Knowledge across core HR disciplines, including employee relations, performance management, talent development, compensation, organizational effectiveness, and change management.
- Ability to build trust and credibility with leaders at multiple levels.
- Strong judgment and comfort navigating ambiguity, competing priorities, and organizational change.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects while meeting ambitious deadlines.
- Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Commitment to Teach For America's mission, core values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
BONUS (Preferred Qualifications)
- Experience managing or mentoring others.
- SHRM, PHR, or HCM certification.
- Experience with Workday or comparable HRIS platforms.
- Strong facilitation and coaching skills.
- Excellent project management and process improvement capabilities.
- Demonstrated curiosity, adaptability, and continuous learning mindset.
- Proven ability to build collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholders.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to use data to inform talent decisions.
- Solutions-oriented with sound judgment, integrity, and a high degree of ownership.
YOUR FUTURE TEAM
The People Team exists to attract, develop, and support high impact, equity-oriented staff so they can transform education and expand opportunity for children. To have the impact our students and communities deserve, our staff must be on fire for our mission, clear on how they contribute to our collective impact, feel supported, and willing to learn and evolve continuously given our dynamic context. With this understanding of what is required from our staff, we aspire to make the following People Commitments to all of our staff.
At TFA, we promise you that you will have unparalleled opportunities to:
- Be seen and valued for who you are and what you bring to the table
- Grow every year through essential development opportunities
- Join a high performing team led by an effective and people-centered manager
- Receive an equitable and competitive total rewards package
Which make Teach For America a place where:
- People want to work
- People want to stay
- People feel impactful
- People feel like they belong
The People Team sees ourselves as the utmost guardians of staff culture, core values, and our organization’s constant pursuit of impact. Our team fosters an organizational culture of leadership, innovation, respect, and teamwork. We ensure that the core HR functions (such as talent acquisition & recruitment, learning & development, performance management, total rewards, employee relations) run smoothly, and we ensure unparalleled opportunities for learning and growth for our 1,000+ full time, part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees.
This role will sit on the Talent Management wing of the People team, whose charge is to provide top-tier, people-centered, equity-oriented staff support and strategic partnership. We do so by ensuring that every staff member and team has the information and access to standardized policies, processes and systems of support that maximize their unique impact, strengthen their wellbeing, and allow them to be deeply rooted at TFA.
YOUR COMPENSATION
The applicable salary range for each U.S.-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. The expected salary ranges for this role are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future.
- Tier A: $90,000 - $118,100
- Tier B: $98,000 - $128,700
- Tier C: $106,100 - $139,300
You can view which tier applies to where you plan to workhere. If your location is not listed, please clickhere for additional total rewards information.
Originally posted on Himalayas
