Vice President, Talent & Organizational Culture

Position Reports to: Chief Operating Officer 

Location: Fully US-based remote, with a strong preference for candidates within commuting distance to NFF’s New York, Philadelphia, or Boston offices. Fully remote locations within commuting distance to Los Angeles and Oakland will also be considered. 

Department: Talent 

Suite: Operations, People and Culture (OPC) 

For over 40 years, Nonprofit Finance Fund has provided nonprofits and their leaders with capital, consulting, and thought leadership. As a community development finance institution (CDFI), we work with nonprofits, partners, and systems to build racial equity and community wealth and well-being. Our vision is a world of equitable prosperity, where communities of color and other systematically excluded communities have the capital, community assets, knowledge, and agency to thrive. You can learn more about our work to achieve that vision by reading our Strategic Plan for 2024-2026, Our Values, and Theory of Change. 

None of this work would be possible without the incredible people who work here. Our team consists of a diverse group of passionate professionals who care deeply about NFF's mission. You can read more about what it’s like to work here – and read a few examples of “a day in the life” for NFF staff” – on the careers page of our website.  

Thank you for your interest in NFF. We hope you’ll join us. 

About the Opportunity:

The Vice President, Talent & Organizational Culture (“VP”) is a strategic leader responsible for structuring and executing talent strategies that support organizational excellence, and a high-performance culture aligned with NFF values. This role is a member of NFF’s Leadership Team and works with the organization and the Executive Team to execute talent initiatives in the areas of talent recruitment and selection, change management, performance management, training and development, succession planning, and total rewards. This role will serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, COO, and Executive Team on all talent-related matters. 

This leader will design and implement innovative strategies across the entire employee lifecycle, including talent attraction, recruitment, onboarding, development, and retention. With a steadfast commitment to building a diverse, high-performing workforce, the VP will create programs and processes that support employee engagement and experience and celebrate individual growth. The VP is directly responsible for leading the Talent Team and maintaining oversight of all of the Human Resources related operations, HR technology functions, and policies to ensure scalable processes that meet the evolving needs of NFF.  

This position is remote, with a preference for candidates within commuting distance to NFF’s New York, Philadelphia, or Boston offices. Fully remote locations within commuting distance to Los Angeles and Oakland will also be considered. There is potential for up to 15% travel, which will consist of local/national conferences and occasional inter-office travel. This role is a member of NFF's Leadership Team and will be expected to travel to their local NFF office for Team Retreats, candidate interviews, and cross team collaboration meetings. 

The Vice President, Talent & Organizational Culture will report to the Chief Operating Officer who is based in New York City.

What you’ll do:

Talent & Culture 

• Partner with the COO to develop and execute strategic workforce initiatives, assess organizational health, and drive operational effectiveness through targeted talent solutions that support NFF's goals 
• Lead comprehensive workforce planning initiatives, including succession planning, performance management, talent pipeline development, and strategic hiring forecasts 
• Coach and guide staff to develop exceptional people, operations, systems, and HR policies that ensure compliance across multiple jurisdictions while maintaining NFF's cultural values and employee-first approach 
• Foster a culture of care and responsiveness to ensure exceptional supports and services for staff  
• Evaluate and improve NFF’s progressive performance management and feedback mechanisms 
• Work closely with suite and department leads to ensure a system of review and update of job descriptions, competencies, and evaluative tools as a key element of supporting staff development 
• Design and implement hybrid/remote work policies that balance flexibility and engagement with operational effectiveness 
• Identify critical skills gaps that impact business strategy execution and work closely with stakeholders to design and execute targeted staff development initiatives to bridge those gaps 

Talent Operations & Systems 

• Collaborate with the COO to optimize resource allocation and budget planning for talent programs 
• Evaluate and implement HR technology solutions that streamline operations, enhance employee experience, and provide actionable analytics to the organization and Executive Team 
• Research and integrate emerging talent management practices from both nonprofit and corporate sectors to elevate NFF's approach to people operations 
• Design and maintain a competitive total rewards strategy through market analysis, ensuring internal equity. 
• Guarantee compliance and timely submission of talent and employment data for external agencies and internal department needs. 
• Manage Talent vendors and consultants to ensure delivery of services  
• Present talent analytics and strategic updates to NFF Leadership Team, Board of Directors and relevant committees 

Talent Recruitment & Selection 

• Refine and manage an innovative talent acquisition strategy that positions NFF as an employer of choice in the nonprofit sector 
• Work closely with stakeholders to ensure implementation of best-in-class methods to debias selection and ensure broad recruitment 
• Define a comprehensive recruitment strategy to measure and report analytics to optimize the hiring process  
• Build strategic partnerships with professional networks, educational institutions, and industry groups to enhance NFF's talent pipeline 
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of advancements in recruitment and selection practices for a mission-driven nonprofit organization 

People Development and Organizational Culture 

• Champion a healthy, high-performance organizational culture and staff engagement that centers high levels of employee engagement and people development 
• Oversee complex employee relations matters, including investigations, leaves, and conflict resolution, while maintaining relationships with employment counsel to ensure multi-state compliance and risk management 
• In partnership with the Executive Team (CEO, COO, Sr. Director of DEIB) and people managers, deploy effective engagement and development strategies to build a well-equipped, values-driven workplace and empowered workforce with a focus on retention of top talent 
• Serve as an internal coach and consultant to leadership, managers and employees, offering proactive guidance on critical issues, identifying solutions, resolving problems, and facilitating developmental opportunities.   

Who you are: 

Required Skills & Experience 

• You have a minimum of 10 years of progressive experience as leading a Talent and HR benefit function in a CDFI, nonprofit or mission-led organization, with at least 6 years in senior leadership positions  
• Experience partnering with C-suite executives to drive organizational effectiveness and culture change 
• Expert knowledge of HR information systems, and track record of setting and meeting ambitious HR performance metrics  
• Track record of ensuring compliance with federal and state employment laws while scaling operations 
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality in all aspects of HR operations, ensuring the protection of sensitive employee information, personal data, and company-related matters in compliance with legal and ethical standards. 
• Relevant HR certifications (SPHR, SHRM-SCP) highly valued 

Strategic Leadership Experience 

• Led full-cycle organizational transformation initiatives, including restructuring, mergers, or significant growth phases 
• Designed and implemented comprehensive talent strategies that measurably improved key metrics related to staff retention and employee engagement 
• Successfully managed human resources and talent function for an organization that has an operating budget of $20MM+ 
• Developed innovative total rewards programs that improved retention while maintaining budget discipline 
• Created and led data-driven organizational culture initiatives that demonstrably increased representation and employee engagement metrics 
• Managed and designed hybrid/remote work policies and programs across multiple jurisdictions 

Leadership Competencies 

• Strong attention to detail with experience in collecting, reporting, and leveraging data to drive improvements in talent and culture  
• Demonstrates impeccable judgment and professional maturity in building trusted partnerships across all levels, serving as a credible advisor to senior leadership  
• Navigates complex, ambiguous environments with an entrepreneurial mindset, successfully leading transformational initiatives while maintaining operational excellence 
• Able to apply strong judgement in leading a Talent function that includes multiple workstreams, delivering work product and projects on time with exceptional attention to detail 
• Strong consultation and collaboration skills, with high emotional intelligence  
• Reflective leader who cares about and engages in continuous self-improvement  
• You embody NFF’s mission, core values and commitment to equity 

Compensation: 

At NFF, we are invested in discussing the depth and breadth of each candidate’s background and experience during the interview process and using that information to determine the best offer while considering internal pay equity. The starting salary range for this position is $175,000 - $187,400. If provided an offer, NFF will determine salary compensation based on skills and years of experience. NFF provides an attractive benefits package that currently includes up to 18 paid holidays, 3 floating holidays, flexible (unlimited) vacation time off, health insurance with NFF funded health reimbursement account on medical plan, 2% match and 4% non-match employer contributions toward retirement plan. In addition, NFF provides flexibility to work remotely and access to a “work from home” fund, and flexible spending accounts including commuter benefits.   

Please Note: 

All salaries are commensurate with experience and include an attractive benefits package. 

Nonprofit Finance Fund is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its workforce. We encourage candidates that will help us live out this commitment to apply. 

NFF is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or military or veteran status in accordance with federal law. In addition, NFF complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it maintains facilities. NFF also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. NFF does not employ individuals based outside of the United States.  

This job posting provides a general list of the essential responsibilities and qualifications required for this position. It does not represent a contract for employment and NFF reserves the right to change the description and/or posting at any time without notice. 

Click here to view NFF’s Fair and Equitable Practices. 

When applying, please DO NOT include any of the following information with your job application: Social Security number; driver's license number or state-issued identification card number; financial account number, or credit or debit card number.