The Human Resources Unit

Human Resources (HR) is a unit within Pew's Operations department.  Comprised of four groups - HR, Information Technology, Real Estate and Facilities and Operations Planning and Project Management - Operations provides strategic support to the business by aligning its priorities and service delivery with the needs of the institution, providing expertise and leadership in each functional area, and serving as an internal consultant to help drive results. 

HR currently oversees the personnel needs of 450 distributed staff with anticipation of servicing over 600 employees over the course of the next year.  HR's focus is to lead the recruitment of highly talented staff; build an environment committed to staff development, growth and retention; offer a competitive compensation and benefits package; and foster a respectful, collaborative culture in which staff are well-supported to achieve results.  This includes developing, implementing and maintaining best practices in the areas of:  recruitment; organizational design, staff development, performance and talent management; employee relations; compensation and benefits; and compliance. To support the business, HR is comprised of three teams that provide in-depth expertise to clients in the respective areas:  recruitment, business partnership and benefits.  Overall, the HR department has a staff of 13 with representation in the Philadelphia and Washington, DC offices. 

Position Overview:

Reporting to the deputy director, Human Resources, the senior manager, Recruitment located in Pew's Washington, DC office, leads the organization's recruiting related efforts for the US and international offices.  With the transition from a foundation to public charity status in 2004, Pew has realized steady expansion of its business.  To determine the best approach to successfully support Pew now and in the future, an assessment of Pew's recruiting function has been conducted and a new strategy is under development. 

The primary role of the position is to lead the recruitment team in ensuring its objectives are closely aligned with the needs of the business.  On a day to day basis, the senior manager will oversee a recruiting team that actively interfaces with hiring managers to source, assess and hire highly talented individuals.  Along with managing the team and leading searches, the senior manager engages in process improvement initiatives geared towards streamlining and standardizing policies, procedures, practices, tools and metrics.  This includes aligning the recruitment strategy and execution with the organization's key business drivers and implementing best practice programs and methods that will enhance the overall recruiting program from the perspective of hiring managers, senior leadership and current and future employees.

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  Align the recruitment group to the overall business strategy. Creatively identify opportunities for improvement, gain support and buy-in from key stakeholders, implement enhancements and institute efficiencies where appropriate. Work closely with deputy director, HR to set strategies, design new initiatives, benchmark best practices, create policies, establish success metrics and monitor results to ensure HR is effectively aligned with the business needs.
  
  


• Serve as the recruiting expert and advisor to the organization for all staffing needs. Establish effective relationships. Be a consultative resource, active member, and a trusted advisor to the leadership team. Partner with key leaders in the recruitment of senior level positions and strategic hires.


• Manage a team of four employees. Coach and mentor their development, provide opportunities to improve skills and give regular feedback on progress. Engage and manage contractors as needed to complement staffing in periods of high demand to ensure effective service delivery and balanced workloads.


• Oversee the recruitment process for all hires. Work with recruiting team and hiring managers to create search strategies, craft job descriptions, market the opportunity, screen candidates, tailor the office visit process, recommend compensation, check references and negotiate offers. Provide tools and training to hiring teams on candidate evaluation and interview methods to ensure effective screening of recruits.


• Monitor the recruiting workflow and provide direction for prioritizing the requisition load to ensure attainment of service level expectations.


• Work with recruiting team and hiring managers to develop strategies to expand Pew's ability to identify and attract a diverse slate of top caliber candidates especially in Pew's high-growth business segments.


• Build a candidate pipeline for future positions through specialized programs and targeted sourcing channels. This includes creating a mechanism to expand and track networks/contacts/alumni and potential candidates.


• Facilitate discussions with international office management and external vendors to improve Pew's international hiring capabilities.


• Oversee web-based applicant tracking system. Ensure proper training of staff, clarity on roles, responsibilities and processes. Provide direction on capitalizing on system capabilities to streamline efforts, implementing efficiencies, and producing key reports and establishing and tracking recruiting metrics, such as time to fill, cost per hire, etc.


• Manage recruiting related budget areas (e.g. placement fees, temporary staffing costs, ads, employee referral award, etc.). This includes establishing the recruitment budget and ensuring effective oversight, tracking, monitoring and reporting of costs throughout the year, approving contracts and expenditures. Negotiate fees with vendors, reviewing contracts and identifying cost savings opportunities.

Core Competencies

• Minimum of ten - twelve years of progressively more responsible recruitment and HR experience, with at least five years managing an innovative and strategic recruiting group. Experience in nonprofit sector and professional services firms are preferred. Bachelor's degree, as well as a Master's degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field is required. Professional certification, such as SPHR, preferred.


• Knowledge of and skill in candidate assessment and behavior-based interviewing methods, process mapping techniques and improvements, and manpower planning processes.


• Must have demonstrated knowledge of applicant tracking and Microsoft Office systems as well as a demonstrated track record in enhancing and capitalizing on an applicant tracking system to enhance recruitment capabilities.

Characteristics

• Strong business orientation. Focused on key business priorities and deliverables while balancing short-term needs with longer term strategic intent. Demonstrated track record in driving change and leading successful organizational and employee development initiatives.


• Deep analytical skills. Seasoned in establishing recruitment metrics and budgets, as well as related reporting and tracking. Demonstrated track record in using internal and external data, systems, costs and trends to understand issues, identify patterns, make recommendations and influence decisions.


• Financial acumen. Experience in creating and managing budgets, implementing controls, analyzing complex financial data, etc.


• Mature leadership, seasoned judgment, high integrity and the ability to learn quickly. Ability to quickly gain credibility and to understand and influence the organization. Confident with strong interpersonal skills. Ability to develop and manage productive relationships at all levels, establish trust and provide counsel to staff in a thoughtful, sensitive and timely manner.


• Demonstrated excellent customer service. Resolves problems responsively, creatively and logically by detecting underlying issues in complex situations, identifying patterns or trends and applying one's expertise and experience.


• Acts with integrity and confidentiality. Strong character, consistent, and acts in line with a clear and visible set of values and believes. Is direct, truthful and handles personnel information confidentially. Understands and respects sensitive nature of information and manages this responsibly and with great care so that situations and complex tasks are handled discretely, effectively and efficiently.


• Decisive. Exhibits a keenness and depth of perception, discernment and discrimination on practical matters and in decision-making. Addresses differences, strong conflict resolution skills, takes a clear stand on important issues.


• Ability to work independently and in teams. Functions well in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment where standards are high and information is processed expeditiously and efficiently.


• Demonstrated track record of managing and developing staff.


• Excellent written and oral communication skills. Express ideas, thoughts and concepts clearly and concisely, making solid case to gain understanding.


• Ability to set and adjust multiple priorities. Ability to organize time and identify resources for individual and group projects. High degree of results orientation.