Chief People Officer

When you join The Home for Little Wanderers, you join a team of professionals dedicated to creating better, brighter futures for kids.

For over 200 years, The Home for Little Wanderers has helped build stable lives and hopeful tomorrows for vulnerable children and their families. Our 25+ community-based and residential programs serve thousands of at-risk youths from birth to age 26. Many of these children have experienced abuse, neglect, trauma, or a disrupted family life. As the oldest child welfare agency in America, we provide them with safe surroundings, permanent loving relationships, and a secure path toward a better, brighter future.

To learn more about the incredible impact our employees have on the lives of children and families, :

How You Will Be Making a Difference

The Chief People Officer (CPO) serves as The Home for Little Wanderers’ enterprise leader for people strategy, organizational culture, and the full employee experience. As a strategic advisor to the President & CEO and a core member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CPO ensures the organization has the talent, systems, and culture required to deliver better, brighter futures for kids while supporting a high-performing, values-driven workforce.

The CPO translates organizational priorities into multi‑year roadmaps; builds diverse talent pipelines; elevates manager capability; stewards equitable and competitive total rewards; and ensures robust HR operations, HRIS optimization, and multi‑jurisdictional compliance.

In close partnership with department leaders, the CPO aligns HR initiatives with service delivery priorities and organizational growth and serves as staff liaison to relevant Board committees. The CPO also leads the HR budget and resource planning for professional development, recognition, incentives, and programs that strengthen culture, belonging, and staff wellbeing across the organization.

Essential Functions

• Develop and execute a comprehensive people strategy that advances mission impact, organizational health, and employee experience.

• Lead, support and develop a multidisciplined human resources team, including recruitment, compensation and benefits, and employee relations.

• Collaborates with CEO and executive leadership team to align HR initiatives with organizational goals and program outcomes.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO and other executives on people-related matters, providing strategic guidance and support.

• Lead annual and multi-year HR roadmaps, translating strategic priorities into actionable objectives.

• Manage the design and implementation of competitive compensation, benefits and total rewards strategies to attract and retain talent and ensure alignment with organizational needs.

• Own the agency’s employee engagement strategy including employee experience and employee recognition.

• Oversee a proactive and strategic employee‑relations function, ensuring fair, consistent, and legally compliant practices; provide guidance on complex workplace matters; strengthen manager capability in resolving issues; and cultivate a culture of trust, accountability, and open communication.

• Lead the performance evaluation strategy, ensuring the organization utilizes effective platforms, tools, and processes that support meaningful feedback, accountability, and development.

• Develop manager capability frameworks, learning journeys, and leadership pathways across all staff levels.

• Build diverse talent pipelines and recruiting strategies aligned to program needs.

• Own HRIS strategy and optimization, ensuring accurate data and efficient processes.

• Ensure multi-jurisdictional HR compliance and policy alignment.

• Champion an inclusive culture and embed DEI principles in all talent systems.

• Serve as staff liaison to Board committees and partner across departments to align HR initiatives with service delivery and growth plans.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience

• Demonstrated experience serving as a Chief People Officer or in an equivalent executive HR leadership role, with a proven track record of leading enterprise‑wide people strategy and organizational transformation.

• 10–15+…