Director, People & Culture

Chicago Zoological Society | Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Rd, Brookfield, Illinois, United States of America

Posted Tuesday, December 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM | Expires Monday, February 16, 2026 at 5:59 AM

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Director of People & Culture

Brookfield Zoo Chicago seeks a Director of People & Culture (P&C) to serve as a key leader within Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s People & Culture team, providing strategic and operational leadership across five critical areas:
Labor Relations, Employee Development, Performance Management, Employee Relations, and HR Operations.

Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of People & Culture, the Director partners with executive leadership, managers, and union representatives to build a thriving, inclusive, and high-performing workplace aligned with the Zoo’s Next Century Plan and long-term mission. The Director ensures that People & Culture programs foster engagement, compliance, and continuous growth while advancing a culture grounded in respect, collaboration, and accountability.

The Director of People & Culture is a full-time salaried position with a base salary range of $150,000 to $165,000 annually.

Please see Compensation and Benefits Summary section below the job description information.

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions of the position.

1. Labor Relations

• Lead day-to-day administration of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), ensuring consistent interpretation and application of contract provisions.
• Partner with the SVP of P&C and legal counsel in the development of labor strategy, contract negotiations, and implementation of new terms.
• Manage grievance and arbitration processes, including Step 1 and Step 2 meetings, documentation, and settlement tracking.
• Provide guidance and training to managers and supervisors on union-related practices, discipline, and communication with represented employees.
• Maintain updated logs of grievances, Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs), and contractor use in accordance with established P&C compliance frameworks.
• Collaborate with operational departments to balance workforce needs, union obligations, and Zoo objectives.

2. Employee Development

• Lead the design, coordination, and evaluation of the Zoo’s Leadership and Employee Development programs, including the new Leadership Framework (Core, Elective, and Stretch modules).
• Partner with leaders to identify learning priorities, career pathing strategies, and targeted development plans that prepare employees for future roles.
• Oversee training systems (e.g., Cypherworx, Bind Bee, Collabornation) to ensure compliance-based learning and employee engagement.
• Integrate leadership and onboarding experiences with organizational programs such as the CEO Roundtable – Behind the Vision to strengthen engagement and connection to mission.
• Develop internal facilitation, mentorship, and coaching programs to foster growth and succession readiness at all levels.

3. Performance Management

• Oversee implementation of the Zoo’s Casual Conversations model and formal review process, ensuring all leaders complete evaluations in alignment with established timelines (October 31 and March 31 cycles).
• Partner with managers to ensure that performance discussions emphasize strengths, goals, development, and accountability.
• Track organization-wide completion rates, identify patterns or skill gaps, and recommend development interventions.
• Collaborate with P&C leadership to strengthen organizational effectiveness through coaching, calibration, and alignment between individual goals and the Zoo’s strategic plan.
• Provide tools, templates, and training to managers to enhance the quality and consistency of performance feedback across departments.

4. Employee Relations

• Serve as a trusted advisor and escalation point for complex employee relations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and workplace accommodations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, as well as internal Zoo policies and ethical standards.
• Maintain…