Senior Director, People Operations & Services

About Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York delivers essential services to tens of thousands of New Yorkers annually. Our mission depends on capable, stable, and engaged people. We are undertaking a multi-year People & Culture transformation to modernize HR systems, strengthen leadership accountability, and improve employee experience.

Senior Director, People Operations & Services is a newly created operational leadership role responsible for building operational excellence in people services. Reporting to the Chief People & Culture Officer (CPCO), this role establishes the systems, service standards, and team capabilities that enable consistent, high‑quality support for approximately 850 employees across Catholic Charities agencies, including Catholic Charities Community Services. This is a hands‑on leadership role for someone who has actually built and scaled HR operations, not just worked in them.

• Oversee daily HR service delivery across recruitment, onboarding, benefits, transactions, compliance, and employee relations
• Lead implementation of modernized HR Generalist model with clear service standards and documented processes
• Build operational infrastructure including workflows, SOPs, service level agreements, and lifecycle processes
• Partner with CPCO and IT/Finance to optimize HR systems and strengthen data integrity
• Serve as primary operational problem‑solver for day‑to‑day HR issues

• Provide direct supervision to HR functional areas including Talent Acquisition, Generalist Services, Onboarding, Compliance, Benefits, Employee Engagement, and HR Operations
• Develop team capabilities in operational excellence, customer service, and problem‑solving
• Establish clear expectations, performance standards, and accountability structures
• Coach and develop HR staff, particularly those advancing into broader Generalist roles

• Ensure employee relations matters are handled promptly, consistently, and professionally
• Oversee ER case management, coach Generalists and use trend data to identify improvements
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, regulatory requirements, and internal policies
• Identify and mitigate HR‑related risks

• Lead operational implementation of strategic initiatives including HR Generalist transition, ATS rollout, and onboarding improvements
• Partner with CPCO on program redesign; ensure operational readiness and sustainability
• Drive process improvements that reduce friction and strengthen employee experience
• Navigate competing priorities and matrixed leadership structures with clarity

• Develop and maintain core HR metrics and dashboards
• Partner with CPCO and HRIS Administrator to prepare monthly People Snapshot and quarterly People Dashboard
• Translate operational data into insights and recommendations for leadership
• Represent HR in leadership meetings and cross‑functional initiatives

• 10+ years of progressive operational leadership, with substantial experience designing systems, establishing service standards, and developing team capability to sustain high performance
• Strong working knowledge of core HR domains: recruitment, onboarding, benefits, compliance, employee relations, and transactions
• Experience leading teams through significant operational change or modernization in nonprofit, human services, healthcare, or mission‑driven environments strongly preferred

• Steady, grounded leadership that brings clarity, calm judgment, and solution‑focused dialogue to complex situations
• Genuine enthusiasm for operational detail, process discipline, and building reliable systems
• Confident partnering with executives while taking full ownership of operational domains
• Strong coaching ability with authentic interest in developing team capability
• Systems‑thinking mindset with ability to see patterns, design sustainable solutions, and navigate ambiguity
• Excellent relationship‑builder and…