About the Organization:
FIRST 5 Santa Clara County (FIRST 5) was formed when California voters approved Proposition 10 in November 1998. FIRST 5 is a public entity governed by a nine-member Commission. FIRST 5 Santa Clara County is dedicated to being a driving force in making the developmental needs of children, prenatal through age 5, a priority across all community sectors. FIRST 5 Santa Clara County aims to create a lasting impact by supporting the healthy development of children and enriching their families and communities. We focus on seven key areas: Children's Health, Family Support, High-Quality Early Care and Education, Communications and Public Awareness, Workforce Development, Systems Change, and Community and Family Engagement. We aim to ensure that children enter school fully prepared to succeed academically, emotionally, and socially.
Our core values guide our approach to fulfilling our mission. We work cooperatively with established systems, services, and the community to achieve common goals and maximize effectiveness for families with children from 0 – 5 years old. By applying proven solutions from other areas and tailoring them to the specific needs of our community, we foster innovation and strive for the highest quality outcomes. We are responsible and results-driven, ensuring that we make the best use of the resources entrusted to us by the public. Embracing input and assistance from all facets of the community, we span all cultures and languages to help every child and family thrive.
About the Opportunity:
The Executive of People and Culture (E-PC) at FIRST 5 Santa Clara County will be a dynamic and collaborative leader responsible for fostering a positive organizational culture and aligning resources to support the diverse needs of its staff, who, in turn, serve the community. This role oversees all human resources functions through an equity lens and supports the implementation of the agency's strategic planning. As the agency has signed its first union contract with Local SEIU 521, the E-PC will manage all labor relationships, including negotiations in future bargaining sessions. As a member of the Executive Leadership team, you will work to drive an inclusive, transparent, equitable, and accountable culture starting at the top level of the organization. We seek a leader with empathy, a sense of humor, an appreciation of team-based fun, and the ability to foster a positive, engaging, inclusive, and supportive work environment for all team members.
The ideal candidate should possess a bachelor's degree or equivalent years of experience with an SHRM Certification, with eight years of progressive experience in community-based organizations, with a strong commitment to creating work environments through a diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) lens. Experience working in complex organizations and excellent organizational and interpersonal skills are required.
Core Responsibilities and Duties:
Vision and Plan for People and Culture: Collaborate with organizational leaders and staff to develop a shared vision for the future of FIRST 5's internal people and culture initiatives. Actively listen and respond to the organization's needs while providing clear leadership. Continuously assess and refine policies and practices to ensure alignment with the organization's goals and values.
Culture-Building and Advancing Accessibility, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging: Lead change management efforts to create an inclusive, equitable culture and an environment that supports the success of a diverse team. Identify and implement practices that foster transparent communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution. In partnership with the DEI staff, develop and implement internal DEI training programs, promote a culture of continuous learning, and support employee resource groups.
Organizational Leadership and Staff Empowerment: Supervise and mentor staff while ensuring cohesion and mission focus across the organization's people and culture functions. Engage in strategic and responsive collaboration with organizational leaders, and guide performance management, succession planning, and talent development.
Partner and Network Development: Build relationships with external partners, supporters, and champions, including other FIRST 5 agencies' human resources leaders and community members. Participate in staff-led experiences at partner locations to understand the agency's work in the community. Identify and leverage opportunities for collaboration and partnership to strengthen organizational culture and expand the impact of FIRST 5's programs and services.
Employee Engagement, Recruitment, and Retention: Oversee the development of strategies to enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, recruitment, and retention. Implement recognition and reward programs, conduct employee surveys, and address areas for improvement to create a positive and supportive work environment. Oversee development of onboarding and offboarding processes, ensuring consistent decimation of information and inclusion of all necessary stakeholders for a seamless experience. Oversee HR department staff developing, maintaining, improving, and implementing recruitment procedures while ensuring fair, consistent practices that align with the union contract and local, state, and federal law requirements.
Successful Candidates Will Demonstrate:
A strong interest in and commitment to the work of FIRST 5 Santa Clara County: A deep understanding of the organization's mission, values, and goals. Deep humility, respect for the communities with which FIRST 5 partners, and a genuine commitment to advancing social justice and equity through the organization's work.
Adaptive Strategy and Vision Setting: Demonstrate the ability to actively solicit input from multiple stakeholders, assess immediate and long-term needs, balance internal and external factors, and implement best practices that are culturally responsive. Regularly evaluate and adjust strategies and vision to align with the evolving needs of the organization and the community it serves.
Racial and Social Equity: Exhibit a deep understanding of social justice and how race and bias impact beliefs, thoughts, and actions. Maintaining a track record of centering DEI principles throughout work while attuning to cross-over movements. In collaboration with the DEI staff, assess the organization's progress on DEI goals and implement initiatives to address identified gaps that impact internal culture and effectiveness.
Operational and Financial Management: Effectively manage financial and operational resources to support people and culture programs. Develop strategic and responsive financial and administrative planning processes that are inclusive and adaptive to changing priorities. Regularly monitor and report on the performance of people and culture initiatives, making data-driven decisions to optimize resource allocation and program impact.
Trust-Based Leadership: Establish and maintain trust among various stakeholders by consistently demonstrating transparency, integrity, and accountability. Intentionally build professional growth within the organization by providing mentorship and development opportunities and fostering a culture of continuous learning. Create opportunities for open dialogue in decision-making processes, ensuring that diverse perspectives are valued and considered.
Employee Engagement and Retention: Achieve high employee engagement and retention levels by developing and implementing strategies that address employee needs, concerns, and aspirations. Regularly measure employee satisfaction and engagement levels, using data to inform improvements in organizational culture, communication, and support systems. Foster a sense of belonging and commitment among employees, reducing turnover and increasing organizational stability.
Candidate Qualifications:
A bachelor's degree in human resources management and organizational behavior; or equivalent experience with Professional Certification: SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, PHR, or SPHR; and 8 years minimum experience working in complex environments advancing community-focused and community-centered change.
An advanced degree (e.g., MPA, MBA, MHRM) is desirable, but a mix of professional background with professional certification and lived experience will be strongly considered in place of formal degrees.
Proven ability to engage staff from diverse backgrounds and at all levels of professional experience in a deep, authentic way that empowers individuals and teams to be simultaneously collaborative and honest. Experience in fostering a culture of DEIB and implementing programs that support the development and success of all team members.
Demonstrated capacity to absorb criticism and self-reflect on shifting responsibilities of a leader maturely and responsively. Strong emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics gracefully and diplomatically.
A sophisticated understanding of building relationships cross-departmental at all levels to identify and advance common visions of success. Skilled in networking, relationship building, stakeholder engagement, and management.
Exceptional communication skills, including written, verbal, and interpersonal, with the ability to respectfully and adeptly communicate, interact, and facilitate conversations with staff, agency leaders, Commissioners, and community members alike, especially those from differing backgrounds. Strong presentation and negotiation skills and the ability to navigate difficult conversations with empathy, tact, and diplomacy. Ability to clearly articulate complex ideas and concepts to diverse audiences.
Strategic and creative thinking, coupled with critical thinking and analysis skills. Demonstrated ability to transform new ideas into executable and successful programs and to adapt and innovate in response to changing circumstances and opportunities.