The Chief People Officer (CPO) serves as a key member of the executive leadership team, providing vision, leadership, and strategic direction for all aspects of the YMCA of the Triangle’s people strategies. The CPO will guide a high-performing People team in fostering a culture that reflects the YMCA’s Mission, Purpose, and Values, while ensuring safety, compliance, equity, and excellence in every facet of the employee experience—from recruitment to retirement.
This role oversees human resources operations, talent acquisition, benefits and compensation, employee relations, learning and leadership development, culture and engagement, succession planning and workforce strategy. The CPO will partner closely with the CEO, C-Suite, and Board of Directors to ensure people practices drive organizational capacity, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability.
Leadership Opportunity:
The YMCA of the Triangle is seeking a Chief People Officer who is, first and foremost, a leader of people. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic, mission-centered executive to help shape the employee experience, strengthen culture, and bring together the people systems that support one of the region’s most trusted nonprofit organizations.
The ideal candidate will bring strong executive presence, sound judgment, humility, and a hands-on leadership style that balances vision with execution. The YMCA of the Triangle needs a confident, collaborative, high-energy leader who can build trust, communicate clearly, unite teams, and strengthen a healthy, high-functioning culture across a large and distributed organization with 19 branches, three overnight camps, and more than 6,000 employees each year. This leader should be approachable, practical, and deeply committed to advancing the Y’s mission while helping staff feel connected, supported, and equipped to serve the community.
Essential Functions:
Strategic Leadership & Culture
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Set the strategic vision and provide decisive leadership for all aspects of the People Department, ensuring all strategies reinforce YMCA culture and directly advance organizational priorities.
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Lead the development of the association’s staff culture, ensuring culture priorities are embedded in leadership practices, communications, training and employee experience initiatives.
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Champion and drive the transformation of the employee experience and organizational culture, fostering an environment of trust, belonging, accountability, and excellence.
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Integrate equity and inclusion into policies, benefits, performance systems, and leadership strategies in collaboration with the Chief Partnership & Impact Officer, ensuring alignment with the YMCA’s commitment to diversity and equity.
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Unify cross-functional efforts by partnering with operations and other enterprise teams to ensure alignment, eliminate silos, and accelerate continuous improvement across the Association.
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In partnership with the COO and Risk Management Department, develop and implement People-related risk management strategies and mitigation plans, ensuring appropriate policies, training and controls for organizational support.
Talent Acquisition & Retention
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Direct the development of innovative, inclusive recruiting strategies designed to secure top talent across diverse markets.
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Develop and champion association talent strategy that enables the YMCA to attract, retain, develop and advance a high-performing workforce.
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Institutionalize consistent and equitable practices that ensure fairness, transparency, and alignment in employment systems across the entire organization.
Compensation & Benefits
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Serve as the chief architect of all employee benefits programs, including health, retirement, paid leave, and emerging employee perks.
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Direct the oversight and safeguard the integrity of the Association’s salary administration program for part-time, full-time, and executive staff, ensuring pay equity and competitive positioning in the market.
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Advise and partner with the Board of Directors Human Resources Committee to guide annual compensation planning and benefits oversight with data-driven recommendations.
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Work directly with the Executive Compensation Committee to steward CEO and C-Suite compensation strategies with integrity and transparency.
Compliance & Risk Management
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Monitor and anticipate emerging trends, best practices, and regulatory changes related to employees, positioning the YMCA proactively in a shifting landscape.
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Lead high-level employee relations, overseeing conflict resolution and engaging legal counsel as needed to safeguard the organization.
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Collaborate with the Operational Risk department to mitigate organizational risk in staff, maintaining and protecting the brand reputation of the YMCA.
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Lead high-level risk issues that arise in coordination with the VP of Risk Management and the COO.
Learning, Leadership Development & Recognition
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Shape and drive leadership development strategy in partnership with the Learning & Leadership Development team to build a deep, diverse pipeline of future leaders.
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Re-imagine and execute recognition systems that energize, engage, and retain employees while reinforcing the YMCA’s cultural values.
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Strengthen organizational learning networks by supporting regional peer communities and advancing collaboration across the NC/SC in partnership with Y-USA and state alliances.
Governance & Board Leadership
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Lead and influence the YMCA’s Board of Directors Human Resources Committee ensuring diverse membership and high engagement in advancing key people strategies.
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Focus governance work on staff compensation and benefits, performance appraisals, retention strategies, recruitment pipelines, enterprise risk issues, and data-informed decision-making.
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Inspire and mobilize Board members to connect deeply with the YMCA’s Mission and actively support philanthropy.
Budget & Systems Management
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Own full accountability for the People Department’s annual budget, including both departmental and Association-wide benefit expenses.
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Direct the oversight to optimize and modernize HRIS systems (UKG) to ensure streamlined processes, ease of use, and accurate reporting to EEOC, DOL, YMCA of the USA, and other regulatory and funding entities.
Qualifications:
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Bachelor’s degree in business, organizational development or a related field is required; advanced degree or equivalent experience is a plus.
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10+ years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience in mission-driven organizations.
- An understanding of HR laws, compensation, benefits, performance systems, and best practices for HR in support of the certified HR team.
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Experience advancing community impact strategies across organizations.
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Strong skills in conflict management, employee relations, and risk mitigation.
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Proven success in leading the management and supervision of program and policy development and implementation.
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Experience in a non-profit setting is preferred.
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Cultivates and actively promotes caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility in all interactions.
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Solid business acumen and a strategic mindset, with a keen understanding of business imperatives and organizational priorities. Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and manage complex budgets, evaluate financial performance, and take proactive, decisive action to drive results and ensure financial sustainability.
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Proven ability to develop, lead, and motivate staff, volunteers, and cross-functional teams while fostering a collaborative and engaging work environment.
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Excellent organizational, time management, and communication skills—both written and verbal—including the ability to deliver compelling presentations and engage audiences in person and through virtual platforms.
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Strong leadership, persuasion, and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence and guide key stakeholders including experience advising senior executives.
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An understanding of organizational culture and experience in infiltrating culture throughout an organization.
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Experience in developing effective communication strategies in large organizations.
Work Environment & Physical Demands:
The work environment and physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
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Primarily office setting with occasional interaction in gyms, classrooms, and outdoor spaces.
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Moderate noise levels; may be louder during youth or community activities.
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Regular use of computer, phone, and other office technology for extended periods of time.
- Frequent sitting, standing, walking, bending, and reaching; occasional lifting or moving up to 40 lbs.
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Must be able to provide valid identification for employment eligibility verification.
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Must possess a valid driver’s license and have access to reliable transportation.
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A clean driving record is required to meet YMCA insurance standards.
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Travel between branch and/or site locations, and to off-site meetings and events is required.
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Must reside in the greater Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill and surrounding areas).
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This position is in-person, with the flexibility to work at various branches and program locations across the YMCA of the Triangle as needed.
Salary & Benefits:
This is a full-time, exempt position with a salary starting at $170,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. The YMCA of the Triangle offers a generous benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off; an annual YMCA membership; and participation in the YMCA Retirement Fund, including a 12% employer contribution once eligibility requirements are met.
