Job Summary
The Chief People Officer (CPO) is an executive leader responsible for developing and leading the YMCA of Alaska's people, culture, and human resources strategy. This role aligns the employee experience, workforce priorities, leadership practices, and HR operations with the YMCA's mission, strategic plan, and operational needs.
Serving as a trusted advisor to the CEO, COO, and leadership team, the CPO provides strategic direction and hands-on leadership across the full employee lifecycle. The CPO builds a high-performing, mission-driven workplace where employees are supported, developed, held accountable, and inspired to strengthen the community.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as a member of the executive leadership team and a confidential advisor to the CEO, COO, and senior leaders.
- Develop and execute an Association-wide people strategy aligned with the YMCA's mission, strategic plan, operational priorities, and financial capacity.
- Provide recommendations regarding organizational structure, staffing models, workforce planning, leadership capacity, and succession needs.
- Lead organizational change efforts and help leaders communicate and implement changes consistently and effectively.
- Advise the CEO and Board, as requested, on workforce trends, organizational health, executive compensation, succession planning, and employment risk.
Culture & Employee Experience
- Champion a positive workplace culture grounded in the YMCA's mission, values, professionalism, belonging, accountability, and service.
- Create strategies that strengthen employee engagement, recognition, communication, morale, wellness, and retention.
- Promote a consistent employee experience across departments, programs, facilities, and seasonal operations.
- Establish methods for gathering employee feedback, identifying workplace concerns, and responding to organizational trends.
- Partner with leaders to build healthy teams and a welcoming, member-focused environment that advances community impact.
Talent Acquisition, Development & Succession
- Lead workforce planning, recruitment strategy, selection practices, and employer branding for frontline, professional, managerial, and executive roles.
- Strengthen onboarding and orientation so employees understand the YMCA mission, position expectations, safety standards, and performance requirements.
- Develop leadership pathways, supervisor training, coaching resources, succession plans, and professional development opportunities.
Employee Relations & Performance Management
- Serve as the senior organizational resource for employee relations, conflict resolution, policy interpretation, and workplace concerns.
- Lead or oversee workplace investigations and ensure concerns are addressed promptly, consistently, fairly, and confidentially.
- Coach leaders through performance management, corrective action, improvement plans, separations, and difficult employee conversations.
Compensation, Benefits & HR Operations
- Oversee compensation philosophy, wage structures, job evaluation, benchmarking, and market competitiveness.
- Provide executive oversight of benefits, leave administration, workers compensation coordination, personnel records, and HR systems.
- Partner with Finance leadership on personnel budgeting, compensation planning, benefit costs, audits, and workforce reporting.
- Maintain accurate workforce data, job descriptions, organizational charts, and employment documentation.
- Evaluate HR processes and technology to improve efficiency, consistency, data quality, and the employee experience.
JOB REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, or a related field required; equivalent senior-level experience may be considered.
- Five plus years of progressive human resources or people-leadership experience, including significant responsibility at the director or executive level.
- Demonstrated experience advising executives, coaching leaders, leading organizational change, and managing complex employee-relations matters.
- Strong knowledge of employment law, compensation, benefits, performance management, talent acquisition, HR operations, and workforce planning.
- Experience developing culture, employee engagement, retention, leadership development, and succession-planning strategies.
- Professional certification such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or an equivalent senior HR credential preferred.
- YMCA Multi-Team Leader certification, or ability to obtain within an established timeframe, preferred.
- YMCA or nonprofit experience preferred.
- Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, confidentiality, sound judgment, fairness, and integrity.
- Exceptional relationship-building, executive communication, facilitation, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Ability to balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution in a fast-paced, multi-department organization.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
The employee must be able to sit, stand, and move for extended periods, maintain concentration in a fast-paced environment, and occasionally lift 25 pounds. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Pay: $65,000.00 - $80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
