About the Role – People, Equity & HR Lead
We seek a dynamic, experienced, and entrepreneurial professional to lead our organizations’ efforts to enhance HR best practices and infuse equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout our collective people operations and for each of our projects. The core of this work is focused on the Bio-Logical Capital team, though this role will also support Philo Ridge Farms along with other projects we support.
You will serve as a key thought partner with the Senior Leadership team, and select Project leads in designing and building robust and resilient teams, collaborating with these leaders to support and nurture our most important asset: our people.
Collectively this role will support 80+ full-time staff, 50+ part-time staff, and 30+ seasonal contractors. This role is responsible for supervising the general management, organization, and assessment of the human resource function. This is a newly created position and will collaborate closely with our Senior Manager of Business Systems, Strategy, and Design, and The HR Shop, a tightly knit partner and collaborator who is helping BLC design equitable human resources infrastructure.
You will be based at an office in the Champlain Valley of Vermont with several Bio-Logical Capital North East focused team members and work closely with additional team members by phone, video, and Slack, as well as in-person during regular team visits to Vermont. We anticipate you will travel several times per year to the main Bio-Logical Capital office in Denver, Colorado, and occasionally to other Bio-Logical Capital projects outside Vermont.
Your Responsibilities Will Include:
- Manage and improve the functionality and productivity of our HR systems.
- Oversee the administration of employee benefit programs, including health, dental, life, disability, retirement, tuition assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, SmartBenefits, and all leave programs.
- Monitor FMLA disability and worker’s compensation claims.
- Serve as a liaison with benefit account representatives.
- Respond to general inquiries from employees concerning Human Resources policies and other personnel issues.
- Manage a “resource hotline” where both full-time staff and contractors share HR-related concerns or issues independently, ensuring safe and supportive spaces.
- Create and oversee surveys and assessments to evaluate staff wellness and engagement.
- Collaborate with supervisors, hiring managers, and external HR resources to develop comprehensive annual evaluation and professional development plans for staff.
- Partner with senior staff to develop and lead meaningful staff engagements — including staff retreats, EDI training sessions and meetings — that strengthen relationships, build culture, and cohere staff around mission, strategies, and work plans.
- Providing guidance and coaching and serving as the first resource for hiring managers’ questions on equitable hiring.
- Ensure that employee handbooks are comprehensive and meet legal standards for personnel management; and that they include anti-oppressive and anti-racist assurances and policies.
- Assist in the designing/planning, implementation, and monitoring of Human Resources budgets.
Who You Are:
- A Team Player. Nothing is beneath or above you. You are quick to always lend a hand, or two! You are able to earn influence without authority and naturally seek to support both small projects and large strategic goals.
- An Effective Collaborator. You’ve successfully worked across cultural lines on a dispersed team, and you have the ability to operate in complex situations. You can easily gain trust from team members and are known for supporting them to ensure they are set up for success. You’re not afraid to ask questions.
- Flexible. You can manage a diverse set of team needs and aren’t afraid to step outside your job description or comfort zone to help the team reach its goals. You’re comfortable with shifting schedules and don’t expect every day to go “as planned.”
- Highly Ethical. You will be asked to make sensitive and critical judgment calls, and as such, you are known for your integrity; you take that reputation seriously. You always choose to make the right decision versus the easy decision. You know what information is sensitive, and you will protect it accordingly.
- Emotionally Intelligent. You are self-aware and perceptive. You nurture relationships and can work and communicate well with all kinds of people. You are optimistic, empathetic, flexible, curious, and well-respected by all who work with you, irrespective of title. You can handle demanding situations professionally.
What You’ll Need:
- 5+ years of relevant People/Talent/HR experience.
- The ability to shift seamlessly between strategic, big-picture thinking and operational, nuts-and-bolts systems building.
- A track record of embedding equity throughout HR practices, transforming organizations to be inclusive and just, and supporting teams with a rich mix of partners across race, gender, sexual orientation, and other group identities.
- An enthusiasm for efficiency and the focus to constantly be looking for ways to improve, streamline, and simplify processes.
- A high capacity to manage one’s own emotions and to identify the emotions of others in order to support staff; ability to facilitate challenging and courageous conversations about race/racism and other topics.
- You can practice discretion and have the ability to maintain confidentiality as needed.
- SHRM certification and/or comparable certifications preferred, or a willingness to seek certification.
The Application Process
BLC has engaged Equitable Hiring Group to support this hiring process. To apply, please complete the short form to the right.
When you apply, please remove the names of your undergraduate and graduate schools from your resume. There is no need to reformat your resume, but simplify it to “B.A. Economics,” for example. This “bias-free” process is aimed at opening this opportunity to more candidates, reviewing applicants on performance assessments instead of resume proxies (e.g., where you went to school).
This evaluation process will follow practices shown to reduce bias in decision-making and may be different from other application processes you have experienced.
If you have any questions about the opportunity, please feel free to email abe@equitablehiringgroup.com.
Compensation and Location
BLC provides a comprehensive benefits package, including generous health insurance for individuals and competitive rates for families/dependents, generous time off, SIMPLE IRA match, summer Fridays, family leave, and a collegial environment that supports professional development and wellness.
Compensation for this role starts at $85K and can increase based on the candidate’s level of experience.
The People, Equity & HR Lead must be already based in, or be willing to relocate to, the Vermont Champlain Valley (Burlington area). We can be rather flexible on relocation timelines and are able to offer a small amount of relocation assistance.
