Deputy Director, People and Talent Operations

Job Title: Deputy Director, People & Talent Operations

Department: People & Culture

Job Band: Manager III

Office Location: New York

Workspace Designation: Hybrid-Optional, Remote

Reports to Title: Senior Director, People & Culture

FLSA Status: Exempt

Union Represented: No

Closing Date: 03-08-2026

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1981, the Committee to Protect Journalists (“CPJ”) is an independent, non-profit organization defending journalists worldwide without regard to their political ideology. Through its work to safeguard journalists, CPJ protects the rights of all people to have access to diverse and independent sources of information. For over four decades, CPJ has helped win the early release of imprisoned journalists, secure convictions in journalist murders, and enable legal reform in countries where free expression has deteriorated. CPJ’s widely cited database and reports have raised global awareness of attacks on press freedom. Learn more about CPJ’s fight to defend freedom of the press here http://cpj.org

At CPJ, we are dedicated to upholding values of equity and free expression in both our internal operations and external endeavors. As a global organization headquartered in the United States, we aspire to build a diverse workplace and foster an inclusive and welcoming environment. We strive for our people to be representative of the global community on which we report and to equip them with the opportunities and resources they need to learn and succeed.

Job Summary:

The Deputy Director, People & Talent Operations leads core people processes across hiring, onboarding, performance management, training, and operational compliance. This role manages the full recruitment lifecycle, designs and delivers onboarding and learning programs, and ensures People & Culture practices are equitable, consistent, and aligned with organizational policies and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). The Deputy Director provides early‑stage employee relations support, develops tools and guidance for managers, and partners closely with the Senior Director to strengthen CPJ’s people systems, communication practices, and staff experience across a global workforce. They play a key role in building organizational capability by developing and facilitating trainings on HR policies, management fundamentals, communication and feedback, psychological safety, and CPJ’s career architecture and compensation philosophy. The Deputy Director also supports compliance across people operations by ensuring documentation, processes, and staff practices adhere to internal policies, legal requirements, and union obligations to ensure CPJ’s people systems are equitable, consistent, and aligned with organizational goals.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Hiring & Talent Acquisition

• Manage the full recruitment lifecycle, including job postings, candidate screening, interview coordination, and communication.
• Partner with hiring managers to define role requirements, competencies, and interview plans.
• Manage recruitment processes within the Applicant Tracking System, optimizing its use and ensuring smooth workflows.
• Coordinate with the Employer of Record (EOR) on international hiring, onboarding, and contract changes.
• Develop and maintain recruitment tools, templates, and guidance to ensure equitable and consistent hiring practices.
• Develop and deliver trainings for hiring managers on best practices related to hiring and contracting.

Onboarding and Offboarding

• Design and deliver onboarding sessions for new hires, including introductions to CPJ’s culture, expectations, and People & Culture processes.
• Build role-specific onboarding plans with managers.
• Ensure compliance steps are completed, including EOR documentation, policy acknowledgments, and required trainings.
• Partner with the Senior Administrator on onboarding logistics and HRIS setup.
• Manage key offboarding processes to ensure a smooth transition for departing staff.

Performance Management

• Manage the performance review cycle, including goal-setting, mid-year reviews, evaluations, and calibration.
• Develop tools, templates, and guidance to support consistent and equitable performance practices.
• Train managers on performance conversations, documentation, and development planning.
• Design and manage performance appraisal processes within HR systems.
• Partner with the Senior Director to refine CPJ’s performance philosophy and career architecture / competency model.

Training Development & Delivery

• Develop and deliver trainings on HR Handbook content, policy interpretation, People & Culture processes, management fundamentals, communication, feedback, psychological safety, and leadership development.
• Create learning sessions that build staff understanding of CPJ’s career architecture, compensation philosophy, and progression pathways.
• Facilitate workshops, team sessions, and learning cohorts to strengthen collaboration and leadership capability.

Policy Drafting & People Systems Communication

• Draft and revise HR policies as requested, ensuring clarity, alignment with organizational values, and consistency across global contexts.
• Translate policy updates into accessible tools, guidance, and training for staff and managers.
• Support communication and change-management efforts related to policy, compensation, career pathways, and organizational processes.
• Maintain and build out the People & Culture pages and information on the organization’s intranet site.

Employee Relations

• Support early-stage employee relations matters, including performance concerns, communication challenges, and documentation.
• Lead the design and implementation of performance improvement plans (PIPs) and expectation setting conversations, including coaching managers and monitoring progress.
• Escalate complex or high-risk matters to the Senior Director.

Compliance

• Monitor changes in federal, state, and international labor laws and advise the Senior Director on operational implications for CPJ’s people processes.
• Ensure hiring, onboarding, performance management, and training workflows comply with applicable labor regulations across CPJ’s jurisdictions.
• Partner with the Senior Administrator to ensure documentation, notices, and required acknowledgments meet legal and regulatory standards.
• Conduct periodic reviews of People & Culture processes to identify compliance gaps and implement corrective actions.
• Support the People & Culture team in preparing for audits, investigations, or regulatory inquiries by ensuring accurate and timely documentation.
• Ensure that People & Culture processes—including hiring, onboarding, performance management, scheduling, and job documentation—comply with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
• Advise managers on CBA-related requirements affecting job duties, evaluations, performance expectations, and workplace practices.
• Support early-stage union employee relations matters by ensuring documentation and processes meet CBA standards before escalation.

Cross-Functional Process Management

• Collaborate with Finance, IT, and Operations to align people processes with organizational systems, ensuring smooth handoffs and accurate data flow.
• Lead cross‑departmental coordination for onboarding, offboarding, and role changes to ensure consistent, timely execution across all functions.
• Partner with Finance and the Senior Administrator on payroll‑related process improvements, ensuring compensation changes, stipends, and allowances are accurately reflected in HRIS workflows.
• Work with IT and Operations to maintain and improve system access, equipment provisioning, and security protocols tied to the employee lifecycle.
• Serve as the operational liaison between People & Culture and other departments to streamline workflows, reduce friction, and enhance staff experience.

• Lead continuous improvement efforts across hiring, onboarding, performance, and training processes.
• Develop standardized tools, templates, and resources that support managers and staff.
• Partner with the Senior Administrator on HRIS workflows related to hiring, onboarding, and performance.

Qualifications & Competencies:

Required:

• 8+ years of experience managing human resources/people & culture processes, including full‑cycle recruitment, onboarding, and performance management.
• Experience developing and delivering trainings on HR policies, management fundamentals, communication, or organizational processes.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply HR policies, employment regulations, and organizational procedures.
• Experience supporting early‑stage employee relations, including documentation, coaching managers, and guiding performance conversations.
• Strong understanding of HR operations, including HRIS workflows, data accuracy, and process improvement.
• Ability to ensure compliance with labor laws, organizational policies, and Collective Bargaining Agreements.
• Experience designing or improving HR systems, templates, or operational workflows, policies, guidance, or tools.
• Experience coordinating cross‑functional workflows with Finance, IT, Operations, or other administrative teams.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship‑building skills across diverse teams and levels of seniority.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple processes and deadlines simultaneously.
• High level of discretion and professionalism when handling confidential information.
  
  

Preferred:

• HR certification, such as PHR or SHRP-CP.
• Experience working in a unionized environment or supporting CBA‑related processes.
• Experience working within global or nonprofit organizational contexts.
• Experience with Employer of Record (EOR) processes for international staff.
  
  

Physical Requirements:

This position’s physical demands reflect work in a typical office setting. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Work Location:

This position is located in the United States, with a preference for candidates based in the NYC commutable area, and is classified as hybrid-optional or remote. Availability to work and attend virtual meetings on the US Eastern time zone is required.

We promote a flexible working environment with hybrid and flexible work schedule opportunities. Our office is located in New York City office in midtown Manhattan, and was designed to be a place where we can work effectively and collaboratively, bringing energy, inspiration, commitment, and deep learning to our mission. Staff hired in the commutable NYC area are welcome and encouraged to use the CPJ office.

Benefits (subject to change):

• Health Care Plans (100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision plans for employee coverage)
• Health Reimbursement Account (employer-funded HRA of $5,000 for individuals / $6,500 for employees with dependents annually)
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer contribution of 4%. Additional employer dollar-for-dollar match of elective employee contribution up to 3%)
• Life Insurance and AD&D Plans (100% employer-sponsored with the option to elect additional voluntary plans)
• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick, and paid holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability (employer-sponsored with the option to elect additional voluntary plans)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pre-Tax Flexible Spending Accounts (medical, dependent care, and commuter expenses)
• Voluntary benefits plans (accident, hospitalization, critical Illness, pet, and legal insurance)
• Flexible Work Schedules, including hybrid options with two required in-office days per week and remote work flexibility. Longer remote working periods are also offered, allowing up to sixty days per year.
  
  

Equal Employment Opportunity:

CPJ provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.