Senior Director, People and Culture

Senior Director, People & Culture

POSITION TITLE: Senior Director, People & Culture

LOCATION: Remote, East or Central Time Zone

DEPARTMENT: People and Culture (PAC)

REPORTS TO: Chief Financial and Operations Officer (CFOO)

Location: Remote, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, Wisconsin will be considered. Working hours are EST/CST.

Winrock International is a recognized leader in the U.S. and globally, providing solutions to some of the world’s most complex social and agricultural challenges. Our mission is to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources. It is central not only to what we do, but how we do it.

Overview: The Senior Director, People and Culture provides strategic leadership and oversight for Winrock’s global human resource systems, policies and practices in support of the organization’s business goals and strategy. The role advances a high‑performing, engaged, and globally distributed workforce by ensuring people practices are effective, compliant, and aligned with organizational values.

Serving as a trusted advisor and thought partner to the CFOO and the Executive Team, the Senior Director works closely with leadership, managers, and project teams to focus on organizational risk, strengthen employee performance and engagement, and build sustainable human capacity across projects, regions, and the enterprise.

The People & Culture unit at Winrock is a lean team, and this role is both strategic and operational in nature. The Senior Director is expected to be a hands‑on leader and doer, who provides direct oversight and accountability for execution while leading and developing the PAC team as well as the HR function throughout global projects.

Major Responsibilities

HR Operations, Infrastructure & Global Practice

• Lead the design, implementation, and continued improvement of Winrock’s global People & Culture systems, policies, procedures, and practices.

• Ensure effective and compliant adaptation and application of people practices across projects, countries, and regions, including during project design and proposal development.

• Oversee and set the standards for efficient and effective global HR operational workflows, including onboarding, development, promotion, training, and separations.

• Provide strategic leadership, supervision, and development of the People & Culture team, fostering strong collaboration, clear accountability, and high professional standards.

• Establish metrics to evaluate HR effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.

People Strategy, Performance & Culture

• Partner with leaders to strengthen performance management practices, including KPI measurements, career development, corrective feedback, and fair corrective processes.

• Support employee engagement initiatives and feedback mechanisms that enhance performance, retention, and organizational effectiveness.

• Serve as a senior advisor to leaders on complex people matters, workforce challenges, organizational change, and culture‑building efforts.

Compliance, Risk & Employee Relations

• Serve as a strategic partner to the Executive Team in managing institutional risk related to staffing, workforce structure, and people practices.

• Provide guidance on employee relations issues, including grievances, investigations, disciplinary actions, and terminations, ensuring fairness, consistency, and sound judgment.

• Maintain and apply strong working knowledge of U.S. Government contracting and employment requirements and local labor laws in countries of operation.

• Oversee personnel records management, payroll coordination with Finance, and completion of required federal, state, and donor reporting.

Compensation, Systems & Workforce Capacity

• Provide leadership and direction to the compensation and benefits function, ensuring practices are competitive, equitable, compliant, and financially sustainable, including oversight of outsourced vendors and consultants as applicable.

• Support and manage recruitment efforts for assigned roles and initiatives, as needed.

• Oversee delivery of human capital data, analytics, and reporting to inform workforce planning, decision‑making, and employee engagement.

• Build HR partner capacity and right‑sized people infrastructure across projects, regions, and countries.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all HRIS and people systems, including the HRIS, applicant tracking system (ATS), and related platforms, with accountability for data integrity, reporting, and controls.

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 12 years of progressive HR experience with a minimum of 3 years in a team or project leader or manager role or equivalent education and experience.

• Experience working in a donor‑funded or international development environment; exposure to U.S. Government‑funded projects strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated success leading HR functions across multiple locations in a global context.

• Proven ability to support senior leaders, influence decision‑making, and build strong working relationships.

• Broad expertise in employee relations, engagement, employment law, compensation, organizational development, and learning.

• Strong collaborator with the ability to work effectively across cultures, countries, and organizational units.

• Some international and domestic travel may be required.

• Exceptional judgment, problem‑solving, and conflict management skills.

• Ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• English fluency required.

This position has a salary range of $175,000 – $187,000, commensurate with experience and location. Winrock offers an excellent benefits package.

This role will be fully remote, however, only employees residing in: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, Wisconsin will be considered. Working hours are EST/CT.

Winrock is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability or any other basis protected by law.

At Winrock we have a clear mission: Empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity and sustain natural resources through unwavering dedication to accountability, equity, innovation, integrity and transformation.