Chief People Officer
Woodland Park Zoo is seeking an experienced Chief People Officer to lead its people and culture strategy, helping to build an engaged, inclusive and high-performing workforce in support of the Zoo’s conservation mission.
Working closely with the CEO, executive leadership team and Board of Directors, the Chief People Officer will provide strategic leadership across organisational development, employee and labour relations, talent, compensation and benefits, learning and development, and HR operations.
The successful candidate will be a trusted executive advisor and collaborative people leader, with significant experience working across union and non-union environments. They will play a key role in strengthening leadership capability, employee experience and organisational effectiveness across Woodland Park Zoo.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the development and execution of organization-wide people and culture strategies that bridge organizational goals with organizational capability.
- Partner with the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors to provide strategic guidance on organizational design, people strategies, etc.
- Foster a culture of inclusion, engagement, accountability, mission-aligned productivity outcomes, and continuous improvement for both represented and non-represented employees.
- Direct labor relations strategy, including collective bargaining negotiations, grievance management, contract interpretation, and collaboration with union leadership.
- Oversee compensation, benefits, wellness programs, HR operations, compliance, HR technology, talent acquisition, learning and development, and leadership development initiatives.
Qualifications & Experience
- Experience leading people and culture functions within a mission-driven, nonprofit, conservation, education, or public-serving organization.
- Advanced degree such as an MBA, Juris Doctor, or related graduate-level credential.
- Ability to speak a language in addition to English.
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Law, or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
- SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent senior-level Human Resources certification.
- Twelve (12) or more years of progressive Human Resources leadership experience, including at least five (5) years in a senior executive role such as CPO, CHRO, VP of HR, or equivalent.
- Demonstrated experience leading labor relations to maintain collaborative, productive partnerships with the unionized workforce and union representatives.
- Proven success scaling organizations while maintaining a strong focus on employee experience, engagement, and performance.
- Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and influencing skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
- Successful applicants must live and work in Washington State to perform this role.
