Company Description

Organizational Overview:

By 2025, KIPP DC will build upon two decades of proven results to develop into a more impactful, innovative, and inclusive school system that provides joyful, identity-affirming learning experiences so that all students and alumni achieve extraordinary outcomes.

Our work is grounded in a commitment to excellence, equity, and justice. We believe all students have the right to rigorous, relevant, and joyful learning experiences led by exceptionally talented and diverse educators who promote student achievement and a sense of belonging. We believe students and teachers best succeed when surrounded by an ecosystem of supports, including our central headquarters team that supports KIPP DC's 20 schools, 7,300 students, and 1,300 teachers, leaders, and staff members dedicated to this mission.

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW:

The Director of Employee Policy is charged with supporting a wide range of functions regarding employee policy development and implementation. The Director of Employee Policy is an exempt position and reports to the Managing Director of Employee Policy.

The Director of Employee Policy works closely with other members of the Legal and Compliance Team, Human Resources Team, School Leaders and Executive Leadership by:

• Supporting sensitive and/or critical activities relating to staff policy, including compliance with non-discrimination and other laws;
• Supporting employee relations work, including reviewing requests for ADA accommodations;
• Leading investigations and assisting with staff performance management;
• Advising and executing on disciplinary actions for staff;
• Drafting and reviewing employee policies;
• Responding to staff complaints;
• Furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives;
• Conducting legal research on employment and other matters;
• Supporting the legal team in a variety of legal work.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Employee Relations and Policy - 90%

• Supporting sensitive and/or critical activities relating to staff policy development and implementation;
• Providing advice and guidance on a daily basis on a variety of matters including employment law (e.g., Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, ADA, FMLA, FLSA, USERRA, NLRA, DC Human Rights Act).
• Working with managers and senior leadership to assist with personnel issues as they arise;
• Conducting investigations of employee conduct;
• Assisting with staff disciplinary determinations;
• Coordinating workplace accommodations for staff;
• Assisting with crisis response and staff support, including referring staff to Employee Assistance Program and coordinating fitness for duty reviews;
• Informally mediating disputes between staff and/or supervisors;
• Exercising superior judgment in navigating difficult conversations;
• Collaborating closely with school staff, human resources, and other teams;
• Devising and delivering manager and staff trainings on relevant topics;
• Assisting with drafting the employee handbook;
• Ensuring strong recordkeeping regarding employee matters;
• Supporting family meetings on difficult topics, as requested by School Leaders and Academic Leadership.

Other Legal Team Support - 10%

• Supporting legal team functions, including assisting in planning meetings and trainings.
• Supporting other legal team members with their workstreams (e.g., supporting compliance team with enrollment efforts during busy seasons or assisting with occasional governance and contract review tasks).

Qualifications

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor's degree required, Juris Doctor preferred
• Experience working in or with schools/school systems preferred
• Familiarity with equal employment opportunity laws
• 8-10 years of relevant work experience in fast-paced environment
• Experience with policy, compliance, or legal support preferred
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Strong ability to manage up and exercise judgment in difficult situations
• A passion for being part of a team-oriented, mission-driven culture
• Ability to constantly prioritize workflow and make hard trade-offs
• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to KIPP DC's mission
• Comfortable traveling between KIPP DC's schools and the headquarters office (all located within DC) as needed
• Strong time management skills and a detail and results-oriented team player who is dedicated to getting the job done
• Successful track record of collaboratively working with a wide range of stakeholders, both internal and external

Additional Information

TO APPLY:

All interested applicants should visit online at https://www.kippdc.org/join-our-team/apply-now/, and click the job posting. If you have any questions, please contact us via email at careers@kippdc.org .

When it comes to compensation, at KIPP DC we strive for clarity, equity, and to be highly competitive. We look at compensation benchmarks in the education and non-profit sector to determine our starting salaries. The anticipated starting salary for this position is $112,042-$138,403.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

KIPP DC Public Schools does not discriminate against, or tolerate discrimination against, employees or applicants for employment on any legally-recognized basis or protected class including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race, color, national origin, immigration status (except as necessary to comply with federal, DC, state, or local law), religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity or expression), marital status (including domestic partnership status), genetic information, political affiliation, pregnancy, family responsibilities, personal appearance, veteran status, uniform service member status, status of being unemployed, status of victim a survivor of domestic violence, sexual offense or stalking, matriculation or any other protected class under federal, state, DC, or local law.

Click here or here to review KIPP DC's non-discrimination policy and KIPP DC's Title IX Coordinator's contact information.

KIPP DC requires all staff to provide proof that they have had all doses of a primary COVID vaccine or obtain approval for exemption for medical or religious reasons before beginning employment. New hires who have not received all doses of a primary vaccine or who are waiting approval for exemption will not be able to begin employment.

All KIPP DC staff are strongly encouraged to stay up to date on their vaccinations. The CDC currently defines being up to date on the COVID vaccine as having had all doses of a primary vaccine and as having received a booster, if eligible.

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