Director of People Operations

Title: Director of People Operations

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Description:

Job description

About CDI

The Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) is a non-partisan, non-profit dedicated to equipping the next generation of Americans with the skills to communicate and collaborate across lines of difference. We work with U.S. colleges and universities by providing co-curricular programming for students, professional development for faculty and staff, and strategic guidance to leadership. Our goal is to foster constructive dialogue at every level of the institution and to create the conditions for lasting organizational change. CDI was co-founded by psychologist Jonathan Haidt, the bestselling author of The Righteous Mind and The Anxious Generation.

About the Role

CDI is growing quickly. In 2025, our team doubled in size to 30 employees, and we expect to grow to 50 within the next year. As the organization grows, we want to ensure our people practices, systems, and culture grow with it.

We are looking for a Director of People Operations with strong HR generalist foundations and experience supporting organizations through rapid growth and increasing complexity. This person will help strengthen and scale CDI’s people systems while maintaining the thoughtful, collaborative, and mission-driven culture that defines our organization.

This role includes managing and supporting a People Operations Generalist who leads CDI’s talent acquisition work and supports broader people operations processes. You’ll partner closely on talent strategy — especially for complex or senior searches — but your primary focus will be supporting employee experience, organizational culture, manager effectiveness, and the systems that help a growing organization function effectively.

You’ll report to and work closely with the VP of Operations and partner with managers and leaders across the organization. This is a highly collaborative role for someone who enjoys building strong relationships, supporting teams, and helping organizations grow thoughtfully.

Responsibilities

Culture & Engagement  —  Your Primary Depth Area

CDI's culture is one of our most important assets and one of our greatest responsibilities during this growth phase. You'll be the person who actively tends to it.

• Build strong relationships across the organization and maintain a deep understanding of employee experience, organizational health, and team dynamics

• Lead initiatives that strengthen CDI’s culture and employee experience, including onboarding, trainings, team gatherings, and org-wide rituals

• Build and evolve the systems, feedback channels, and people practices that help CDI maintain a strong, connected, and mission-driven culture as we scale

• Lead all-hands meetings and internal communications that build clarity, alignment, and connection across the organization

Manager Support & Employee Development

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to staff and managers by helping navigate team dynamics, challenges, and complex people situations before they become larger organizational issues

• Coach managers on feedback, communication, accountability, and difficult conversations

• Build and improve performance and development practices that support clear expectations, strong feedback, accountability, and employee growth

• Partner with managers and leaders to strengthen leadership effectiveness and team health across CDI

HR Operations & Compliance

• Own CDI’s compensation framework and annual compensation review processes, ensuring practices are equitable, competitive, and aligned with organizational values

• Oversee CDI’s core HR operations, systems, and compliance processes across a multi-state workforce (in partnership with our PEO, JustWorks)

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and evolving HR best practices

• Develop and maintain HR policies, employee handbook materials, and internal practices that reflect CDI’s values and operational needs

• Evaluate and manage HR vendors, benefits brokers, and external service providers

Talent & Growth Strategy

• Manage and support the People Operations Generalist, including coaching, prioritization, professional development, and partnership on recruiting strategy and complex hiring processes

• Help evolve CDI’s hiring practices, candidate experience, and talent systems as the organization grows

• Partner with leadership to strengthen organizational planning, team structure, capacity planning, workflows, and people systems that support sustainable growth

Job requirements

About You

Experience

• 7+ years of progressive HR or People Operations experience, including at least 3 years in a senior generalist or leadership role

• Experience supporting organizations through significant growth and increasing organizational complexity

• Strong generalist experience across core HR disciplines, including employee relations, performance management, compensation, benefits, compliance, and talent acquisition

• Experience directly managing and developing employees or small teams

You’ll thrive in this role if you…

• Build trust and relationships quickly and navigate sensitive situations with strong judgment, maturity, empathy, and discretion

• Care deeply about employee experience, organizational culture, and helping managers and leaders build strong teams, especially during periods of rapid growth 

• Balance strategic thinking with practical execution and are comfortable moving between organizational planning and day-to-day people operations

• Are proactive, systems-oriented, and highly organized; you anticipate challenges and help build processes and practices that scale effectively

• Feel energized by CDI’s mission and aligned with our values:

  • Embrace our Common Humanity

  • Practice Intellectual Humility

  • Prioritize Research

  • Deliver Excellence

  • Keep Improving

  • Stay Adaptable

Benefits

• Compensation — $120,000 - 140,000 annually

• A Mission-Driven Culture — our work culture genuinely reflects our mission, characterized by intellectual humility, continuous improvement, and open-mindedness

• Remote-First — CDI was founded as a remote-first organization, and we work hard to maintain a strong team culture across vast distances 

• Unlimited PTO — as well as 13 company holidays

• Remote Work Support — up to $500 reimbursed for home office equipment (like desks, chairs, or webcams) and up to $50/month reimbursed for home internet or cell phone expenses

• Other Benefits — employer-supported health, vision and dental plans, subsidized parental leave, 3% 401k match, short- and long-term disability insurance, life and AD&D insurance, $1,000 annual professional development budget

Role Specs

• Reports to: VP of Operations

• Direct Report(s): People Operations Generalist

• Schedule: Full-time, flexible within U.S. time zones

• Target Start Date: ASAP

• Location: Remote, must be based in the U.S.

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