About The Trustees of Reservations
Founded in 1891 by a group of visionary volunteers, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) is the nation’s premier conservation and preservation organization. The core mission of The Trustees is to protect special places across Massachusetts for future generations to enjoy in perpetuity. To date, The Trustees has helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 27,000+ acres on more than 120 reservations that are currently open to the public.
With exceptional ecological, historical, and scenic value, The Trustees’ portfolio of properties encompasses seashore, woodlands, farmlands, gardens, and art and historical museums. The Trustees team provides loving care of the reservations, builds creative new programs to engage people, and shares its expertise with neighbors and partners across the state.
About Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity at The Trustees
Our commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity (DBIE) is deeply embedded in The Trustees’ mission to protect and share Massachusetts’ iconic places - for the simple reason that nature and culture can soothe the soul and improve all of our lives. Not for some. But for everyone. Forever. The Trustees’ overarching DBIE vision is to create inclusive spaces of belonging for staff, members, volunteers, and communities across the organization and 120 plus properties. Realizing this vision, bringing to life the essence of creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome is a journey. A journey for us as an organization and for each of us as individuals. As we share our aspirations for what we can achieve on this journey, we also acknowledge this is a long-term commitment that requires continuous learning, growth, and improvement.
For more information on The Trustees, please visit its website.
The Chief People Officer Opportunity
At this pivotal time in its history, The Trustees seeks a transformational Chief People Officer (CPO) who will build and lead a strategy that will strengthen the organization’s team, structure, and culture and position The Trustees as an employer of choice. This role offers a unique opportunity to drive change and transform the HR function and overall organizational culture. In so doing, the CPO, in partnership with other organizational leaders, will position The Trustees to fully realize the power of its talented team and compelling mission.
As a culture leader, the CPO will sit on The Trustees’ Executive Team, advising the CEO and organizational leadership on aligning robust human resources and culture strategies that advance the overall organizational mission and vision by attracting, supporting, developing, and retaining a talented, and diverse team. The CPO will build and direct a small Human Resources team that will work in support of over 300 year-round employees across The Trustees’ properties throughout the Commonwealth, with a team of up to 1000, including seasonal employees, during peak months.
The CPO will:
- Build and uphold a people-centered Human Resources vision and strategy, providing strategic and practical leadership in planning, developing, and implementing best-in-class Human Resources policies, procedures, and systems.
- Collaborate with the CEO and Executive and Leadership Teams to foster an environment that supports The Trustees’ mission, aligns with its values, and advances its commitment to diversity, belonging, equity, and inclusion.
- Strengthen employee engagement practices and mechanisms for gathering, understanding, and responding to employee feedback.
- Structure and lead an effective Human Resources function and team, ensuring that staff throughout the organization experience Human Resources as responsive, knowledgeable, and highly communicative.
- Guide the Human Resources team to provide effective support related to specific areas of need, both individually and through the team:
- Advise on compensation decisions and oversee the administration of compensation programs that promote equity and meet all compliance requirements;
- Build and implement effective talent acquisition strategies and support for hiring managers on developing job descriptions, recruiting, interviewing, and hiring, with a specific emphasis on sourcing strategies to build diverse candidate pools, talent pipelines, and partnerships;
- Provide effective guidance and coaching to leadership and senior managers around consistent, proactive talent development and performance management models that will support retention, career advancement, recognition, and professional development;
- Ensure effective and timely guidance and support to leaders and management as it relates to responding to and resolving employee relations issues;
- Oversee the delivery of management training on topics including but not limited to interviewing, hiring, performance management, safety, terminations, and sexual harassment;
- Guide the strategy, selection, and administration of benefits programs; as needed, negotiate with vendors and carriers to provide comprehensive and competitive benefits plans; and
- Supervise workers’ benefits, compensation, unemployment, and COBRA insurance programs.
- Maintain knowledge of industry trends, employment legislation, and government reporting regulations affecting human resources functions to ensure policies, procedures, and reporting are in compliance.
- Make the Trustees of Reservations an employer of choice in Massachusetts.
Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate for the Chief People Officer role will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
HR Expert and Builder
They will understand how to build, implement, and continually improve an overall HR vision and roadmap, and hold the skills to implement the related HR policies, practices, and systems. The CPO will bring current knowledge of a range of HR best practices, spanning all aspects of the function, including talent acquisition and recruitment; training and development; performance management; compensation and benefits; employee relations; compliance; and HRIS.
They will demonstrate a track record of success in leading HR and people strategies within complex organizational structures, ideally including experience in large, geographically dispersed organizations with multifaceted business models. Prior success with diverse teams, inclusive of full- and part-time and seasonal staff, will be a strong value add.
They will effectively balance both strategic leadership and, at times, tactical execution. They demonstrate the ability to delegate to and direct their team, while also demonstrating the ability and willingness to work in a hands-on capacity when needed.
Strategic and Transformational HR Leadership
The CPO will bring successful experience in supporting an organization or team through periods of significant change or transformation. They have experience advising C-level leaders in HR and people strategies that align with broader organizational vision, direction, and goals. They will demonstrate the ability to prioritize and develop comprehensive, actionable plans that move an organization from strategy to results.
The successful CPO will be a proven HR leader, known for collaborating and working closely with all constituents and for building bridges. They will be of the highest integrity and be known for engendering early trust. The goal of the CPO will be to build on the strong foundation of The Trustees and create an environment of belonging for all constituents, making The Trustees the most desirable place to work.
Culture-Focused Leadership
The CPO will be a strong culture champion, with experience working to strengthen a shared understanding of values and norms across a large, diverse, and geographically distributed organization. They will bring experience building trusting relationships throughout all levels of an organization, working with their team to ensure a high level of customer service.
Commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity
As the lead on ensuring diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity are embraced and integrated into all aspects of the HR, people strategy and organization, the CPO will partner with leadership to promote these values in broader organizational decision-making. They will bring an open mindset and experience developing inclusive practices that engage and value employees and constituents who bring diverse backgrounds and life experiences to their work.
Collaboration and Communication Skills
The CPO will be a highly collaborative and inclusive leader who seeks to build relationships throughout the organization, instilling confidence in themselves and their team by demonstrating a high level of HR expertise and an ability to resolve problems and drive toward results. They will bring both empathy and a sense of humor to their work, with an adaptive style that will allow them to connect with constituents in all parts of the organization, from farmers in the field to the Executive Team and Board. They will possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. They will ensure frequent communication about HR initiatives in an effort to provide greater transparency and access to information about existing and new policies and practices. The CPO will be able to promote open communication and synthesize divergent views, successfully mediating conflict when needed.
Team Development and Management
The CPO will be a strong team builder, with experience hiring and developing cohesive teams. They will demonstrate a track record of experience in providing effective leadership on both an individual and team basis, with an understanding of how to establish an effective HR structure and coach team members toward results. The CPO will bring experience fostering a strong customer service approach among their team and promoting HR as a trusted resource.
Compensation & Benefits
The Trustees offers competitive compensation, as well as the opportunity to be part of a dedicated team across the Commonwealth who love the outdoors and the distinctive charms of New England, and who believe in celebrating and protecting our special places, for everyone, forever.
The salary range for this role is $200,000 - $225,000.
In support of its staff and their families, The Trustees provides comprehensive top-notch benefits and an array of special perks. Full-time, year-round staff can enjoy:
- Medical, Dental and Vision insurance, with employer health and dental premium contributions ranging from 75% - 85% based on plan level
- Employer-paid life and disability insurance
- Traditional and Roth 401(k) retirement accounts available for employees to contribute to upon hire and a 5% employer match after one year of employment
- Paid vacation and sick time and a bank of “Early Release” hours
- A bank of 15 paid flexible Holiday/Personal days
- Day of Service to travel to another site to work in a division and location other than your own in a group project such as reinforcing beach shorebird fences, planting seedlings or bulbs, organizing archival documents, or making phone calls to thank donors
- Day of Wonder to explore the wonders of any of our Trustees properties
- Complimentary Trustees member-level access and discounts discount for Trustees summer camps
- Reciprocity program offering free and discounted admissions and memberships to more than 50 Massachusetts museums and cultural institutions
- And much more!
Contact
Maureen Alphonse-Charles and Kirstin Griffiths of Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, have been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role, please submit your materials by filling out the Talent Profile, or email Kirstin Griffiths directly at kgriffiths@koyapartners.com. All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
The Trustees is a proud equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any protected status including, but not limited to, age, race, sex, gender, sexual orientation, nation of origin, religion, or disability status and strongly encourages applications from people of color, persons with disabilities, women, and LGBTQ applicants. We aspire to reflect and effectively serve the residents and communities of Massachusetts, who are at the core of our mission. Our commitment to advancing the organization’s vision for this work may be found here: Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion and Equity
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT KOYA PARTNERS, VISIT DIVERSIFIEDSEARCHGROUP.COM/KOYA-PARTNERS.