Director of People and Culture  

Full-time Federation of American Scientists staff

Washington, DC 

Why FAS?  

Does FAS sound like an organization that you would be energized to join?  Is it aligned to your values?

The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) takes quite seriously our role as a beacon and voice for the science community.  

FAS has a rich history: after the devastating bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, a group of atomic researchers – deeply concerned about the use of science for malice – created an organization committed to using science and technology to benefit humanity.  

The group they created – the Federation of Atomic Scientists – soon became the Federation of American Scientists in recognition of the hundreds of scientists across diverse disciplines who joined together to speak with one voice for the betterment of the world.  

Today, we are a group of entrepreneurial, intrepid changemakers, forging a better future for all through the nexus of science, technology and talent. We value equity, inclusion, and transparency. As a collective, we are building an organization focused on being impact-driven, customer-focused, and growth-oriented as a force for good in the world.

The work of the People and Culture (P&C) function is what ignites and enables organizational impact. P&C is most successful when it shifts from administrative or policing to inspiring and enabling. The Director of People and Culture ensures that FAS keeps all staff at the center of strategy and decisions.

What is the vision for culture at FAS?

• You get to be your best self every day
• Your work is meaningful, your strengths are leveraged, and you joyfully collaborate and innovate with colleagues
• Your contributions lead to significant impact
• You get actionable feedback and you feel safe to share feedback with anyone else, regardless of title
• You have voice and are empowered to raise questions and concerns to anyone
• You feel psychological safety and a true sense of belonging

Skills and Expertise: Must Haves

People Skills

What leadership skills do you need to possess to be a strong candidate?

Management expertise that led to strong results for a team and/or organization, including:

• Coaching and/or developing staff, with evidence to support success
• Creating and iterating on structures and systems to effectively support talent development, including selection, onboarding and expectation setting, coaching, and career development
• Articulating what excellent performance looks like, and establishing clear metrics to celebrate growth and ensure accountability
• Tracking data consistently and being able to produce evidence over time that proves a demonstrable commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion

Transformational culture building that shifted what people imagined was possible, including:

• Building a psychologically safe environment where evidence of belonging exists among all team members
• Creating and investing others in an aspirational, strategic vision that is ambitious and bold
• Evidence of prior success leading teams where risk-taking and continuous learning were championed to drive innovation

Expertise

What skills do you need to show proficiency (or higher) in order to be a strong candidate?

• Vision: the ability to “see around corners” and opportunity spot to ensure that FAS remains on the leading edge of talent practices
• The ability to translate strategy to actionable plans and measurable outcomes
• Dense subject matter expertise in at least one of the following areas and working knowledge of several: the employee lifecycle, legal compliance and oversight, benefits and payroll administration, union management, and equitable compensation practices
• Organizational leadership skills equipping one to serve as a member of the FAS Leadership Team, including the ability to coach and advise senior leadership
• Willingness to learn, give, seek and implement feedback
• 8+ years demonstrated experience in relevant talent work, including familiarity with diversity and inclusion best practices and evidence-based talent practices
• Demonstrated experience serving as a culture driver and coach for staff, people managers, and organizational leaders
• Excellent communication skills; detail oriented; self-starter; ability to lead a team towards results and effectively collaborate with team members across an organization
• Strategic project management skills with the ability to prioritize and lead multiple time-sensitive projects simultaneously, including empowering others to lead work

What You’ll Do (Core Responsibilities):

Talent Strategy

• Create, refine, and implement comprehensive, evidence-based people strategies, policies, and programs to attract, retain, and engage diverse, top talent for Full-Time Employees 
• Provide evidence-based guidance and coaching to people managers and employees on talent related matters, including people management, learning and development,  performance management, employee relations, and disciplinary actions
• Build and maintain systems for accurate and confidential employee records and documentation in compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, and maintain up-to-date knowledge of legal requirements
• Manage and maintain the Human Resource Information System (HRIS) functions, including ensuring they support FAS in meeting its goals, including DEIB initiatives
• Create, maintain and update HR policies and the Employee Handbook for equity, transparency, and clarity

Engagement and Culture

• Lead strategic development and implementation of retreats, meetings, and staff appreciation events in support of belonging and meeting FAS goals 
• Foster a culture of inclusiveness, openness, and honesty within the organization
• Coordinate and manage our diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging principles and actions towards results, and advise FAS’ internal DEIB Committee on action plans
• Oversee implementation of evidence-based performance management and engagement practices, including Engagement and Pulse Surveys 

Talent Acquisition

• Devise the strategy and monitor progress around recruitment and selection systems with a lens towards diverse, equitable, and inclusive processes
• Guide and continually evaluate new hire orientation programs and other resources in support of the onboarding process so that staff have a strong start when they join FAS with clarity about their roles and responsibilities
• Oversee the post offer/onboarding steps such as: ordering background checks, completing offer letter and assisting with documentation, and sending out and collecting new hire paperwork

Benefits and Payroll Administration

• Administer and oversee equitable, transparent employee benefits programs and compensation structures 
• Direct systems for processing and handling all employee leave benefits (e.g., FMLA, workers compensation, short-term disability, long-term disability, reasonable accommodations, etc.)
• Lead the management for semi-monthly payroll, including timely and accurate submission of timesheets, requests for paid time off and leaves of absence, and ad-hoc reports
• Collaborate with Finance and plan with teams across the organization to make  data-driven staffing decisions 

Legal Compliance and Oversight

• Build systems around compliance and ensure the team stays up to date with all federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, and FAS’ government contracts 

Union 

• FAS has recently unionized, and the Director, People and Culture will serve as the leader and point person on all union related matters, including:
  • Engaging with the union in regular Labor Management Committee (LMC) meetings
  • Finalizing the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
  • Ensuring that the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is followed with fidelity
  • Supporting FAS supervisors with relevant trainings and ongoing support
  • Meeting with union members and representatives as needed
• Develop the overarching strategy for union relationships, including matching strategy and approach to FAS’ future needs as an organization 

Work Environment 

This position will be a hybrid role, meaning that both remote and in-person work can be accommodated, generally two to three days per week on-site, and two to three days per week remote.  

Salary

$150,000-$190,000

Hiring Statement

Don’t check off every box? Apply anyway! Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every listed qualification. At FAS we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, and developing new voices. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway – you might just be the right candidate.

The Federation of American Scientists is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The Federation of American Scientists prohibits discriminating against employees and job applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose the compensation of the employee or applicant or another employee or applicant. Employment is contingent on successful verification of eligibility to work in the United States.