Title: Human Resource Manager

Reports to:  Executive Director

Job Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Benefits: Health, Dental, Vision and Retirement, Paid Time off, Holidays

Date Posted: August 2023

Overview of Kinnect

Kinnect is a private non-profit that was founded in 2005. Kinnect leverages its leadership expertise to design programs, products and services that transform the child welfare system. Kinnect leads innovation to reduce the time that children spend in the child welfare system and to prevent entry into the child welfare system. Kinnect achieves this by partnering with organizations to transform beliefs, values, and actions to ensure permanent families for all children in the shortest time possible. We believe that childhood is a fundamental human right and that all children deserve permanent families. We believe that every day that a child is in foster care, separated from their kin and community is a day in crisis. We embrace hope, possibility, and innovation and we treat everyone with dignity and respect.

Position Summary

In collaboration with the Executive Director and Kinnect’s Leadership Teams, the Human Resource Manager is accountable for identifying, developing, implementing and monitoring Kinnect’s key HR programs that enhance current operations but also support future growth. This position is accountable for developing and managing processes related to hiring, payroll and benefits, employee communications and HR reporting, employee compensation, recordkeeping and file retention.  As an individual contributor, this role reports to the Executive Director and provides advisory support to the leadership team, managers and employees on workplace matters.  The Human Resource Manager works independently and interfaces with employees at all levels of the organization, as well as with external parties and consultants. The Human Resource Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the HR function and is accountable for ensuring compliance to all company policies and procedures, as well as all legal and regulatory requirements. The Human Resource Manager supports all team members at Kinnect both in person and in virtual venues. This role plays a leadership role and is integral in supporting the implementation of the organization’s Dare to Lead Leadership framework and Organizational Equity Statement for the continued development of a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity and access.  This role requires attendance in person at a 4 day Dare to Lead training with a Racial Equity lens as well as participation in Groundwater Training with the Racial Equity Institute.

Essential Functions

Human Resources Administration

• Develop and implement HR Plan for the organization that includes recruitment and retention of staff, onboarding, orientation, training and professional development of staff
• Maintain and administer HR policies and procedures.
• Create HR Policies and Procedures as needed.
• Maintain records and stay current with required reporting.
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory and legal requirements associated with the HR function.
• Administer employee performance evaluation policy and procedure.
• Lead the overall procurement of Human Resources services across the organization
• Manage respective supplier contracts in coordination with finance team.
• Coordinate with and maintain Paycor and any other HR system.
• As needed work in a collaborative way with outside HR services providers to monitor performance and adherence to service level agreements.
• Assist with the preparation of reports for management team.
• Assist leadership team with special projects as needed.
• Attend Human Resource Board Committee meetings and Board of Directors meetings as required, preparing and presenting reports.

Compensation & Benefits

• Implement, maintain and evaluate regularly the compensation program, including job descriptions, salary structure and salary administration guidelines.
• Support Benefits plan design, provider negotiations and plan administration.
• Lead annual benefits program enrollment. Oversee benefits administration function.
• Monitor and maintain unemployment and workers’ compensation programs.
• Ensure seamless coordination of benefits for employees
• Handle FMLA, Short Term & Long Term disability request as well as other requests made by employees for benefits.
• Develop and implement an annual Total Rewards Package for continued engagement of staff regarding the benefits offered at Kinnect.
• In partnership with the HR Coordinator, benefit administration, including enrollment, handling employee questions, processing plan changes and terminations, as well as communicating with outside providers.  These responsibilities also include compliance with regulatory requirements for COBRA and Affordable Care Act reporting.
• Administer Unemployment and Workers’ Compensation.

Employee Relations & Engagement

• Implement strategies and plans to support optimal employee engagement.
• Facilitate programs and processes in support of employee well-being.
• In partnership with the Executive Director and the Human Resources consultant manage and support employee relations.
• Develop, implement and support employee recognition and special events.

Training & Development

• Assess training and development needs at all levels of the organization.
• Develop and maintain tracking tools for trainings attended by team members.
• Design or procure appropriate training and development activities at all levels.
• Track training and development activities to assess return on investment, current certifications and application of learning.
• Apply for and maintain existing CEU certifications for the organization as well as other certifications the organization may want to obtain such as CLE’s (Continuing Legal Education Credits) etc.

Staffing

• Develop multi-faceted recruiting strategies to proactively address staffing needs.
• Manage new hire recruiting, including job posting, applicant screening and interviewing, reference checking and new hire on-boarding.
• Recruit and on-board new employees at all levels of the organization.
• Manage outsourced staffing arrangements.
• Train new staff as part of Kinnect’s Onboarding and Orientation Program
• Participate in regular reviews and updates to the Onboarding and Orientation Program to ensure quality, innovation and best practices in training new team members.

Guiding Principles and Competencies:

Partnership: Bringing our collective experience and skillsets to relationships that support our connectedness and achievement of our mission.

• I build constructive and effective relationships to find common ground and solve problems
• When I participate in teamwork, I will ensure that I am giving everyone accurate and timely information as needed to move forward on our common goals
• I reprioritize when needed and create focus to strengthen partnerships throughout times of change
• I strive to help people feed included, respected, and valuable about being a member of the team

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA): As a learning organization, we pledge to ongoing and sustained work in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility through collaboration with families, communities, Kinnect team members and our partners.

• I pause for self-reflection and to analyze my own assumptions, behaviors, and previous/current experiences
• I take responsibility for my own growth and development in this space (i.e. self-education through TED Talks, books, articles, and how new information can be applied in practice)
• I am willing to speak up if I witness exclusionary behaviors, bias, and discrimination
• I give other’s grace in our learning journeys, we give each other time to process, and we give each other the space to circle back
• I strive to be a catalyst for change, thought partner and leader in bridging the work of systems innovation and disruption, anti-racism, and transformation
• I foster belonging by committing to centering the voices of those who have been historically and are presently marginalized
• As a learning organization I pledge to ongoing and sustained work in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility through collaboration with families, youth, communities, Kinnect team members and partners

Innovation: Continuous and dynamic process where creative ideas are valued, discussed, and implemented to significantly disrupt routing and prevailing structures.

• I am willing to share my ideas, even the new and unique ones, when brainstorming, problem solving and in my daily work
• I explore issues through a lens of equity and inclusion by co-creating solutions with people, not for people. I am committed to centering and elevating the voice of those we serve, whether it be families, youth, caregivers, team members or our partners. I am willing to design programs and solutions for the future we want to have.
• When faced with challenges, I remain curious, look beyond the obvious and my own lens and perspective to push myself to look for multiple solutions even though I might not have all the answers. I am open to iterating and continuous learning
• I choose to view failure as an opportunity to learn

Integrity: Having the courage to live the Kinnect values of dignity, respect and honesty.

• I strive to be self-aware and open to feedback that allows for development and growth
• I stay aligned with Kinnect’s values while maintaining flexibility to incorporate new ideas and perspectives
• During difficult times, I strive to maintain composure, self-regulate, maintain my sense of self-awareness and stay in empathy when working through issues
• I take responsibility for contributing to high quality and inclusive end results, for the good of the greater team
• I take responsibility for my own boundaries, self-care, and rest so that I am able to engage meaningfully in my work at Kinnect

Outcome Focused: We strive to measure our work, to pivot, iterate, and improve to accomplish desired results.

• I make time and space to assess process, progress, and results
• I work with my team to make sure we all have up-to-date information so we can make accurate and informed decisions
• I ask for what I need to be able to contribute and perform to the best of my ability
• I keep families, youth, community partners and Kinnect team members in mind when creating goals and throughout the course of the project

Communicate Effectively: Develop and deliver communications using various methods that conveys a clear understanding of the unique needs of the different audiences we communicate with.

• Attentively listens to others
• Provides timely and helpful information to others across the organization
• Encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions
• Ability to utilize multiples communication methods such as telephone, email, letters, reports, to name a few to share information and to keep people informed of progress or what is needed

Leadership Acumen: Understands the complexities involved in organizational functioning as it relates to people, to overall strategy, and to policies/procedures. Is able to achieve high quality results through informed decision making and applying knowledge from experience, education and through partnerships.

• Comfortably navigates through complex policies and processes
• Successfully manages team related dynamics
• Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
• Understands the meaning and implications of key data indicators and decisions.
• Interprets and applies data analysis to generate, evaluate, and act on strategic options and opportunities

Effective Team Development: Ability to build strong identity teams that are inclusive and can apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.

• Creates a sense of belonging and strong team identity that allows members of the team to apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals
• Develops people to meet both their professional goals and the organization’s goals through coaching, feedback, exposure, and stretch assignments
• Fosters innovation and learning from mistakes to support individuals and the team in achieving the mission and vision of the organization
• Demonstrates self-awareness and actively seeks new ways to grow and be challenged

Administers and Supports Efforts to Achieve Goals: Provides leadership and direction to the team to ensure success in achieving common goals. Is able to provide appropriate support, guidance and accountabilities to achieving organizational goals.

• Provides direction and delegation by planning and prioritizing work
• Intervenes to remove obstacles when needed to achieve organizational goals
• Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments and results
• Focuses on continuous improvement by marshaling resources and orchestrating multiple activities to accomplish goals
• Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives

Manages Complexity and Innovation: Understands and is skilled in making sense of complex situations and challenges to effectively resolve issues. Has skills and an understanding on how to support the use of innovation and implementation science to understand opportunities and challenges that arise at the organizational level and within teams.

• Asks questions and acquires information to make quality decisions that effectively solve problems
• Adapts approaches to match different situations and shifting demands
• Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization to exchange ideas and resources
• Cultivates innovation and actively learns through using both successes and failures as growth opportunities

Essential Skills:

• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to assess the overall HR system and implement solutions to optimize the function.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate at all levels.
• Ability to utilize technology to support efficiency and quality.
• Ability to facilitate conflict to achieve effective outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, yet collaboratively in ambiguous situations.
• Ability to maintain discretion and work with highly confidential situations.

Education/Qualifications

• 5-7 years of HR Generalist or Management experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree, strongly preferred.
• 3 years of management/supervisory experience preferred.
• Experience handling complex employee and organizational issues.
• Demonstrated ability to create effective HR programs to support company priorities.
• Payroll processing and benefits administration experience, required.
• Experience working with HR-related compliance matters.
• Strong computer skills. Proficiency in the Microsoft Suite that includes, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Power Point, Planner, One Note etc..

Inclusion Diversity, Equity, and Access:

Kinnect is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of inclusion diversity, equity, and access. These commitments are not just part of our value system but are at the core of our intentional actions to eliminate systemic barriers that have produced inequities based on differences.

We commit to a sustained investment of time, resources, and people to advance equitable realities for our employees, and for the children, families, and communities that we serve. We do this by intentional advocacy for social justice and the continuous scrutiny of the systems that we create and those in which we operate.

Our employees are the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and success, as well.

We embrace our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and intellectual or emotional ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation or identity, socio-economic status, parental or family status, medical or genetic status, veteran or disabled veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.

Kinnect’s inclusion, diversity, equity, and access initiatives involve, but are not limited to, our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; staffing decisions; terminations; and the ongoing development of an inclusive work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employment:

Kinnect maintains a policy of nondiscrimination toward all employees and applicants for employment. All aspects of employment with us will be governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, or gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression or identity, national origin, physical, intellectual or emotional ability, marital or partnership status, parental or family status, medical or genetic status, veteran’s or disabled veteran status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. Employment Posters stating current regulatory and legal requirements are posted in Kinnect’s main office and on the intranet.

Working Conditions: 

• Travel required, as needed.  Must have access to own transportation.
• This job requires occasional overnight travel
• Kinnect as an organization has a Hybrid Work Model that combines remote and on-site work at Kinnect, as well as routine on-site or in-person work with team members, partner sites, community events, and direct service in the field.
• This role will utilize standard office equipment that will be provided by Kinnect

Hiring Process:

Background Check Information: The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal conviction(s) will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed.  They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees assigned to this position.

Kinnect maintains a policy of nondiscrimination toward all employees and applicants for employment.  All employment decisions at Kinnect are based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, and will be governed on the basis of competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, or gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, sexual expression or identity, national origin, physical, intellectual or emotional ability, marital or partnership status, parental or family status, medical or genetic status, veteran’s or disabled veteran status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. Employment Posters stating current regulatory and legal requirements are posted in Kinnect’s main office and on the intranet.

Americans with Disabilities Act: This position involves sitting in a stationary position for at least 50% of the time and the ability to ambulate without assistance to attend on-site meetings, as needed. The job requires movement in a typical office environment with file cabinets, office machinery, office furniture and typical hallway and access doorways. The position must operate typical office equipment, such as copiers, telephones, computers, and peripherals. This job requires that the person must have the ability to access transportation to attend meetings and special events. The organization provides reasonable accommodation for this position.