Associate Director of Human Resources

Position Summary
The Associate Director, Human Resources (internally titled Associate Director, Talent) serves as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to regional and school leadership. This role drives organizational effectiveness, cultivates an inclusive and high-performing culture, and proactively anticipates workforce needs to ensure Rocketship remains an exceptional place to work and grow.

Operating with high autonomy, this leader makes independent, values-aligned decisions that strengthen leadership capacity, mitigate risk, and drive long-term talent outcomes across schools and regions.
Location: Within one hour of San Jose, CA

This position reports directly to the Director of Talent and maintains a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Director of People. This dual-reporting structure ensures this role is deeply embedded in regional priorities while staying aligned with national HR strategy, compliance, and culture. The role serves as a critical liaison between school/regional leadership and the broader People Team, helping to drive strategic initiatives, talent alignment, and operational excellence.

The following are essential functions related to the position: 

Strategic Partnership & Leadership

• Serve as a thought partner to regional and school leaders, translating organizational strategy into actionable people plans that drive engagement, retention, and performance.
• Make independent, sound HR decisions; balance compliance with business judgment and empathy.
• Anticipate workforce trends and recommend proactive strategies to address turnover, leadership readiness, and culture health.
• Lead and coach leaders through organizational change, conflict, and performance management with discretion and composure.
• Collaborates with the recruiting team on a weekly basis to review hiring progress, share key updates, and provide regional leadership with timely recruitment insights and data.

Relationship Building & Influence

• Build deep, trust-based partnerships across executive, school, and support teams to influence without authority.
• Foster strong collaboration with Talent, Program, and other cross-functional partners to align systems and practices.
• Act as a cultural leader who models open communication, inclusivity, and professional accountability.
• Maintains key partnerships with the Recruitment team and external talent pipelines, including but not limited to Teach For America and Relay Graduate School of Education.

Leadership Development

• Design and deliver targeted development sessions for school and regional leaders to strengthen performance management, coaching, and compliance acumen.
• Partner with the Talent team to identify developmental gaps and co-create scalable solutions that enhance the employee experience.
• Use data and feedback (surveys, exit trends, engagement) to shape culture and inform action planning.

Employee Relations & Risk Management

• Lead and resolve complex employee relations matters with fairness, urgency, and discretion.
• Conduct objective investigations and provide clear, consistent recommendations.
• Coach managers on performance management and disciplinary actions, ensuring equitable application of policies and values alignment.

Operational Excellence

• Drive HR project execution and process improvements across regions.
• Partner with Talent Operations and Legal to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Use data analytics to identify trends and measure the effectiveness of human resource initiatives.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Judgment: Applies sound judgment in complex, high-impact decisions.
• Influence without Authority: Gains buy-in and alignment across diverse stakeholders.
• Relationship Building: Develops trust and credibility at every level of the organization.
• Innovation: Challenges assumptions, designs creative solutions, and drives improvement.
• Coaching & Development: Elevates leaders and teams through tailored guidance and feedback.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or HR certification (PHR/SPHR/SHRM-CP/SCP) preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including direct HRBP or HR leadership experience in a multi-site organization.
• Proven ability to make autonomous, strategic HR decisions in complex or ambiguous environments.
• Advanced critical thinking, problem-solving, and influencing skills.
• Expertise in employee relations, organizational development, and change management.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to varied audiences.
• Deep commitment to Rocketship’s mission and values.

Additional Details

• This role is primarily remote, but will require consistent  travel to schools based on needs.
• Requires independent transportation to schools within the region supported.