Job Details

Overview

Chief People & Culture Officer - National Office (Remote) YMCA of the USA. The CPCO will steward the organizations people, culture, and talent strategy while advancing the work and agenda of its members, putting Christian principles into practice to build healthy spirit, mind, and body. The CPCO will shape organizational culture, strengthen the workforce, and ensure that millions of lives are positively impacted through the Ys programs and national reach. The CPCO will align Y-USAs people and culture strategy with its mission and operational goals, ensuring the organization has the workforce capacity, inclusive practices, and organizational culture to serve more than 2,650 local Ys. Reporting directly to the COO, the CPCO will be a strategic partner in shaping long-term organizational direction and day-to-day people operations and culture.

Organization Overview

The YMCA of the USA (Y-USA) is a leading nonprofit membership organization committed to strengthening community by empowering young people, improving health and well-being for people of all ages, and inspiring action across communities. Founded in 1844, the YMCA is one of the largest organizations focused on strengthening communities, serving more than 64 million people in 120 countries. In the United States, the Y Movement includes Y-USA (national resource office in Chicago) and more than 2,650 Ys serving 11 million people in 10,000 communities across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Y-USA operates with approximately 200 employees and an annual budget of $99 million. Its endowment is valued at $85 million, with more than $40 million raised yearly through grants, contributions, and major gifts.

Responsibilities / Essential Functions

Strategic HR Leadership

• Serve as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, advising the CEO, COO, and executive team on organizational culture, structure, and talent strategy.
• Align HR functions and initiatives with Y-USAs strategic priorities and mission.
• Represent HR expertise in national forums and lead cross-association collaborations, research, and capacity-building efforts.
• Lead organizational change management, leadership development, and workforce transformation.

Talent Strategy & Culture

• Develop and implement people strategies that strengthen performance, professional development, and retention of top talent.
• Champion a culture of inclusion, psychological safety, and continuous improvement.
• Provide strategic guidance for succession planning, leadership pipelines, and career mobility across the YMCA Movement.
• Sustain the employee experience across the full lifecyclefrom recruitment to offboarding.

National Engagement & Thought Leadership

• Establish and lead national HR communities of practice, advisory groups, and convenings for HR professionals across the YMCA network.
• Share national HR trends, policies, tools, and best practices to strengthen local YMCAs.
• Build relationships with external partners (SHRM, HRCI, consultants, etc.) to bring innovation and expertise into the YMCA ecosystem.

Unifying the Network

• Build and maintain trusted relationships across the YMCA Network to strengthen adoption of Y-USA HR strategy.
• Align HR practices and strategies across Y-USA and local associations to create shared goals and outcomes.
• Serve as the HR practice leader for Y-USA and a collaborative partner to CHROs across the Movement.

Compliance & Operational Excellence

• Lead HR compliance strategy for the national office, ensuring adherence to all relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Oversee compensation, benefits, employee relations, HR systems, and workforce analytics with a data-informed approach.
• Implement risk mitigation strategies and ensure fair, consistent application of employee relations protocols.

Learning & Organizational Development

• Oversee leadership development, coaching programs, and organizational training aligned with YMCA values and competencies.
• Promote a culture of continuous learning through professional development platforms and equity-centered capacity-building.
• Partner with the Learning and Leadership Development teams to align national staff growth with movement-wide priorities.

Qualifications

Education/Certification

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related field required.
• Masters degree or MBA preferred.
• Active SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent certification strongly preferred.
• Active CBP/CCP certification strongly preferred.

Knowledge And Work Experience

• Minimum 10+ years of progressively responsible HR leadership experience, preferably in mission-driven or national organizations.
• Demonstrated experience leading equity-focused HR strategies, large-scale cultural change, and organizational transformation.
• Experience managing HR in multi-site, matrixed, or federated structures preferred.
• Deep knowledge of employment law, compliance practices, and professional HR operations.

Leadership Skills & Core Competencies

• Board & Executive Engagement: Proven ability to engage Boards and executive leaders with clarity, credibility, and influence.
• Team Leadership: Track record of leading diverse HR teams, mentoring talent, and building strong succession pipelines.
• Values & Inclusion: Commitment to the YMCAs core values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
• Strategic Vision: Ability to align people strategy with organizational mission, long-term goals, and workforce sustainability.
• Influence & Communication: Exceptional interpersonal, coaching, and communication skills, with the ability to present complex HR and cultural information to varied audiences.
• Results Orientation: History of achieving organizational objectives, driving high performance, and implementing data-informed HR strategies.
• Adaptability: Flexibility and openness to change, with a collaborative and solution-oriented approach to problem-solving.

Seniority level

• Executive

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Human Resources
• Industries: Non-profit Organizations