About JFF
Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: In 10 years, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.
To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 350 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.
We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more
about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.
DEIBW at JFF
Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF’s
North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities.
Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.
We seek to invest and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our
North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply.
About the position
JFF is a rapidly growing, dynamic organization and has embarked on a comprehensive transformation effort to uplevel and redesign systems and processes making them scalable as the organization grows. As a result, the Director, Total Rewards role was newly created to ensure all of JFF’s compensation and benefits programs, processes, and procedures are competitive, equitable and scalable, and can support over 350 JFF employees working remotely and in offices across the U.S. in a fast-paced and growing organization. This is both a strategic and tactical role, relying on previous expertise to direct and execute daily compensation and benefits operations while taking an innovative approach to evolve and continuously improve JFF’s total rewards programming.
In partnership with the head of People Operations, a function within JFF’s People & Culture department, you will play a critical role in developing, communicating, and administering compensation and benefit programs and initiatives. Your contributions in this role will positively impact the organization as you lead, shape and drive the overall strategy and direction of total rewards at JFF. You will demonstrate thought leadership and a hands-on approach across health and well-being benefit planning, design and compliance. This role is ideal for an individual who operates with empathy, advocates for equity in policy and processes, and is excited to envision and design this new total rewards function within the People & Culture team.
What You'll Do
Create, improve, and drive effective benefits and compensation strategies, policies, and initiatives
- Lead the design and delivery of new and ongoing initiatives including, but not limited to health and well-being benefit planning, design, and compliance, compensation strategy and administration, and policy and process improvement, communication, and transparency.
- Evaluate and offer recommendations on trends, practices and costs, ensuring that all programs offered by JFF are innovative and compelling.
- Provide leadership and direction for national benefit programs such as time off and leave policy review, regulatory, and legislative changes.
- Use data and analytics and leverage tools, like employee surveys, to support decisions, demonstrate solid judgment, and assess risk in relation to JFF.
Build and manage relationships to ensure high-quality benefits and compensation programming
- Partner with the head of People Operations on all related projects, ensuring the total rewards portfolio of work is well executed, timely, and meets the needs of the organization.
- Collaborate, guide, and influence the People & Culture Leadership team and other business leaders, providing counsel on benefits and compensation-related opportunities and challenges.
- Develop productive and collaborative relationships with vendors and third-party solutions providers across the People Operations practice, including managing day-to-day relationships, negotiating and problem-solving through challenges.
- Create a strong culture of recognition through the management of our internal rewards and recognition program.
Direct and execute daily compensation and benefit operations in partnership with HRIS and People Operations
- Ensure processes, programs and incentive/reward elements align with JFF’s culture, strategy, and operational imperatives.
- Lead the review, communication, and implementation of the annual benefit open enrollment process and the annual total compensation equity review.
- Advise on FMLA, LOA and ADA administration in compliance with local policy, federal and states notices, forms, authorizations, etc., and providing related support and training.
- Partner closely with Finance and other teams to ensure timeliness and accuracy of all status updates, payroll execution, and benefits implications throughout the year (i.e., new hires, terminations, ongoing employment changes, and compensation)
- Collaborate with the people analyst to lead internal and external compliance and compensation processes, including but not limited to EEO, AAP, annual merit compensation, and incentive compensation.
- Identify and implement strategies to maximize the HRIS platform for administrators/employees.
Who you are
The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.
- You have previously managed People Operations programs/projects such as benefits planning, compensation administration and total rewards strategy and analysis and have experience shaping and designing initiatives within this complex body of work (New hires at the Director II level at JFF typically bring 12+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions)
- You have developed and maintain subject matter expertise and a point of view within the field of benefits and compensation and leverage it to design policies and processes with an equitable lens
- You are skilled in and enjoy providing rigorous data analysis and reporting solutions to make data-informed strategic decisions to improve policy and practices.
- You are familiar with, or able to quickly build an understanding of HR systems, tools and technology (such as ADP and Culture Amp).
- You maintain a strong understanding of HR principles and concepts, regulations and employment laws, and the payroll cycle process, as related to total rewards and HR operations.
- You have a demonstrated ability to build consensus among diverse teams, and you value and develop effective relationships to collaborate on projects, implement solutions and make meaningful contributions to the work.
- You are a creative problem-solver who pursues opportunities to improve processes, collect relevant data, leverage feedback, develop skills, and acquire knowledge to better support your team and increase the value of your work.
- You are an advocate of equity who embraces diversity in your organization and proactively includes team members, whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own, in decision-making and collaboration opportunities.
- You feel confident directing multiple workstreams and align various projects to support team and organizational priorities, mission and vision
- You demonstrate good judgment, clear analytical thinking, strong decision-making skills and the ability to influence and lead others to impactful solutions.
- You set ambitious and achievable goals to deliver high-quality outputs and results for multiple initiatives, while empowering, inspiring and holding self and others accountable for delivering on commitments consistently
- You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work
- You are energized by stewarding JFF’s DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF
- You value building positive and collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own
What We Offer
At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive
benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.
JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person, hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.
The hiring range for this role is $140,000 - $160,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Director II salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.
To apply:
As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Damaris Espinal, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.
At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process.
If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at
hiringaccommodations@jff.org.
Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.
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