CCAoA Hiring VP of People and Employee Experience

This is a remote position.

Child Care Aware® of America (CCAoA) is the only national organization that supports every part of the child care system. In partnership with an on-the-ground network of Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) organizations, we work in states and communities to advance high-quality, affordable child care—transforming a patchwork of resources into a system that works for everyone. Together, we make America child care strong—and that makes everyone stronger. CCAoA is committed to recruiting and retaining a dynamic workforce to help build a child care system that serves all children and families. Join us in ensuring that every family has access to high-quality, affordable child care.

To learn more, visit our website. Follow CCAoA on Twitter , Facebook , LinkedIn and Instagram .

Position Purpose:

To champion a mission-aligned, inclusive, high-performing culture and lead the end-to-end people strategy for the organization (~400 employees). The VP of People and Employee Experience will be the primary architect of the people experience — engaging staff, strengthening talent pipelines, ensuring operational excellence in HR practices, and positioning the organization for growth and change. This role will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, partnering with senior leadership and the Board to align the people strategy with the organization’s mission, values and growth objectives.

Major Areas of Responsibility:

1. Strategic People Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive people & employee experience strategy that supports the organization’s mission, strategic goals and 400-staff size scale (e.g., workforce planning, talent acquisition, retention, career growth).
  
• Partner with senior leadership to assess organizational structure, roles and job designs, ensuring alignment with strategy and mission.
  
• Lead change management efforts when organization evolves (new programs, restructuring, remote/hybrid work).
  

2. Culture & Employee Experience

• Serve as the executive sponsor for culture, employee engagement and organizational development initiatives; design programs to strengthen belonging, collaboration, well-being and mission alignment.
  
• Lead engagement surveys, pulse checks and action plans to strengthen morale, retention, and sense of belonging.
  
• Design and implement recognition, reward, career-pathways and well-being programs.
  

3. Talent Acquisition & Development

• Oversee recruitment and onboarding to attract mission-aligned talent with appropriate skills; lead efforts to build diverse pipelines.
  
• Develop learning & development strategy: leadership development, performance coaching, mentoring, succession planning.
  
• Partner with business/unit leaders to identify key roles, leadership bench strength and future talent needs.
  

4. Total Rewards & HR Operations - Work with HR consultants/PEO to:

• Oversee compensation and benefits strategy (benchmarking, internal equity, affordability for a nonprofit).
  
• Ensure HR operations (HRIS, payroll, compliance, policies, procedures) are efficient, up-to-date and support the workforce.
  
• Ensure compliance with employment laws, regulations, HR best-practices and nonprofit sector expectations; manage risk related to HR operations.
  

5. Metrics & Analytics

• Establish key people metrics and dashboards (turnover, hiring metrics, engagement scores, DEI metrics).
  
• Use data to inform strategies, identify trends and propose interventions.
  
• Forecast people-costs, prepare budget for HR/People function, monitor spend.
  

6. Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor and build the People & Culture team; establish clear direction, accountability, and development plans.
  
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive team and senior leaders, providing strategic counsel on organizational effectiveness, talent decisions, executive succession, employee relations and leadership development.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree (HR, business, organizational development or related). Advanced degree preferred.
  
• 8-12 years human resources/people leadership experience, including senior leadership in a mission-driven environment.
  
• Demonstrated track record of transforming culture, driving employee engagement and building inclusive workplaces.
  
• Strong analytical capabilities, comfortable with HR data/analytics.
  
• Excellent communication and influencing skills across all levels of an organization.
  
• Experience in total rewards, HRIS, workforce planning, performance and development.
  
• Commitment to equity, inclusion and mission alignment.