Director, Employee Experience

- Serve as NWF's internal champion for the employee experience, developing and sustaining a culture where staff feel seen, supported, and motivated to do their best work.

- Partner with the SVP of People and senior leadership to operationalize NWF's people strategy, translating organizational vision into concrete programs and practices.

- Design and lead initiatives that reinforce NWF's identity as a destination employer and a standard bearer for employee-centered workplaces in the nonprofit sector.

- Lead employee listening efforts-including engagement surveys, stay interviews, and exit data-and translate findings into actionable improvements.

- Oversee the day-to-day operations of NWF's People programs, ensuring policies and practices are applied consistently, equitably, and in compliance with applicable federal and state law.

- Provide confidential, expert guidance to employees and managers on a range of issues including employee relations, policy interpretation, performance concerns, and workplace conflicts.

- Develop and maintain systems for performance evaluation, feedback, and career development that are transparent, fair, and growth-oriented.

- Partner with the Total Rewards function to ensure compensation, benefits, and recognition programs support attraction and retention goals.

- Lead the design and execution of a dynamic, equitable, and engaging recruiting program that reflects NWF's values and commitment to inclusion.

- Build sourcing strategies that expand NWF's reach into diverse talent communities and reduce time-to-fill for critical roles.

- Establish structured, consistent hiring practices-including interview guides, scoring rubrics, and recruiter intake processes-that drive better decisions and candidate experience.

- In partnership with the Learning & Development team, identify and implement programs that build individual and team capability across the organization.

- Develop onboarding experiences that set new employees up for success from day one and accelerate their connection to NWF's mission and culture.

- Champion manager development as a lever for organizational health, equipping people leaders with the tools, frameworks, and coaching they need to lead well.

- Lead, coach, and develop a small team of HR professionals, modeling the values and behaviors NWF aspires to organization-wide.

- Contribute as an active member of NWF's People Leadership Team, shaping the function's collective direction and supporting cross-functional collaboration.

- Support the SVP of People and executive leadership in executing NWF's strategic goals and organizational initiatives.

- Demonstrates a high degree of self-awareness-recognizes how personal emotions, assumptions, and reactions affect others and adjusts approach accordingly.

- Builds trust by showing up with empathy, consistency, and candor, particularly in difficult or high-stakes conversations.

- Reads organizational and interpersonal dynamics accurately and uses that insight to facilitate constructive outcomes rather than escalating conflict.

- Manages complexity and ambiguity with steadiness-holds space for others without projecting personal anxiety or urgency onto the situation.

- Models the emotional tone expected of a healthy workplace: professional, grounded, and authentically human.

- Leads through vision and credibility, not just authority-earns followership by being knowledgeable, fair, and reliably present for their team and partners.

- Influences without formal power by building strong relationships, communicating persuasively, and framing ideas in ways that resonate with diverse stakeholders.

- Develops others intentionally, investing in the growth of direct reports and creating conditions where team members can lead and stretch.

- Makes clear, timely decisions under pressure while remaining open to new information and willing to course-correct.

- Holds the team and organization accountable to outcomes while maintaining psychological safety and trust.

- Connects People programs and practices to NWF's broader organizational mission and long-term strategy.

- Identifies root causes rather than symptoms, designing solutions that are durable and scalable rather than reactive.

- Uses data and metrics-engagement scores, retention trends, time-to-fill, performance patterns-to inform priorities and demonstrate impact.

- Anticipates workforce trends and proactively positions NWF to attract, develop, and retain the talent it needs.

- Communicates with clarity, honesty, and care-adapts style and approach to the audience without losing directness or authenticity.

- Navigates sensitive and confidential situations with discretion, demonstrating sound judgment about what to share, with whom, and when.

- Creates environments where people feel safe raising concerns, giving feedback, and asking hard questions.

- Represents the People function credibly at the leadership table, translating HR concepts into plain language tied to business outcomes.

- Centers equity in all aspects of the role-from hiring decisions and policy design to the way difficult conversations are handled.

- Actively disrupts bias and inequity in systems and practices, even when it requires uncomfortable conversations with senior stakeholders.

- Creates inclusive environments where people from all backgrounds can contribute fully and feel they belong.

- Significant experience leading or building People operations, programs, and practices in a complex organization; strong generalist foundation across recruiting, talent development, change management, employee engagement, employee relations, compensation, and benefits.

- Proven track record using metrics and analytics to drive decisions and demonstrate HR impact.

- Demonstrated experience managing and developing HR professionals.

- Knowledge of federal and state employment laws and practical experience translating legal requirements into equitable policy and practice.

- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, or a related field, or equivalent experience. SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or similar certification preferred.

The National Wildlife Federation is committed to a flexible and empowered work environment with an authentic community of care for all staff. This is a hybrid position working out of NWF's Headquarters office in Reston, Virginia, at least one day per week.

NWF is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a workplace where all employees can thrive. We strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.

The salary range for this position is $100,000 - $120,000 annually, commensurate with experience.

This position requires occasional travel, typically 3-4 times per year, with overnight stays.