Director of People Operations

ABOUT COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS  

Communities In Schools of Tennessee (CISTN) is a nonprofit that partners with K-12 public schools to surround students with a community of support empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. As part of the CIS national network, CISTN achieves this mission by placing program managers in schools across the state to provide school-wide interventions and case managed services for students in need. With a budget of $13M, in academic year 2026-27 we will support 98 employees in 74 schools and serve nearly 35,000 students and families across Tennessee.  

To best support the students, families, schools, community partners, and our staff members involved in this work, CISTN staff and board members center all decisions, actions, and services on the following core values:  

1. Integrity – We openly share how our work is done, and we hold ourselves accountable to the commitments we make. 
2. Empathy – We intentionally build relationships so we can learn about people’s stories, validate their experiences, and deepen our understanding of situations different from our own.  
3. Equal Opportunity – We identify and work towards removing barriers, so everyone has the opportunity to achieve. 
4. Authenticity – We create space for the people we work with, and for, to be their truthful, complete selves without judgement. 
5. Collaboration – We bring people together to plan and take action in our work, understanding we make lasting change in partnership with one another.  
   
   

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES  

The Director of People Operations leads the CISTN’s strategy to attract, develop, engage, and retain high-performing employees in support of Communities In Schools of Tennessee’s (CISTN) mission and strategic goals. Working in partnership with the Insperity Professional Employer Organization (PEO), the Director of People Operations oversees all aspects of the employee continuum, while ensuring that people practices identify and remove barriers, so everyone has the opportunity to belong and thrive in the workplace. The role does not currently supervise but is directly supported by the Administrative Coordinator and works closely with the Director of Operations. This role strategically partners with the Director of Professional Learning, who is focused on programmatic learning, to ensure complimentary and aligned practices that support high performance. The Director of People Operations is responsible for:
 
Recruitment & Selection 

• Lead organization-wide recruitment efforts to attract talented and mission-driven team members, including sourcing strategies, job postings, screening processes, interview protocols, selection practices, and onboarding to ensure positive candidate experience and timely placement.
  
• Analyze recruitment metrics, such as time-to-fill, candidate quality, retention, and hiring manager satisfaction, and implement improvements.
• Ensure hiring practices align with organizational commitments to equal opportunity, cultural competence, and community representation. 
  
  

Learning & Development 

• Oversee annual training and development requirements for administrative staff and all supervisors, with support from the Insperity PEO (e.g.; Performance Specialists, Strategy Consultants, and HR Specialist).
• Implement and lead organization-wide individual professional development process.
• Support supervisors and employees through identification and coordination of high-quality professional learning opportunities.
• Partner with organizational leaders and the Director of Professional Learning to develop leadership pipelines and career pathways for individual contributors and supervisors.
• Ensure employees understand available career pathways, advancement opportunities, and the competencies and experiences needed for growth. 
  
  

Engagement & Retention 

• Lead strategies to improve employee engagement, recognition, retention, and experience across the employee continuum.
• Gather and analyze input and feedback, including stay and exit interviews, surveys, and pulse checks to identify trends and inform organizational improvements.
• Collaborate with leaders and the CISTN Culture Committee to create a positive employee experience that reflects the organization's mission and values.
• Oversee the backup and succession planning process and ensure integration with individual development planning. 
  
  

Performance Management 

• Equip supervisors with tools, resources, and training to effectively onboard, develop, manage, support, and retain team members.
• Lead the administration and continuous improvement of the annual performance management process, ensuring consistency, meaningful feedback, accountability, and alignment between individual performance, growth, and organizational priorities.
• Serve as a strategic partner to supervisors on performance management, employee development, and employee relations matters, promoting consistent people management practices across the organization.  
  
  

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration  

• Establish and monitor key metrics aligned with organizational goals and advise the COO and senior leaders on workforce trends, staffing needs, organizational effectiveness, and people strategy.
• Partner with the Insperity compensation team to conduct market analyses, evaluate compensation trends, and develop compensation recommendations for the COO that support equitable, competitive, and fiscally responsible pay practices.
• Strategically partner with the Director of Professional Learning to ensure alignment and integration of professional learning with individual development planning, back-up and succession planning, and performance management.
• Collaborate with the Operations Director on effective onboarding, administration of benefits, leave management, personnel records management and confidentiality, and knowledge management. 
  
  

Candidates residing within CISTN’s service area (all TN counties except Memphis/Shelby, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington Counties) may be considered without requiring relocation to Nashville. Occasional statewide travel is required. The COO and the Director of People Operations will work together to determine arrangements for both in-person and remote work, considering the season of work and organizational needs. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

The statements contained herein describe the scope of responsibility and essential functions of this position but should not be considered to be an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned including work in other areas to cover absences or relief to equalize peak work periods or otherwise balance the workload.  Other duties may be assigned by the COO. 

CORE COMPETENCIES    

The core competencies for the Operations Director include, but are not limited to:   

• Relationship Building: Develops and maintains positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Utilizes effective communication strategies to engage stakeholders and advance the organization's mission.
• Decision Making and Problem Solving: Analyzes complex problems, identifies underlying causes, and consults appropriate resources to make informed decisions in a timely manner. Takes accountability for decisions and ensures proposed solutions are thoughtful, inclusive of varied perspectives, and responsive to the needs of different stakeholders.
• Operational Excellence: Anticipates and manages organizational risk, utilizes best practices, and ensures efficient and competent processes are in place to streamline daily operations.
• Research, Measurement & Analysis: Utilizes evidence and best practices to measure progress towards strategic priorities. Makes data-driven decisions and continuously improves data collection and analysis strategies. 
• Cultural Competence: Demonstrates a clear understanding of racial and other forms of discrimination, including but not limited to historical discrimination, that may impact students and families and applies that understanding to work in schools and across the organization.     

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE  

• Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, human resources, education, or a related field. Master's degree preferred.
  
• 6-10 years of progressively responsible experience in talent management, human resources, organizational development, people operations, talent acquisition, or a related field with at least 3-5 years leading organization-wide people operations.
• Work experience can be substituted for those without formal education, requiring 6+ years of direct experience. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY  
We value your lived experience and those that have lived or live in the communities that we serve. Should you not meet all of the listed qualifications but feel that this position is the perfect one for you, please apply! You could be what we are looking for and we would not want to miss the chance to meet you!   

CISTN is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

Salary range for this position is $65,815-$83,771. 

Benefits include:    

• Employee medical, dental, vision, short-and-long-term disability insurance premiums are 100% employer-paid, with some dependent health plans including an employer contribution.
• Paid parental leave.  
• 15 paid vacation days, 10 sick days, 4 floating holidays, 10 other paid holidays, and an extended winter break. 
• 401(k) match up to 2%.     
• Cell phone stipend.
• Individual professional development budget and up to $1,500/year educational expense reimbursement. 

HOW TO APPLY  

Interested applicants may apply by submitting a resume and cover letter via https://www.cistn.org/careers. Applications will be accepted starting June 19, through July 1, 2026.   

A criminal background check is required for any candidates who are offered a position with CISTN and will be administered after an offer of employment is made. Criminal background histories will not automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, depending on the position, criminal history, time, etc.