Director, People & Culture

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Director of People & Culture
Brookfield Zoo Chicago seeks a Director of People & Culture (P&C) to serve as a key leader within Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s People & Culture team, providing strategic and operational leadership across five critical areas: Labor Relations, Employee Development, Performance Management, Employee Relations, and HR Operations.
Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President of People & Culture, the Director partners with executive leadership, managers, and union representatives to build a thriving, inclusive, and high-performing workplace aligned with the Zoo’s Next Century Plan and long-term mission. The Director ensures that People & Culture programs foster engagement, compliance, and continuous growth while advancing a culture grounded in respect, collaboration, and accountability.

The Director of People & Culture is a full-time salaried position with a base salary range of $150,000 to $165,000 annually. Please see Compensation and Benefits Summary section below the job description information.

PRIMARY JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions of the position.

1. * Labor Relations

• Lead day-to-day administration of collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), ensuring consistent interpretation and application of contract provisions.
• Partner with the SVP of P&C and legal counsel in the development of labor strategy, contract negotiations, and implementation of new terms.
• Manage grievance and arbitration processes, including Step 1 and Step 2 meetings, documentation, and settlement tracking.
• Provide guidance and training to managers and supervisors on union-related practices, discipline, and communication with represented employees.
• Maintain updated logs of grievances, Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs), and contractor use in accordance with established P&C compliance frameworks.
• Collaborate with operational departments to balance workforce needs, union obligations, and Zoo objectives.

2. * Employee Development

• Lead the design, coordination, and evaluation of the Zoo’s Leadership and Employee Development programs, including the new Leadership Framework (Core, Elective, and Stretch modules).
• Partner with leaders to identify learning priorities, career pathing strategies, and targeted development plans that prepare employees for future roles.
• Oversee training systems (e.g., Cypherworx, BindBee, Collabornation) to ensure compliance-based learning and employee engagement.
• Integrate leadership and onboarding experiences with organizational programs such as the CEO Roundtable – Behind the Vision to strengthen engagement and connection to mission.
• Develop internal facilitation, mentorship, and coaching programs to foster growth and succession readiness at all levels.

3. * Performance Management

• Oversee implementation of the Zoo’s Casual Conversations model and formal review process, ensuring all leaders complete evaluations in alignment with established timelines (October 31 and March 31 cycles).
• Partner with managers to ensure that performance discussions emphasize strengths, goals, development, and accountability.
• Track organization-wide completion rates, identify patterns or skill gaps, and recommend development interventions.
• Collaborate with P&C leadership to strengthen organizational effectiveness through coaching, calibration, and alignment between individual goals and the Zoo’s strategic plan.
• Provide tools, templates, and training to managers to enhance the quality and consistency of performance feedback across departments.

4. * Employee Relations

• Serve as a trusted advisor and escalation point for complex employee relations matters, including investigations, conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and workplace accommodations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, as well as internal Zoo policies and ethical standards.
• Maintain confidentiality, consistency, and fairness in handling all employee concerns, grievances, and policy interpretations.
• Partner with department heads and the P&C leadership team to promote a culture of accountability, respect, and open communication.
• Provide coaching and policy guidance to managers to minimize risk and enhance leadership capability.
• Monitor and evaluate workplace trends to recommend proactive strategies that strengthen engagement and retention.

5. * HR Operations

• Lead the operational efficiency of P&C systems, data integrity, and workflow processes across HR functions.
• Oversee HR compliance documentation, policy implementation, and employee lifecycle management.
• Partner with IT and Finance to maintain secure, accurate data governance (e.g., Safe Data & PHI “Never Together” matrix, remote work compliance).
• Collaborate with the SVP and internal stakeholders on the design and rollout of new HR policies, procedures, and SOPs.
• Support optimization of Dayforce and other HR technologies to automate reporting, analytics, and communication tools.
• Contribute to development of HR dashboards and workforce analytics (turnover, demographics, tenure, and equity trends) using Power BI and other data tools.

6. * Leadership and Collaboration

• Supervise assigned People & Culture team members, providing mentorship, direction, and professional development support.
• Model Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s values of integrity, inclusion, and excellence through leadership and example.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure P&C programs are aligned with operational needs, budget priorities, and organizational goals.
• Serve as an ambassador for the People & Culture department, promoting transparency, partnership, and a service-oriented approach to all staff interactions.
• Denotes Essential Job Function(s)

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or related field required.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive HR leadership experience, including at least 3 years in a management or director-level role.
• Proven track record managing multiple HR functions (such as labor relations & compliance, training & development, performance management, employee relations & culture, compensation & benefits, HR systems & data, etc.) and leading organizational change initiatives.

DESIRABLE/PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
• Experience working effectively within unionized environment strongly preferred with demonstrated ability to foster cooperative labor relations/labor-management practices.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Deep expertise in HR management, employee relations, and labor relations. Demonstrated ability to combine practical experience and critical judgement with specialized knowledge to achieve goals.
• Strong understanding of federal and state employment laws and labor practices to navigate complex legal trends, ensure compliance and mitigate risk.
• Exceptional interpersonal, conflict-resolution, and communication skills.
• Strategic thinking and orientation. Excellent teambuilding, facilitation and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop leaders while driving performance and accountability.
• Proficiency in HRIS systems (Dayforce preferred), Power BI, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, and integrity in handling sensitive matters.
• Cultural competency; experience and/or ability to work and interact effectively with a diverse, multicultural audience.
• English fluency at a professional working proficiency.
• Strong alignment with the mission, values, and community impact goals of Brookfield Zoo Chicago.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This position description summarizes the primary and functions of this position but should not be considered a complete listing of every duty the incumbent may ever be called upon to perform. This is a visible management position and a key member of the HR leadership team. Requires an experienced HR leader with diverse HR management experience, strengths in employee relations, and who is both very strategic as well as a strong tactical manager. Incumbent must be confident and able to build credibility and rapport with all levels of staff. Position is busy and fast paced with shifting priorities; occasional workweeks of 45+ hours are not unusual. This position is a flexible, hybrid model with project-specific onsite requirements. (This role offers a flexible schedule, however, certain projects, tasks, and/or meetings may require mandatory onsite attendance including various events or other organizational functions.) Some occasional travel may be required for training or professional/business meetings.

OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: Please see Occupational Requirements Form.

Compensation and Benefits Summary

The Director of People & Culture is a non-union full-time salaried position, grade 13, with a base salary range of $150,000 to $165,000 annually.
Non-Union Full-Time Employees

Time Away from Work

Paid Time Off (PTO): PTO is accrued based on Years of Service and pay grade on a per-pay-period basis starting on the date of hire. As a new hire, this position is eligible to accrue up to 26 days annually.

Years of Service Positions in Grades 01H-06 Positions in Grades 07H-14-14MT-15MT Positions in Grades 16H-17MT Positions in Grades 07H1-081 (10hr/day)
New hire- 5 years 21 days 26 days 31 days 18 days

Holidays: Non-union employees are eligible for eight paid holidays per year.
Employee Benefits: Coverage begins on the date of hire.
Medical Insurance: Employees may choose from one of two medical plans: Blue Cross-Blue Shield HMO or PPO Plan.
Benefit Coverage Tiers Available HMO Employee Cost (biweekly) PPO Employee Cost (biweekly)
Medical Insurance Employee, Employee + Spouse, Employee + Child(ren), Family $48.82- $199.53 $75.12- $296.58

Common Medical Event HMO PPO
Annual Deductible $250 Individual/ $500 Family In-Network: $750 Individual / $1,500 Family Out-of-Network: $1,500 Individual / $3,000 Family
Out-of-pocket-maximum $1,500 Individual / $3,000 Family Prescription drug expense limit: $1,000 Individual / $2,000 Family In-Network: $2,000 Individual / $4,000 Family Out-of-Network: $4,000 Individual / $8,000 Family
Doctors Visits
$40/ PCP visit
$60/ Specialist visit
No Charge: Preventive care/screening/
immunization

$30/ PCP visit; deductible does not apply
$50/ Specialist visit; deductible does not apply
No Charge: Preventive care/screening/
immunization; deductible does not apply.

Hospitalization Facility Fee: $250/admission plus 20% coinsurance Physician/surgeon fees: No charge Facility Fee: 20% co-insurance Physician/surgeon fee: 20% co-insurance

Dental Insurance & Vision Care Coverage: A PPO dental plan and an employee-paid vision care plan are available.
Mental Health: Support, counseling, and resources for life issues at no cost to you. Eligible employees and their immediate family have access to Perspectives, a dynamic Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) which provides 24/7, confidential care and resources to address work and life stressors.
Retirement Savings: Eligible employees are automatically enrolled at 6% on a pre-tax basis as soon as administratively feasible following date of hire. Employee Pre-tax and/or Roth after-tax contributions available. First of the quarter following one year of service, eligible employees receive regular matching contributions of up to 3%. The employer match for full-time employees is immediately vested.

Employer-Paid Income Protection: Eligible employees are automatically enrolled in Short-Term Disability benefits, Long-Term Disability benefits, Basic Term Life insurance and Basic AD&D insurance.
Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Eligible employees may set aside pre-tax dollars from their paychecks to save for pre-tax reimbursement of qualified healthcare and/or dependent care expenses.

Voluntary Benefits:

• Supplemental Term Life Insurance - Group Accident Insurance
• Supplemental Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance - Group Critical Illness Insurance
• Supplemental Dependent Life Insurance - Identity Theft Protection

The mission of Brookfield Zoo Chicago is to inspire conservation leadership by connecting people to wildlife and nature. Accredited by the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, American Humane, and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. Brookfield Zoo Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Please note that portions of our recruitment and selection process may involve the support of AI tools to help ensure efficiency and consistency.