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.

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.

 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.

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.

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.

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.

 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)
• Experience Required

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

Salary

• $150,000 to $165,000 annually