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Chief HR Officer Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Division Human Resources
Department N/A
Location Seattle

Foundation Overview
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people's health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people-especially those with the fewest resources-have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.

Group Summary
The chief human resources officer (CHRO) will lead and serve as the strategic partner,
thought leader, and internal consultant to the foundation. S/he will drive the strategies
needed to develop and support an environment of HR operational excellence. The
foundation is on a global mission, one that is reflected in the leadership of the function as
well as its reach. More than 50 percent of the foundation's grantmaking target the
developing world. All this has implications for talent, compensation, performance
management, and organizational strategies - as well as the organization's culture. The
human resources team partners with foundation leaders and managers to design and
implement effective and comprehensive people strategies that enable the foundation to
achieve its mission to reduce inequities and improve lives around the world.

The CHRO will drive the evolution of cultural changes for the organization. As the leader
of the HR function, s/he will be uniquely positioned to be well informed about the
organization's culture and help lead cross-organizational work relating to cultural priorities.
In addition, s/he will partner with senior leaders, providing consultation regarding the support
of foundation initiatives and how to best create and implement practices to
develop a culture that continues to support ongoing growth, evolution, and impact.

Responsibilities

The foundation is seeking a strategic thought leader with the capacity to help the
organization evolve as it expands its influence and programs around the world, as well as
a “roll up your sleeves” operational sensibility and superb project management skills to
ensure cross-department programs. The successful candidate will have the ability to
diagnose problems, drive appropriate solutions, and establish HR priorities and operating
mechanisms to implement change. In addition, the CHRO will have the ability to translate
program plans and business needs into foundation-wide human resource capabilities,
thus furthering the organization's ability to create programmatic impact.
Major Responsibilities
- Lead an innovative HR function and team that serves the full foundation by:
o Providing vision, goal development, decision making, and leadership prioritization,
and accountability.
o Continuing to build capacity within the HR function; developing talent to maximize
effort and contribution; and providing recognition and/or redirection, as necessary.
o Providing leadership to the HR leadership team composed of functional leaders in
talent management, total rewards, HR applications and operations, in addition to a
team of senior-level internal HR consultants.
- Lead the function's strategic direction and continued execution against its three-year
plan while ensuring alignment with client priorities and organizational capacity. This
includes being a strategic thought leader and hands-on operational leader.
- Develop and maintain key metrics and success measures. Identify risks and midcourse
corrections in strategy as the organization matures.
- Ensure deep focus on talent management. As the foundation continues to grow
globally, attract and recruit the best and brightest from all over the world.
- Strengthen HR's position as champions, master coaches/facilitators, and consultants
for change within the foundation.
- Create ongoing foundation-wide communication mechanisms to highlight the road to
impact.
- Serve as an advisor to the chief executive officer and management committee for
greater organizational-wide impact. Partner with operational and program leaders to
translate strategies, annual priorities, and foundation business practices into human
resource capabilities.
- Collaborate with key operational leaders in the development of shared-priorities and
strategies to mitigate risk and create an environment of good stewardship across HR,
security, legal, IT and finance.
- Sponsor cross-foundation HR projects with those outside of HR, as well as through
internal HR team members who are accountable for delivering projects.
- Provide strategic leadership to evolve recruiting processes, organizational structures,
leadership and professional development initiatives, compensation and benefits
programs, and culture, enabling the foundation to attract, engage and develop the
talent necessary to achieve its mission.
- Further develop HR as a foundation “sensor” on the pulse of the organization.
Identify and partner with others to address an array of workforce needs.
- Provide leadership and sponsorship for core foundation/HR projects on an ongoing
basis.
- Strengthen and grow external functional and foundation relationships.


Qualifications
• Experienced human resources executive possessing a minimum of 15 years of HR or a commensurate mix of business and HR leadership roles, with prior experience leading in a global organization.
- Proven mastery of HR competencies at the strategic level, with a special emphasis on organizational design, change management, building HR operational excellence, and continuing a cohesive connection between HR and strategy.
- Demonstrated success at influencing and collaborating at all levels within a highly matrixed organization.
- Experience leading an HR organization during significant transition and change, with a strong emphasis on project management.
- Ability to successfully drive a vision and achieve difficult, demanding goals in an evolving environment.
- Demonstrated strong analytical, interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills in situations requiring communication with broad and diverse audiences.
- A reputation for leading by example. Experience managing a highly effective and proactive HR teams with an obvious commitment to the development and engagement of that team.
- A history of success in roles requiring logical, systematic thinking, while managing multiple priorities in a highly dynamic environment.
- A bachelor's degree is required; a master's degree is preferred.

Critical Competencies for Success
In an organization that attracts individuals who are leaders in their field of expertise, the chief human resources officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be considered the expert in human capital. To gain the credibility and trust of bright, innovative, and results-driven leaders, the CHRO must be a decisive and clear leader in the following three areas:
- Deep, functional human resources, leadership, and strategic skills: Display a deep grasp of the full spectrum of HR functions and develop compelling HR programs that support the organization's strategic direction by: listening to gain a thorough understanding of what plans are currently in place; assessing what it would take to push the organization to the next level, spurring change that is consistent with the culture; designing business-relevant compensation, retention, and development initiatives; and leading a collaborative and innovative team to meet the needs of a vibrant and diverse organization.
- Influencing skills and cultural translation: Demonstrate clear intellect, courage, and, even in the face of significant challenges, build bridges at all levels of a global organization by: possessing the interpersonal skills and personal initiative to drive toward results; forging close relationships, balancing all constituencies without compromising integrity; communicating effectively to earn trust; and partnering with other foundation leaders to drive the evolution of cultural change and help ensure cross-organizational work relating to cultural priorities.
- Global awareness and integration: In an organization with an expanding network of offices in Europe, China, India, and Africa, establish strong relationships with staff around the world by: building a culture within the organization that reflects global awareness and integrating the value of global awareness and sensibility into the full range of human resources programs - talent acquisition; retention and development; compensation and benefits; and performance management.

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a comprehensive background check.

Requisition Number 2521BR


Nearest Major Market: Seattle
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