Director, Transformation

Summary

At the Wikimedia Foundation, people are our most important asset. The innovative work of our People department is critical to identifying, developing and supporting the policies, systems and practices of the Foundation to provide a remote work environment and people culture that will advance the Foundation’s mission. The Director of People Innovation & Transformation role will work side‑by‑side with the Chief People Officer, the VP of People Experience, VP of People Growth & Belonging and the Director of Recruiting to develop and implement strategies that impact the Foundation’s ways of working while supporting our mission and organization culture.

In this role, you will be driving culturally- and values- aligned HR investments that enable a stellar employee experience and position Wikimedia as an employer of choice in the global nonprofit, technology, and advocacy fields. You will lead a team that is responsible for overseeing a variety of key projects. The Director of People Transformation’s scope will include: (1) Leading People Department systems updates and innovations, these systems include but are not limited to: compensation and total rewards, performance management, HR information systems, vendor management and data analytics & reporting.

Once systems are developed/ re‑freshed, this leader will work closely with People Department peers to drive a seamless transition process for the system into its logical, long‑term sub‑department home. (2) Representing the People Department in cross‑department projects and working groups. Current projects include, but are not limited to:
Location Strategy and the Annual Planning Process (APP) and (3) Ensuring efficient cross‑departmental collaboration and execution by managing the People department budget.

This position requires an individual who can act as a strategic thinker to the business, build and execute a strong integrated HR strategy, as well as manage and develop cross department relationships to support the socialization and implementation of the policies, processes and initiatives. The ideal candidate must demonstrate a combination of strong business and consulting acumen -- acquired within a large (hundreds of staff), complex (multi-program/initiative), global and geographically dispersed organization -- and a significant human resource functional track record across compensation/benefits, people operations and HRIS, and with the knowledge to guide the development of effective HR strategies, policies and practices.

The role also requires the individual to provide a pragmatic perspective based on business and organizational transformation, active collaboration, agility, and the ability to successfully partner with and advise senior leaders at the Foundation. You will be a forward thinker with the ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, exercise initiative and judgment, and make decisions within the scope of assigned authority.

We need you to take a “roll up your sleeves” approach to day‑to‑day work, and also act as a strategic advisor to the senior leadership team in furthering the organization's goals. You should definitely pay high attention to detail, be a great multitasker, and quickly adapt to a changing work environment.

Additionally, this role will be a member of the People Leadership Group and, together with the VP – People Experience and VP – Belonging & Growth, will advise the Chief People Officer on defining the direction of the People department in support of the organizational mission, vision, and values and support internal communications throughout the Foundation and on company‑wide organizational development and change initiatives

Please note:

This is a fully remote position. The selected candidate must be available to work core hours of 16:00-00:00 UTC to ensure collaboration across teams. The role will also require travel approximately 4–6 times per year for team gatherings, leadership meetings, or organization‑wide events.

• Refresh Current Policies and Processes and Innovate New Policies and Processes: Complete an in‑depth review of current policies and process; lead a…