Description

SUMMARY 

The Senior HR Manager plays a central role in ensuring people leadership across the organization is clear, consistent, and effective. This role is responsible for the execution of people and performance practices, supporting people leaders in making timely decisions, addressing issues early, and applying standards consistently. 

This is a hands-on, execution-focused role for an experienced HR leader who enjoys translating expectations into action, closing loops, and strengthening how people leadership works day to day. This role also serves as a visible champion of HR practices across U4U, helping to drive understanding, adoption, and consistency. Success in this role is defined by follow-through, sound judgment, and improved consistency in people decisions across the organization. This role stabilizes the organization during growth and change by ensuring people decisions, career movement, and leadership actions remain clear, fair, and consistent. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 
People, Performance & Risk Execution 

• Partner with people leaders on complex performance, behavior, and employee relations matters, providing structure, judgment, and follow-through
• Lead execution of performance management cycles, including sensitive and senior-level performance actions
  Own formal employee relations investigations and related documentation, ensuring consistency, timeliness, and compliance in partnership with HR Operations as needed
• Set and enforce clear expectations, timelines, and documentation standards to ensure timely, fair, and consistent outcomes
• Apply policies, role scope, and performance expectations consistently, intervening early to prevent escalation
• Monitor emerging people and performance risks, escalating appropriately and ensuring legally compliant resolutions 

Role Clarity, Job Architecture & Career Pathing 

• Apply job architecture and career frameworks to support consistent role scoping, performance expectations, and growth conversations
• Partner with leaders to align role expectations with career pathways, identifying when development, role redesign, or movement is appropriate
• Maintain job descriptions as active tools for role clarity, performance discussions, and development planning
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on role design, scope clarification, and hiring readiness
• Identify and address misalignment between role expectations and actual work 

Leader Effectiveness, Accountability & Change Adoption 

• Hold people leaders accountable for effective people management practices and follow-through
• Coach leaders through difficult conversations while reinforcing expectations for action and ownership
• Translate organizational and people-practice changes into clear guidance, timelines, and required leader actions
• Identify patterns in leader effectiveness, resistance, or adoption gaps and intervene directly
• Partner with Learning and Development to address capability gaps and reinforce new expectations 

Data, Insight & Continuous Improvement 

• Use people and performance data to identify trends, surface risks, and drive leader action
• Translate insights into practical decisions and interventions, not reporting alone
• Partner with HR Operations to ensure data integrity and appropriate use
• Contribute to continuous improvement of people processes, tools, and guidance 

Cross-Functional Partnership 

• Work closely with HR Operations, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development to ensure aligned and coordinated people practices
• Support onboarding, role transitions, leadership readiness, and organizational change initiatives
• Serve as a visible, trusted partner across functions during periods of growth and change 

QUALIFICATIONS 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE 

• At least 8-12 years of progressive HR experience, with increasing responsibility across performance management, employee relations and leader support.
• Demonstrated experience leading or directly supporting complex performance management and employee relations actions, including senior-level performance plans or escalations
• Experience operating in a growing or evolving organization, holding people leaders accountable for timely action, documentation, and follow-through, and partnering cross-functionally to drive consistent adoption of people practices
• Advanced expertise in performance management, corrective action, and employee relations, including policy application, employment risk awareness, and compliance in complex and sensitive situations
• Strong understanding of job architecture, role scoping, and career frameworks, and their application to performance evaluation and development decisions
• Broad knowledge of HR principles and best practices across the full employee lifecycle
• Proven ability to lead the people side of change initiatives by driving adoption through leader accountability and organizational alignment

Understanding of refugee issues, humanitarian contexts, and global affairs as they relate to organizational mission and workforce dynamics 
WORK LOCATION   

Hybrid + Washington,DC + May also involve travel to some locations within the company’s region of operations.  

COMPENSATION   

$118,794 - $142,553

APPLICATION DEADLINE 

Please apply immediately or by March 9, 2026. 

WHY YOU'LL WORKING HERE

• We're proud to be consistently recognized as a Great Place to Work, a reflection of our deep commitment to employee well-being, growth, and purpose. Our benefits are designed to support your whole life, not just your work life. While specific offerings may evolve over time, highlights currently include:
• Comprehensive health coverage, including employer-paid employee medical options (traditional and HSA plans)
• Flexible savings accounts, including FSA and HSA
• Industry-leading 401(k) match
• Lifestyle Spending Account to support your wellness
• Mental and financial wellness resources
• Paid time off, including a paid winter break and sabbatical leave at key milestones
• Volunteer Time-Off to support your community engagement
• Professional development support
• Access to tools like Headspace for mindfulness and mental health

Please note: Benefits are reviewed regularly and subject to change.
DISABILITY SPECIFICATIONS   

USA for UNHCR will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.   

USA for UNHCR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Refugees and all other protected classes are encouraged to apply.