Chief of People and Culture
Ocean Conservancy

Bonsai Leadership Group is honored to partner with Ocean Conservancy in its search for a Chief of People and Culture. Download the full position announcement here.

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY

Ocean Conservancy works to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together with its partners, it creates evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. Learn more about Ocean Conservancy at www.oceanconservancy.org. 
 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Ocean Conservancy seeks a visionary, people-centered, and strategic leader to serve as its Chief of People and Culture (CPAC). This is a critical, institution-wide leadership role that will strengthen and elevate the People and Culture function to ensure it delivers exceptional strategic and operational value across the organization.

As a key member of the Senior Leadership Council, the business-minded CPAC will lead efforts to enhance organizational culture, implement integrated people strategies, and optimize HR operations to ensure the organization is positioned for long-term effectiveness, agility, and impact. This leader will serve as a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Leadership Team by providing insight and leadership across all dimensions of talent, culture, and organizational health.

This is an exciting and influential opportunity for a collaborative leader who thrives in complex, values-driven environments and balances high-level vision with tactical execution. The CPAC will offer a rare combination of strategic foresight and operational discipline and can translate vision into action and values into culture.

The most successful candidate will have extensive experience demonstrating the following leadership competencies:

  • Strategic Systems Thinker: Sees the full organizational landscape, understands interdependencies, and designs scalable, people-centered strategies that align with mission and structure. 

  • Transformational Change Leader: Navigates complexity with clarity and courage, builds alignment through trust, and guides change with steadiness and care.

  • Culture Catalyst: Strengthens culture by considering the wide representation of staff in all efforts, from recruitment and performance management to professional development.

  • Business-Minded Partner: Aligns people and culture strategies with organizational outcomes, operational capacity, and long-term financial sustainability.

  • Visionary Executor: Combines visionary thinking with operational excellence; leads decisively while empowering others to lead and thrive.

 

Key Responsibilities

With the support of a small, high-performing team, the CPAC will have the following primary responsibilities:

 
Strategic Leadership & Culture Stewardship

  • Steward a bold, inclusive, and realistic long-term People and Culture strategy that aligns with organizational priorities, values, strategic goals, and financial sustainability.

  • Serve as a strategic thought partner and advisor to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team in shaping culture, workforce strategy, and organizational effectiveness. 

  • Lead organizational design, change management, and organizational transformation efforts to ensure structure and staffing align with mission, outcomes and impact.

  • Infuse organizational values into employee experiences, systems, policies, and practices.

Talent, Equity & Organizational Development

  • Oversee a comprehensive talent strategy that includes workforce planning, succession planning, retention, and performance management.

  • Champion people-focused leadership development and coaching programs for leaders at all levels.

  • Drive data-informed strategies to support employee engagement, retention, learning, and a thriving organizational culture.

  • Act as a trusted coach and advisor to senior executives, empowering people managers to lead with empathy, accountability, and clarity.

Human Resources Strategy & Compliance 

  • Oversee all facets of HR operations including compensation and benefits, HRIS, recruitment and onboarding, employee relations, performance management, learning & development, and policy.

  • Ensure compliance with state and federal labor laws and regulations while cultivating an organizational culture rooted in accountability and ethical practice.

  • Evolve and administer equitable, competitive benefits programs that reflect the needs and values of a multifaceted and culturally rich workforce.

  • Strengthen the use of people analytics to inform strategic decisions, surface insights, and track progress on equity and engagement goals.

  • Steward proactive risk mitigation strategies and policies that prioritize ethics, fairness, and accountability.

Team Leadership & Development

  • Lead, inspire, and mentor a high-performing People and Culture team, fostering a spirit of excellence, collaboration, adaptability, and positive accountability.

  • Establish clear priorities, systems, and capacity to meet the evolving needs of a hybrid, mission-driven workforce.

  • Model resilience, clarity, and leadership that considers all staff during times of ambiguity, transformation, and growth.

REQUIRED SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will have many of the experiences and qualifications described below but need not possess them all for consideration: 

  • 15+ years of progressive HR leadership experience, with at least 8 years in senior executive roles in nonprofit, national and/or global organizations.  

  • Proven success in leading strategic HR initiatives, large-scale organizational change, and cultural transformation across complex institutions with simplicity and focus. 

  • Advanced understanding of HR systems, compliance, employment-related laws, and best practices in workforce strategy, compensation, and benefits design.  

  • Deep knowledge of talent development, organizational design, coaching, and change leadership.  

  • Demonstrated experience building high-trust, collaborative relationships with CEOs, boards, employees and executive and senior leadership teams.  

  • Track record of managing and mentoring high performing HR teams with a culture of collaboration, learning, innovation, and accountability.  

  • Financial and operational acumen, with the ability to align people strategies in resource-constrained environments for long-term sustainability.  

  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with emotional intelligence, humility, and the ability to inspire and influence across all levels. 


TRAVEL 

Approximately 15% of your time will be spent traveling.   

LOCATION 

This is a hybrid position based in Washington, D.C.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The minimum starting salary for this position is $225,000 annually, with an anticipated starting salary dependent upon the hired candidate’s location, qualifications, background, and experience. In addition, Ocean Conservancy offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:   

  • Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance for employees, spouses (both same sex and opposite sex), domestic partner, and dependent children (effective day one of employment)  

  • Short- and Long-Term Disability (free for employee)  

  • Basic Life Insurance (free for employee)  

  • Healthcare and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement Account  

  • Retirement Planning - 100% vested upon hire; can begin contributing at hire. After 1 year, Ocean Conservancy will open a 401(a) account for you and will contribute 6% of your monthly salary whether you participate in the 403(b) or not.   

  • 15 paid vacation days, 11 holidays, 12 sick days, and two personal days

SHARE YOUR INTEREST

Bonsai Leadership Group has been exclusively retained for this search. For consideration, join the candidate pool by submitting your resume and a cover letter outlining your qualifications and interest here. If you need an accommodation to submit your materials for consideration, please contact us at careers@bonsaileadershipgroup.com.  This contact information is for accommodation requests only.   

Ocean Conservancy encourages applicants with a diverse level and range of relevant skills and experiences to apply. A 100% match is not required. Ocean Conservancy wants to support employees’ career growth, and in return, its employees help it grow into a stronger, more inclusive institution. 

All nominations, inquiries, and discussions will be considered strictly confidential.  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Ocean Conservancy provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.