Lead, People Partner

About the role

The network office depends on this role to set talent strategy and guide change. This position translates people insights into bold actions for the Success Academy Network. You will architect and execute the end to end talent strategy that aligns with the network's ambitious goals for student achievement. This role demands a high level of ownership over complex people initiatives that impact the entire organization. You will serve as a critical thought partner to network leaders on all major people decisions. The work requires you to navigate ambiguity and drive results in a fast moving, mission driven environment. You will be the steward of employee experience, ensuring that policies and practices reinforce the network's core values. Success in this role is defined by your ability to build trust and deliver outcomes that strengthen the organization.

Key facts

What you'll do

Direct reports and coaching guide a team of about four People professionals to strengthen ownership and development. You will shape organizational change architecture to support network wide transformations that deliver scalable and excellent outcomes. Establish a candid feedback culture that surfaces issues early so the team can resolve conflict with ethics first. Build data driven people strategies that power strategic subtraction to streamline workflows and keep teams lean and efficient. Use predictive analytics to diagnose health and maintain accountability, ensuring that mistakes are owned and victim thinking is rejected. Execute with speed and communicate proactively, delivering responses within twenty four hours through over communication. Translate complex policy and people data into clear narratives for non technical executive leaders. Partner with finance and operations to align talent investments with business priorities and resource allocation. Lead the design and implementation of programs that enhance engagement, retention, and leadership bench strength. Ensure all practices adhere to legal standards and foster an inclusive, high trust environment across schools and offices.

Requirements

People leadership experience includes eight to ten plus years in progressive HR roles with four plus years in strategic HRBP positions in high growth or transforming settings. You must demonstrate team management history that shows three plus years directing a team of around four HR professionals including managers and senior contributors. Change leadership must be proven through a record of guiding massive organizational shifts with courage, empathy, and high standards. Integrity should drive a see something say something mindset that addresses gaps without making others scramble. Analytical skill needs to move fluidly from big picture strategy to detailed execution using data to solve problems. Domain expertise must convert complex people challenges into clear options for non technical executive leaders. A Bachelor's degree is required for this position. You must have at least ten years of total professional experience. You need a minimum of four years in strategic HR business partner roles. You need a minimum of three years managing a team of four or more people. You must be able to work in New York. You must not require employment based immigration sponsorship.

Practical notes

This role operates from New York under full time employment. Success Academy does not sponsor employment based immigration. Typical interview steps

People team interviews usually include a case scenario, a policy question, and behavioral rounds. Candidates may be asked to design an interview process or handle a sensitive employee situation. Confidentiality and judgment are tested throughout. Structured answers with empathy land best. Interviewers often test how you handle sensitive information and disagreement. Framing answers around policy, fairness, and company values works well.

Good to know

Work in public charter schools centers on students and rigorous whole child education. HR professionals in this role use data, organizational design, and change management. Collaboration across business lines requires comfort with structural complexity. Continuous improvement means testing, learning, and refining programs. Strong communication supports fast decisions and timely responses.

Questions to ask

Worth asking in any interview: how the team measures success, who the role works with daily, what the onboarding looks like, and what the company is trying to achieve this year. Asking what past hires did well is a strong final question. Keep the list short and pick the questions that matter most to you.

Career growth

People careers grow from coordinator to generalist, manager, and director levels. Recruiters can move into talent leadership. HR partners can move into people operations leadership. Business acumen becomes more important at each level. People careers reward breadth across recruitment, development, and operations. Experience with tools such as HRIS and ATS systems helps at every level.