About Met Council
Met Council is the largest Jewish poverty-fighting agency in America, serving over 300,000 New Yorkers through a citywide network that includes affordable housing (20 sites), crisis intervention, benefits access, senior services, family violence services, Holocaust survivor support, and the largest kosher food pantry network in the U.S. alongside a growing halal network.
Grounded in Jewish values, we meet urgent needs and tackle systemic barriers with compassion and integrity. With a $65M budget and a mission-driven culture, we’re at an inflection point: we’re investing in AI to help our clients and empower staff—not eliminate jobs—backed by upskilling and the tools to succeed.
Learn more about Met Council at https://metcouncil.org/.
The Opportunity
Met Council seeks a mission-driven, people-centered HR leader to guide transformative digital growth and culture change. The Managing Director, People and Culture will run core HR operations while building organization-wide frameworks for assessments, performance management, and professional development—and will lead change management as we adopt AI and digital tools that free staff for more mission-critical work.
Reporting to the CEO (dotted line to the COO), the Managing Director will lead the HR team; align HR strategy with organizational goals; communicate priorities across levels; and steward culture and AI adoption.
This leader will design and deliver change-management, user-adoption, and digital-experience strategies for HR and organization-wide AI initiatives; embed UX and change principles into major projects; drive training, communications, and engagement; and use feedback, analytics, and KPIs for continuous improvement. The focus is guiding people through change—showing how AI can enhance decision-making, improve employee experience, and unlock capacity.
Candidate Profile
We recognize that there is a spectrum of lived and professional experience that will set candidates up for success in this role. While no one candidate will have every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will display the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:
Strategic Human Resources Leadership
- Lead recruitment, retention, performance, and succession planning; align HR with organization goals and workforce trends; use data to inform decisions.
Digital Change & Responsible AI
- Evaluate and integrate tools (automation, chatbots, predictive analytics); communicate AI clearly to non-technical staff; anticipate privacy, bias, and compliance risks; build digital adaptability.
Operational Excellence & Team Development
- Oversee HR operations, process improvements, and policy implementation; mentor the HR team; streamline with technology; handle complex issues with fairness.
Engagement & Culture
- Foster a positive, inclusive, collaborative environment; guide managers through change; design programs for growth and career development; encourage open feedback.
Compensation, Benefits & Compliance
- Administer competitive comp/benefits; ensure compliance; run policy/process audits; train managers and HR staff.
In addition, strong candidates will offer:
- Collaborative, mission-driven leader with excellent relationship-building and discretion.
- 10+ years in HR (5+ executive). BS/BA required; MBA/MA/MS and SPHR/SHRM-SCP preferred.
- Proven change-leadership; familiarity with ADP Workforce Now, ClearCompany, and payroll a plus.
Compensation and Benefits
The salary range for this position is $185,000 - $200,000.
Contact
DSG | Koya has been exclusively retained for this engagement, which is being led by Alicia Salerno. Submit a compelling cover letter and resume by filling out our Talent Profile. All inquiries are strictly confidential.
DSG | Koya is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email [email protected]. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
Employment decisions at Met Council are made without unlawful regard to race, color, creed, marital status, religion, sex (including gender, pregnancy, childbirth or medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, alienage or citizenship status, physical or mental disability, legally protected genetic information, marital or partnership status, veteran status, familial or caregiver status or any other status protected by law.
About DSG | Koya
DSG | Koya, a DSG Global company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven leadership. Since its founding in 2004, DSG | Koya has had an exclusive focus on mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world. DSG | Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
DSG Global is consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of “America’s Best Executive Recruiting Firms” and is an industry leader in recruiting transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about DSG | Koya via the firm's website.