Chief of Staff, People & Culture

Location: San Francisco, CA               Department: Office of People & Culture

Type: Full Time                                    Min. Experience: Executive

JOB TITLE: Chief of Staff, People & Culture

REPORTS TO: CEO

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

CLASSIFICATION: Regular, Full-Time (with Benefits)

SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday, some evenings, weekends, & events 

DIRECT REPORTS: Director of People & Culture

ABOUT YBCA

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is San Francisco’s center for art and progress. Opened to the public in 1993, YBCA was founded as the cultural anchor of San Francisco’s Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood. Our work spans the realms of contemporary art, performance, film, civic engagement, and public life. By centering artists as essential to social and cultural movement, YBCA is reimagining the role an arts institution can play in the community it serves. Our mission is to generate culture that moves people.

Mission: We generate culture that moves people.

Vision: A community that thrives on inspiration.

Values: The successful candidate will embody our organization’s core values.

• Abundance: We operate from a place of strength, with a spirit of empathy and generosity. Authentic Collaboration: We are engaged and interconnected. Personal Agency: We are empowered and accountable. Boldness: We create with courage and purpose

ABOUT THE ROLE

YBCA’s Chief of Staff, People & Culture is a member of the executive leadership team, serves as a strategic and trusted advisor in support of the CEO, and head the Office of People & Culture. The Chief of Staff & Culture will have an immediate impact on the organization’s transformation through streamlining strategic initiatives, communicating critical objectives for YBCA and delivering sustainable results. They will work closely with the CEO and the executive leadership team on special assignments and transformational projects as the organization scales. As the head of People & Culture, they will oversee the human resources function to create an organizational culture where staff are empowered to achieve their best work. They will steward a thoughtful and thorough system of people practices ensuring alignment that maps to YBCA’s overall organizational strategy in centering artists who are driving equity, health, and well-being. 

Specific duties and responsibilities

Strategy & Critical Path

• Oversee strategic initiatives from development through execution under the guidance of the CEO.  Ensure that critical path priorities are clear, measurable and communicated. Lead the creation and activation of new teams and provide ongoing coaching to develop clear and measurable plans, goals, and accountability to the organization's priorities. Participate in the development of the organization’s plans and programs as a strategic partner, but particularly from the perspective of the impact on people. Collaborate with the executive leadership team in decision-making, prioritizing organizational strategies, and initiative implementation. Act as a key thought partner to the CEO and the executive leadership team. Identify priorities, help the CEO and the executive leadership team strategically align resources and assess progress. Act as a consultant and go deep into various parts of the organization to understand and help accelerate progress as needed with a hands-on approach. Support senior leadership to identify, assess, choose, and implement appropriate resources to strengthen all functional areas of the organization.

People & Culture

• Create and sustain a thriving performance driven culture that brings out the best in each employee and sets the highest expectations. Oversee and foster an organizational culture that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and access through strategic analysis and well-implemented initiatives. Support the evolution of our values and operating principles; implement various programs and tools to ensure they permeate our organization from hiring, through performance management, to talent development and operational decisions. Amplify and improve organizational communications and employee engagement, ensuring that critical information is readily available to, understood by, and shared across the company. Improve current processes and coordinate organizational procedures for optimized efficiency and productivity.

Qualifications (Education / Training, Experience and Certifications)

• 7+ years in a business or executive leadership role. Experience with a focus on operational excellence strongly preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proven experience organizing and directing multiple organizational priorities.
• Demonstrated experience planning and leading strategic initiatives.
• Solid experience working in a fast-paced environment with little room for error.
• Extensive experience building deep internal and external relationships.

Knowledge and skills

• Outstanding strategic thinking, analytical, project and people management skills.  Experience with an arts/cultural or social justice non-profit, familiarity with Bay Area arts and culture scene, and proven commitment to positive social change. Demonstrated ability to influence others while fostering an environment of high performance and candor. Ability to work strategically and collaboratively across the organization. Excellent interpersonal and conflict resolution skills. Thrives in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment that values diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, and works effectively with people of varied backgrounds, experiences, points of view, and aspirations. High level of integrity, trust and confidentiality. Business acumen, including an understanding of the emerging paths needed to serve the artist community and what is required for sustained stakeholder impact. Must possess an understanding of and passion for YBCA’s work, along with the belief that art is essential to social and cultural movement. Impeccable communication, with the ability to distill and convey information in a compelling manner across a wide range of formats. Ability to work autonomously in a fast paced and dynamic environment.

Leadership Expectations

Leading and managing effectively is key to unlocking the potential of our people and the communities we serve. We value diverse life experiences, ideas, and perspectives, and we know that to succeed we must build diverse and inclusive teams that balance cohesion and continuity with breakthrough ideas and action. Realizing this potential is deeply creative and collaborative work – we aspire to make YBCA be a work of art in itself.

• Model an organization-first, purpose-driven mindset. Lead collaboratively and inclusively. Deliver results and impact.

Effort and Desired Qualities

The Chief of Staff is a highly organized, analytical, and humble operator with high emotional intelligence; and someone who believes in the power of art to propel social change.

• Strong orientation to team culture, and cross-functionality.
• Entrepreneurial with a growth mindset.
• Embraces the ancillary nature of the role, with experience in wide-ranging areas and an eagerness to deliver dazzling results through others.
• Steadfast commitment to quality work product.
• Strategic thinker, data-driven and analytical in approach to solving problems.
• Excels at building relationships and networks; influences others to achieve outcomes.
• Upward and downward flexibility to perform any duties needed by YBCA, however big or small.

Working Environment

• YBCA is committed to diversity in its programming and in creating a work culture and environment that is reflective of San Francisco Bay Area demography. The organization encourages and actively recruits applicants representing dimensions of difference that include – but are not limited to – age, national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender or political affiliation. 
• Work is performed in an office environment and home.
• This position must have the ability to work in conditions which include multiple and sometimes conflicting priorities, extended work schedules, and specific time constraints, which may cause stress in meeting tight deadlines with scheduling requirements.
• This position requires an individual to interact well with other employees and work additional hours, as necessary.

BENEFITS

PTO, Holiday Pay, Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Accounts, Group Life and AD&D Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, Voluntary Life and AD&D, Employee Assistance Program, Travel Assistance, paid time off to volunteer, and ability to participate in the 403(b) Retirement Plan with match.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

At YBCA, we're taking steps to protect against the continued spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, to safeguard against likely future variants and to help ensure the continued safe reopening of San Francisco. YBCA has joined a growing number of cultural institutions around the Bay Area and will require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Exemption from these requirements will be reviewed according to standards set forth by state and local health agencies and reasonable accommodations will be made for those providing valid exemptions.

We continue to prioritize the health and wellbeing of our employees and candidates. All interviews will be conducted remotely via phone or video conference while YBCA complies with local and state health ordinances. Please note that this position may perform some work remotely and on site responsibilities.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is committed to diversity in its programming and in creating a work culture and environment that is reflective of San Francisco Bay Area demography. The Center encourages and actively recruits applicants representing dimensions of difference that include — but are not limited to — age, national origin, ethnicity, race, religion, ability, sexual orientation, gender or political affiliation.

YBCA will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (SF Police Code, Article 49).

APPLICATION STATUS

Hello and thank you for taking the time to apply and let us know that you are interested in joining our team at YBCA. After you apply, you will receive a confirmation email to let you know that your resume has been received. Rest assured, a member of our recruiting team will personally review your application. If you are a potential match for one of our open positions, we will be in touch. If there is not a match right now, we will keep your resume on file for future opportunities. In the meantime, please connect with us on social media @YBCA to learn more about us. Thank you for your time and we wish you the best on your job search. 

Agencies and Recruiting Firms: Please note that we will only review applications submitted directly by candidates and do not accept resumes or pay fees to third parties. Any unsolicited resumes received will be considered the property of YBCA.