Posted on April 24, 2026 Full Time Operations
Vice President, People
If you need reasonable accommodation in order to complete the application, interview, or some other portion of the selection process for a job at Earthjustice, please contact us at jobs@earthjustice.org.
Vice President, People
San Francisco, CA
Earthjustice has spent more than five decades proving that the law, wielded with skill and determination, can protect people’s health, preserve our planet, and confront climate change. Behind nearly every landmark environmental legal victory in the United States, you’ll find Earthjustice fighting with urgency, precision, and purpose. Now we’re looking for the people leader to help carry that mission forward.
As our Chief People Officer, you’ll serve as a strategic partner to our President and Executive Leadership Team, shaping culture, building best-in-class people systems, and leading a team of 21 across a 670-person, nationally distributed organization with offices in 15 cities. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (Senior VP, Operations), you’ll have the organizational backing and authority to lead with real impact.
We’ve built something worth building on: exceptional compensation and benefits, high retention, a deeply engaged culture, and a long-standing commitment to justice that runs through everything we do. Rapid growth has outpaced some of our systems and structures, and we’re ready for a leader who brings the vision, discipline, and momentum to build what comes next.
Responsibilities
- Serve as Earthjustice’s cultural compass by shaping who we are, how we work, and what we aspire to become
- Build a modern, scalable people function capable of serving a complex, fast-moving organization
- Rationalize and transform a fragmented technology infrastructure across 18 people systems
- Elevate performance and talent management as organizational priorities
- Develop managers and leaders as a core strategic investment
- Establish a total rewards philosophy that is holistic, competitive, and equitable
- Navigate people-related risk with sophistication, sound judgment, and command of employment law
- Lead workforce strategy with equity centered in every process
Qualifications
- Seasoned HR executive with 15+ years of progressive leadership experience leading people functions through significant organizational growth and change, ideally in a complex, matrixed environment of comparable scale and complexity
- Deep expertise across all HR disciplines: compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, employee relations, learning and development, and compliance; strong compensation expertise desired, and experience managing a self-insured health plan is a plus
- Experience implementing and optimizing HR technology systems
- A tech-forward, analytically minded approach to use data and integrated systems to drive insight and action
- Strong employee relations background; labor relations experience a plus
- Experience in mission-driven or nonprofit organizations of same or greater scale
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred
- SHRM-SCP, SPHR, GPHR, or equivalent certification required
Who You Are You lead with genuine care and authenticity. You’re a decisive communicator who can hold a position under pressure while remaining open to input. You bring deep empathy as a professional strength and understand that advancing justice is not a program or initiative, but the throughline of everything we do. Mission alignment is essential.
Salary & Benefits
Location: San Francisco Bay Area preferred
Salary is based on location and experience. The annual salary for candidates based in San Francisco, CA is $303,500 – $337,200
Earthjustice benefits are listed here: https://earthjustice.org/about/jobs/benefits
How to Apply
To learn more please visit this site: https://bit.ly/EJCPO and contact our search partner, BoardWalk Consulting by emailing EJCPO@BoardWalkConsulting.com or calling Patti Kish, Terri Kohan, or Michelle Hall at 404-262-7392
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, inclusion and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected. As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are given equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or any other factor that is not related to the position.
For positions located within the City and County of San Francisco Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Working at Earthjustice
Hybrid Work
Earthjustice employs a “team-centered” approach to hybrid work, where teams collaboratively shape their unique workflow, including what work location — virtual or in-office — is best for them and the tasks at hand.
Earthjustice is an equal opportunity employer
As an equal opportunity employer, Earthjustice is committed to employment practices that ensure that employees and applicants for employment are provided with equal opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other factor specified under applicable laws that is not related to the position.
Fair Chance Hiring
Earthjustice will consider qualified applicants with a criminal history pursuant to the California Fair Chance Act, and any applicable local ordinance, such as the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act, or the Los Angeles City Fair Chance Initiative. You do not need to disclose your criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to you.
After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if Earthjustice is concerned about conviction that is directly related to the job, you will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction, provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report.
Our Values
Earthjustice is driven by a passion for justice, partnership, inclusion, and excellence. Our core values lead us to seek a broad range of perspectives and backgrounds to achieve our mission and to maintain an inclusive environment where all staff are valued and respected.
Green 2.0 Pay Equity Pledge
As part of Green 2.0’s Transparency Report Card, Earthjustice is committed to ensuring pay equity for people of color.
Live Well, Work Well
Earthjustice offers a competitive compensation plan, as well as a comprehensive benefits package. We pay 100% of all health and welfare benefits premiums for the employee.
Our health coverage includes medical, dental, prescription, vision and alternative care. We are proud to offer a generous vacation, sick leave, and disability benefit package. Additional benefits include retirement plan, flexible spending account, company-sponsored life insurance, and more.
Earthjustice also offers six weeks of fully paid sabbatical leave, following 10 years of continuous employment.
As a 501(c)3 organization, Earthjustice is a qualifying employer for purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.