Vice President of People & Culture in Chicago, Illinois at Night Ministry

At The Night Ministry, our work centers on meeting people with compassion, dignity, and respect during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Across Chicago, our teams provide human connection, housing support, and health care to individuals and families experiencing housing instability and poverty. We believe lasting impact is built through consistency, trust, and showing up for our community every day.

The people who work here are deeply committed to that mission. Our staff bring empathy, professionalism, resilience, and a shared sense of purpose to their work, whether they are serving clients directly in the community or supporting operations behind the scenes. Every department and every role contributes to the strength of our programs and the quality of care we provide.

We value collaboration, accountability, curiosity, and a commitment to equity in both our work and our workplace culture. We are looking for people who are thoughtful, adaptable, and motivated by meaningful work that creates real impact in the lives of others.

Working at The Night Ministry means being part of a mission-driven organization where your contributions matter, your work supports a larger purpose, and your colleagues care deeply about the community and one another.

Position Summary:

The Vice President of People & Culture is a senior executive responsible for shaping and leading the entire organization’s human centered culture strategy. This role oversees all aspects of talent management, organizational culture, employee relations, leadership development, and human resources operations.

The VP of People & Culture is a member of the Executive Leadership Team, partnering closely with the CEO to build a high-performing, inclusive, and accountable workplace culture that supports the organization’s mission and strategic priorities. This leader ensures that policies, systems, and practices enable staff to do their best work while maintaining compliance, managing risk, and strengthening organizational health. The Vice President of People & Culture plays a critical role in ensuring the Night Ministry’s mission is supported by a strong, healthy workplace. By strengthening leadership practices, employee engagement, and people systems, this role helps the organization build a culture where staff thrive and impact grows.

General Purpose:

To provide strategic executive leadership for all People & Culture functions at The Night Ministry, ensuring that the organization’s human resources practices, culture initiatives, and workforce systems align with its mission, values, and long-term strategic goals.

Role Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in human resources, people operations, or organizational development.
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations and organizational culture initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of employment law and HR best practices.
• Experience supporting executive leadership and managing complex personnel issues.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or HR certification (SPHR, SHRM-SCP, or equivalent) preferred.
• Experience in nonprofit, healthcare, or mission-driven organizations strongly preferred.

Position Responsibilities:

Human-Centered Strategic Planning

• Lead implementation of Human-Centered Culture, in alignment with the strategic plan, including change management initiatives.
• Develop 3–5 year workforce plan, including succession planning across the organization.
• Develop career growth and management competency frameworks.
• Design and manage effective onboarding, engagement, and retention initiatives.

Executive Leadership

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive People & Culture strategy aligned with organizational values and strategic goals.
• Develop a workplace culture grounded in respect, accountability, collaboration, and inclusion.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team and Executive Committee on people-related strategy, leadership development, and organizational design.

Organizational Culture & Performance

• Partner with leadership and staff to advance measurable Core Values-Centered initiatives.
• Embed equity practices into hiring, promotion, compensation, and workplace culture.
• Deliver executive coaching to Directors and Vice Presidents.
• Develop and maintain a clear leadership performance management framework across all departments.

Employee Relations, Compliance & Organizational Risk

• Oversee legal counsel engagement on employment matters.
• Manage EEOC, IDHR, DOL, and unemployment appeals involving organizational risk.
• Oversee executive-level corrective actions and terminations.
• Lead all significant employee relations matters, including conflict resolution, investigations, and corrective actions.

Compensation, Benefits & HR Systems

• Lead the organization’s compensation philosophy and salary structure, ensuring internal equity and market competitiveness.
• Oversee employee benefits strategy and administration.
• Ensure effective use of HRIS and people-related systems to support operations and reporting.

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the responsibilities and qualifications required for this position. It is not an exhaustive list, and duties may change as business needs evolve.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Strategic thinking and organizational leadership.
• Excellent judgment and strong integrity.
• Skilled communicator and relationship builder.
• Ability to navigate complex organizational dynamics.
• Commitment to equity, accountability, and mission-driven work.
• Trustworthy in managing sensitive situations and information — high level of discretion and professionalism.
• Committed to equitable and inclusive practices in all phases of your work.

Reporting to this position:

HR Generalist, Director of People Operations & Talent

Role Expectations:

According to The Night Ministry’s policies, this position is expected to carry a cell phone and is eligible for partial reimbursement of monthly cell phone bills.

Physical Demands, Work Environment, & Reasonable Accommodation:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. The Night Ministry is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you require accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job or to participate in the application or hiring process, please contact the People & Culture team.

• Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; climb stairs; crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally drive an automobile; and lift and/or move 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate but may vary at the different locations required in this job. This role may require additional hours, sometimes weekends, during certain busy seasons.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

The Night Ministry is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

At-Will Employment Disclaimer

This job description is not intended to be an employment contract. Employment with The Night Ministry is at will and may be terminated by the employee or the organization at any time, with or without cause or notice.