JDG Associates Seeks HR Leader for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
March 30, 2023 – Rockville, MD-based executive search firm JDG Associates has been retained by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) to assist in finding its director for human resources (the de facto chief human capital officer). As a member of the JPL executive council and reporting to the JPL director/vice president of Caltech, the director for human resources is an integral and trusted strategic partner who will provide executive-level leadership and guidance to 100 staff within the HR division. The director for HR is expected to be a holistic leader, seeing all sides of the organization in a humanistic and strategic way that engenders trust and pride in the workforce.
“The successful candidate will serve as a strategic partner to influence the creation of innovative and forward-thinking HR programs, policies, and procedures, and ensure overall human resources support,” JDG Associates said. “The selected candidate will be passionate about creating a best-in-class workplace culture, through the implementation of strategies designed to enhance the employee experience.”
A key strategic advantage for JPL is its mission-focused workforce whose long-term success will be achieved through the facilitation of well-established career and skills development planning, said the search firm. The director for HR will be pivotal in achieving these initiatives while ensuring that all JPL employees are provided opportunities to enhance their skills and increase their contributions through formal training and education activities, developmental work assignments, on-the-job training, and other methods.
JDG Associates is looking for candidates with 15 to 20-plus years of human resource management and leadership experience as well as breadth and depth of experience in all aspects of HR, including compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, learning and development, organizational development, labor relations, and employee relations. Candidates should have a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles, and best practices as well as an enthusiasm for serving as a key partner in JPL’s efforts to ensure an inclusive, equitable environment. In addition the search firm is looking for candidates with a demonstrated ability to work cross functionally and strategically with excellent teamwork and collaboration skills across JPL and Caltech. They must have the ability to analyze and anticipate relevant HR trends and their implications, and craft innovative approaches to further JPL’s mission.
JDG Associates Seeks CFO for Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
JDG Associates has been enlisted to help find a CFO for the Washington, D.C.-based Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB), which manages the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), a retirement plan available to federal employees and members of the armed services. FRTIB’s chief financial officer serves as an expert and provides senior-level leadership on financial issues, with responsibility for financial policies and fiscal guidance within the agency and for the TSP, said JDG Associates. This leader is charged with exercising effective control over the financial resources of the agency and the Thrift Savings Fund. He or she must ensure that the financial policies and procedures, as authorized by the executive director and chief operating officer, are followed within the agency.
JDG Associates lays out some other desirable traits it is looking for in candidates:
- Ability to develop and leverage key metrics to guide HR effectiveness.
- Thorough knowledge of HR practices and procedures including highly developed EEO strategies.
- Experience working with and implementing HRIS systems (e.g., Workday).
- Strong business acumen with analytical problem-solving skills and a proven ability to inspire innovative ideas, concepts, and strategies.
- Serve as a key agent of change, positively influencing and leading others to achieve results.
- Collaborate effectively with senior leaders within a matrixed organization, building strong relationships and ensuring a customer service focus.
- Be a catalyst for creating a strong, cohesive organizational culture focused on opportunities to develop, succeed, and thrive.
- Build trust through transparency and clear communication while acting as the consummate team player.
- Willingness to “roll up sleeves” to get things done.
Managed by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s only federally funded research and development center, holds a unique place in the universe. JPL is a leader in robotic space exploration, sending rovers to Mars, probes into the farthest reaches of the solar system, and satellites to advance understanding of our home planet. Located in Pasadena, CA, JPL works to inspire passion, foster innovation, build collaboration, and reward excellence.
Respected Search Consultants
JDG Associates has been providing executive recruitment services to Fortune 1000 corporations, associations and non-profits, federal, state, and local governments, research and consulting firms, and defense contractors since 1973. The firm’s research-intensive process and personal approach have resulted in more than 4,000 senior-level searches across a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines in the Washington, D.C. region and nationally.
Darren DeGioia serves as president of JDG. He conducts senior-level search assignments for research and consulting organizations as well as the public sector. His areas of expertise include information technology, accounting and finance, the quantitative sciences, operations / general management, marketing, and communications. Prior to joining JDG, Mr. DeGioia spent four years in the hospitality industry with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Sheraton Hotels.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
