Asphalt Green
Chief People Officer
New York, NY
Salary: $200,000-220,000
THE ORGANIZATION
Asphalt Green is a nonprofit organization that transforms lives and builds community through sports, fitness, and play for all.
From toddlers making their first splash in the water to Olympic athletes training for glory, young people trying a new sport or older adults looking to stay active, Asphalt Green empowers athletes of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to live active and healthy lives.
Asphalt Green believes everyone deserves access to high-quality sports, fitness, and play opportunities and puts its vision into action through world-class fitness memberships, nationally competitive sports teams, and community programs that break down barriers to play. Some of these impactful programs include free swim classes for public school students, sports leagues, and older adult fitness classes. Some of Asphalt Green’s other signature programs include AGUA, Manhattan’s premier competitive swimming team, Asphalt Green Soccer Club (AGSC), and its summer day camp.
Asphalt Green is in its second year of a five-year strategic plan and on an accelerated path to broaden its impact to provide sports, fitness, and play to people of all backgrounds. Laser-focused on growth, expansion, and new opportunities, Asphalt Green has successfully grown its revenue by 40% in only two years.
With sites located on the Upper East Side, Battery Park City in Lower Manhattan, and a new site in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Asphalt Green’s programs reach across New York City to all five boroughs and serve 20,000 people every day. Excellence is at the core of its mission. Whether on-campus or off-campus, beginner or Olympic level, Asphalt Green brings its deep expertise, exceptional coaching, and commitment to excellence to all its programs.
For more information about Asphalt Green, visit www.asphaltgreen.org.
THE POSITION
Asphalt Green’s greatest asset is its people, and its first-ever Chief People Officer (CPO) will lead the development and execution of a vision and strategy for human resources that will allow the organization to find the right talent, train and develop them, and shape a culture where they can thrive. Reporting to the CEO, the CPO will serve as a thought partner and work closely with executive leadership to shape a culture that values excellence, equity, collaboration, and commitment to mission and impact.
The CPO will be responsible for structuring, leading, and mentoring an HR team of five (5) to ensure that all aspects of Asphalt Green’s HR operations are responsive, efficient, and effective, with a strong customer service orientation. They will lead the design and implementation of best-in-class recruitment and retention strategies, promote employee engagement, and foster an inclusive and growth-oriented work environment.
ROLE OVERVIEW
Strategy and Leadership
· Evaluate and optimize the organization’s HR structure, systems, policies, and programs to ensure alignment with organizational mission and goals, building a scalable HR infrastructure that meets current and evolving needs.
· Serve as a thought partner to the CEO and executive leadership team, providing strategic guidance on all HR matters.
· Champion Asphalt Green’s core values, organizational vision, and cultural expectations throughout the organization.
· Establish and communicate a strategic vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Utilize data and analysis to reach that vision (including policies, operating procedures, etc.)
· Develop leadership succession planning and talent pipeline strategies that align with Asphalt Green’s growth and expansion.
Administration
· Oversee employee relations activities, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and grievance procedures.
· Leverage feedback mechanisms and data to track and measure employee satisfaction, performance, and other key metrics to support continuous improvement for HR systems.
Talent Recruitment and Retention
· Build a robust recruitment infrastructure to support hiring across the organization, attract exceptional and diverse talent, and establish Asphalt Green as a best-in-class employer.
· Design and implement standardized onboarding and training to support employee success.
· Create robust performance management systems that drive accountability, recognize achievements, and support professional growth.
· Establish a competitive compensation and benefits program that attracts and retains top talent.
Employee Engagement and Culture
· Foster a positive and inclusive work environment that promotes open communication, collaboration, and respect.
· Work with the executive team to strengthen internal communication and transparency, establishing clear communication channels across the organization.
· Implement strategies to enhance employee engagement and establish formal channels to gather input, address issues effectively, and ensure that employees feel supported and valued.
Revenue (2025)
Geographic Reach
Reports and Total Staff
Impact
$38M
Program Services: $32M
Philanthropic Giving: $5.5M
Sites located in:
Upper East Side
Battery Park City
Crown Heights
Programs operating in all 5 boroughs of NYC
90 locations total throughout NYC
5 Direct Reports
150 FT
440 PT
>$10M in free and subsidized programming annually
Have taught over 100K people to swim
Serve 20K New Yorkers daily
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
The ideal candidate for the Chief People Officer position possesses the following competencies:
Additional Qualifications
· Experience building HR infrastructure to match organizational growth and expansion.
· Deep experience in talent acquisition, performance development, and employee engagement.
· A strong executor, with demonstrated ability to translate strategic vision into operational systems.
· Comfort shepherding change management in fast-paced or evolving organizations.
· Proven experience fostering a positive workplace culture and strong employee engagement.
· Demonstrated ability to build trust with and act as an advocate for employees at all levels.
· An exceptional communicator, skilled at unifying diverse teams, mediating conflict, and delivering hard messages with empathy and clarity.
· Experience developing meaningful programs that foster equity and inclusion.
· Experience managing a distributed or multi-site workforce and large part-time workforce preferred.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work Environment
This position is located in New York City. Asphalt Green has locations on the Upper East Side, Battery Park City in lower Manhattan, and Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
This is a hybrid role with at least 3 days in office. The Chief People Officer is expected to be in the community and at our sites on other days as needed.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary range for this position is $200,000 to $220,000 and Asphalt Green offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance and generous paid time off.
TIMELINE AND NEXT STEPS
If you are interested in this position, please click here. All applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application.
We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications outlined above. If you are selected to move forward for an initial screening call, we expect you to hear from us by June 2025.
Jess Black
Senior Talent Consultant
Chasity Nickleson
Associate Talent Consultant
Submit an application HERE.