Associate HR Consultant

Work in Progress Consulting (WIP) is seeking an Associate Consultant of Human Resources/People Operations to join their team. Ideal candidates will have at least five years of management- or director-level experience in human resources, compliance, hiring, and the employee life cycle, and will be committed to providing high-quality, customized services and advising to progressive nonprofit organizations, philanthropic foundations, small businesses, and organizing groups.

They will be ready to tap into their experience in order to work with our clients to provide innovative, accurate, dependable deliverables and build supportive coaching relationships.

This is a 1099 hourly contract position; the number of hours varies as client work becomes available, but we expect an average of 10 hours per week.

About Work in Progress Consulting

WIP was started in 2019 with one consultant working to build equitable and accessible HR and operations systems. Our team currently serves about 45 clients per year in HR, hiring, operations, and organizational strategy through short-term and long-term projects, monthly maintenance-level accounts, and individual and group coaching.

Read more about our values here, and our compensation philosophy + note from our founder here.

Consultant Responsibilities and Workflow

For each project, consultants will use the scope of work set out in a client contract to independently make decisions about the manner in which the deliverables are met and the work is completed

Example project types include: HR Compliance Audits, Creating and Interpreting Policy, Compensation & Benefits Analysis, Coaching/Advising in HR, Benefits Implementation, Investigations, Workplace Culture, Reviews and Evaluations

• Facilitate meetings and produce deliverables according to the timeline in the contract or a modified timeline decided on between the client and consulting team
• Create high-quality work product /deliver service to clients consistently without the use of generative AI
• Produce expert-level client deliverables independently or within a team
• Answer internal Slack queries and external client emails within two business days
• Create agendas for and schedule meetings with clients proactively
• Following meetings, the consultant is responsible for sending out tasks and reminders, and keeping comprehensive notes in order to document and project manage

Schedule Requirements:

Candidates must be available for up to 15 hours of work per week across at least three business days within the timeframe of 9am-6pm in their time zone Monday through Friday. (Currently the bulk of our clients are on the east coast or in the midwest, so EST/CST are our preferred time zones, but availability between 7am-4pm PST is also within our scope)

The days you choose to work can be different from week to week, and you will make your own schedule in consideration of clients, who mostly operate in 9-5 positions in all US time zones.

Must be available to work at least 46 weeks per contract year. This initial 6-month contract will run from November 1, 2026 - April 30, 2027 with an option for renewal pending evaluation, so 23 weeks of availability in that timeframe are required.

This role is fully remote (within the United States). We currently have team members in Eastern and Central time zones, but the majority of our work and our internal meetings are on Eastern Standard Time.

Requirements

• Essential Qualifications & Competencies
• A minimum of five years of consultant or director-level work in People Operations, Human Resources, hiring/recruitment, team management, workplace policy creation, or similar function. If self-employment is the only experience a candidate has in Human Resources, we require at least three positive client references and three work samples
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational HR compliance and risk management, including interpreting employment requirements, developing and maintaining compliant policies and practices, identifying potential risks, and guiding organizational leaders in addressing compliance issues. The majority of our clients operate within the USA, but global experience is a bonus
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and/or implementing people-first policies that center inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility
• Experience designing and/or managing compensation strategies, including salary benchmarking, benefits planning, and setting and evaluating performance metrics
• Working knowledge of HR technologies and platforms, including HRIS systems and performance management tools; or demonstrated ability to learn new technologies. We do not steer our clients toward any particular HRIS; we often work with whatever they have in place, or choose one with them and train staff accordingly
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to create proprietary work product without the use of generative AI
• The ability to lead client work by proactively building agendas and facilitating meetings
• Strong interpersonal skills; experience with multi-stakeholder communications and active listening.
• Ability to act as an accountability partner to others on your team as well as hold yourself accountable to commitments and deadlines that impact others
• Comfort with pivoting and problem-solving as circumstances change and new needs or information arise
• Adept at keeping your calendar updated and managing your time and capacity
• Ability to understand the overall direction of a project and translate it into next steps for day-to-day work
• Openness to giving and receiving feedback consistently
• Proficient in fully remote work, including using Zoom, Google Workspace, and other remote work tools

Qualifications & Competencies that are helpful and not required

• Previous consulting experience
• Knowledge of pro-worker management, union membership, and applying the terms of a Collective Bargaining Agreement to the People Operations of an entity
• Knowledge and experience with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
• Skills in facilitation, mediation, and conflict resolution
• Experience with Human Resources areas of work within a nonprofit, foundation, and/or social justice organizing context

Upward Movement and Trajectory:

Contracts at Work in Progress Consulting move from year to year after your first six-month contract. After you have completed 500 hours of client work at Work in Progress as an Associate Consultant, you are eligible to move up to Senior Consultant after a review, which comes with a raise of $20-$30 per hour.

Application Note:

We will be accepting applications for this role until October 11, 2026. Applications will not be accepted via email. Due to our equitable hiring process guidelines, no employees of Work in Progress will take meetings about this role outside of the hiring process.

We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital or family status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or caregiver status, veteran status, body size, or any other legally protected status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities who request reasonable accommodations are able to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. If you require accommodations to apply for this position, please contact ginny@workinprogressconsulting.net