Yajaira is a strategic operational leader with a strong record of building effective systems and fostering high-performing organizational cultures within the social sector. As the founding Senior Director, Talent & Organizational Effectiveness at Generation Citizen, she will focus on key initiatives to drive operational excellence and support the organization’s new strategic plan.
Yajaira’s career is defined by her ability to implement meaningful, system-wide change. Early in her career, she developed a deep understanding of financial management as a fiscal officer at a senior center, where she successfully collaborated with others to re-engineer the financial system. This effort positioned the organization to ultimately secure over $100,000 in capital grants that funded facility upgrades and the purchase of a new bus. Soon after, she designed and oversaw the entire human resources function for five years at a charter school network in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. Before joining the inaugural Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism Steering Committee at Ascend Public Charter School, she had already designed and led landmark talent policy reform. This initiative enhanced staff retention and established internal leadership pathways, resulting in 27% of school leaders being promoted from within the first three years.
Since joining Generation Citizen (GC) in 2022, Yajaira has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s operational goals. She successfully implemented strategies that increased staff retention and supported the organization in meeting and ultimately exceeding its long-term diversity objectives, with BIPOC staff representation rising from 38% to 59% by the end of her second year at GC. Yajaira also elevated employee engagement and morale, as reflected in a significant improvement in the Net Promoter Score.
A graduate of Monroe College with a Bachelor’s in Accounting, Yajaira specializes in project management, data analysis, and systems building with a human-centered approach. She is eager to further develop her skills in organizational culture and strategic leadership. She enjoys traveling, binge-watching, and learning new things.