Director of People & CultureDepartment: General and Administrative
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Washington, DC
Compensation: $160,000 - $185,000 / year
Description The opportunityAs Director of People & Culture, you will own the day-to-day People function and build practical, scalable programs that help Surgo hire, develop, and retain great people. This is a hands-on build-and-run role: you will improve how work gets done, partner closely with managers, and translate business priorities into clear People practices across four countries.
You will work with senior leadership on broader People priorities while taking direct accountability for implementation, reliable operations, and measurable results. As Surgo grows, there is room to expand your strategic contribution. Success in this role starts with sound judgment, thoughtful prioritization, and strong execution-not creating complex programs before they are needed.
What you will ownTalent acquisition and onboarding- Partner with leaders to translate hiring plans into priorities, capacity needs, and realistic recruiting timelines across client delivery and product teams.
- Simplify hiring workflows, strengthen selection quality, and equip managers to interview and make decisions efficiently.
- Build repeatable sourcing and recruiting practices for product and engineering roles, including international markets and the Turkey technical hub.
- Own effective onboarding and offboarding processes, coordinating required background checks, access changes, and security training.
Retention, performance, and manager effectiveness- Identify retention risks and implement practical actions informed by employee feedback and workforce data.
- Build manager capability through straightforward tools, coaching, and clear expectations.
- Run consistent performance, feedback, and promotion processes that work for both client delivery and product roles.
- Improve employee experience and cross-location communication without losing Surgo's low-ego, adaptable culture.
People operations, compliance, and rewards- Own accurate, responsive People operations, employee records, HR systems, and an up-to-date employee handbook.
- Coordinate employment compliance across the US, UK, India, and Turkey, working with local experts, payroll providers, and employer-of-record partners as needed.
- Manage benefits administration, enrollment, and broker/vendor relationships; support practical, market-aware compensation processes.
- Partner with Security and relevant teams on People-related SOC 2 and HIPAA controls.
- Maintain clear People metrics, budgets, and operating rhythms; recommend improvements based on evidence and business needs.
What you bring- Meaningful progressive HR/People experience, including hands-on ownership of core People programs in a growing organization.
- Experience improving hiring, onboarding, performance, and People operations-not just designing strategy or advising others.
- Comfort operating as a pragmatic generalist in a lean team, with strong follow-through and good judgment about what to build now versus later.
- Ability to influence and coach managers and work effectively with senior leaders without needing a large team or extensive resources.
- Experience supporting distributed or international teams; familiarity with product/technology talent or a services-to-product transition is a plus.
- Working knowledge of employment compliance, HR systems, and vendor management; SOC 2/HIPAA-related People controls are a plus.
- A collaborative, adaptable, low-ego approach and excellent communication skills.
Location: Headquartered in Washington, DC / This role is based in DC with 2 days/week in the office.BenefitsWhat you'll love about Surgo:- A collaborative, mission-driven team
- Competitive salary and equity compensation
- We pay 100% of premiums for a Platinum healthcare plan, for employees and dependents
- Flexible PTO with 11 holidays
- 401(k) employer match up to 4%
- 3 months paid parental leave
- Public Benefit Corporation with an impact mission
Surgo Health is committed to fair, equitable, and transparent practices. Compensation packages are based on several factors such as skill set, prior relevant experience, education, certifications, and market considerations. In addition to base compensation, individuals may be eligible for annual performance-based bonuses and equity (if applicable). We aim to pay salaries that are competitive, benchmarked against companies that are similar in stage, size, and market to Surgo Health. Our recruiter may be able to share more about our total rewards offerings and the specific salary range for the relevant role during the hiring process.
Our hiring philosophyWe hire for passion and core competencies.
We look for problem solvers and lateral thinkers.
We love it if you have done different things with your time.
If you think you are ideal for this position, write to us even if your experience doesn't match all the requirements listed above.
