Director, People

About The Role

Job Title:Director, People

Location: Palo Alto, CA

SUMMARY

Hyperfine is seeking a Director, People to lead and operate the People function for a publicly traded company with employees primarily in the United States and a smaller international population in the United Kingdom and Europe. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer/Chief Financial Officer, this leader will serve as both a strategic partner and hands-on operator, overseeing the full employee lifecycle, leading the People team, partnering with senior leaders, and supporting core People operations including U.S. payroll and benefits, international EOR coordination, and aspects of employee equity administration.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• People Strategy & Leadership: Serve as a leader-operator for the People function, setting direction while directly executing key day-to-day work. Partner with the Executive Leadership Team, senior management, and functional leaders to translate business priorities into practical people strategies, workforce plans, organizational design recommendations, engagement initiatives, and tactical operating plans.
• Employee Lifecycle & Manager Support: Oversee the full employee lifecycle for our workforce across the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe, including onboarding, employee engagement, performance management, manager coaching, employee relations, accommodations, separations, and offboarding.
• Talent Planning & Employee Experience: Partner with leaders to identify near- and mid-term workforce needs, capability gaps, engagement opportunities, and practical organizational effectiveness improvements. Use people data, employee feedback, and business context to recommend solutions that support attraction, development, retention, and a consistent employee experience.
• People Team Leadership & Operating Excellence: Manage, coach, and develop one HR Generalist and one Senior Payroll/Benefits Manager, establishing clear priorities, accountabilities, service levels, and regular workflows while ensuring the People function remains responsive, scalable, and execution-oriented.
• HR Operations, Compliance & Employee Support: Partner with the Senior Payroll/Benefits Manager and HR Generalist to oversee in-house payroll, benefits, leave administration, employee data, reporting, vendor management, compliance processes, audit support, and employee support.
• Compensation & Equity Programs: Lead or contribute to compensation, leveling, retention, and related employee communications as the company evolves. Support aspects of equity administration for employee grants, including employee communications, grant process coordination, data accuracy, and collaboration with Finance, Legal, and external equity administration partners.
• International Employee Support: Support international employees who are payrolled through an employer-of-record model, coordinating with internal stakeholders and external partners on onboarding, employment changes, benefits, payroll inputs, and compliance-related processes.
• Scalable People Programs & Practices: Strengthen core People programs, policies, tools, and communications so they remain practical, compliant, competitive, and aligned with business needs as the company evolves.
• Systems, Data & Process Improvement: Use HR systems, data, reporting, and process improvement to reduce manual work, strengthen compliance, improve employee experience, and create scalable operating practices. Prepare clear people-related communications, analyses, and recommendations for leadership.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive People/Human Resources experience, including leadership-level experience across HR business partnership, employee relations, people operations, and manager support.
• Demonstrated ability to operate as both a strategic advisor and hands-on leader in a lean, fast-moving environment.
• Strong executive presence, judgment, discretion, and communication skills, with the ability to partner effectively with senior leaders, managers, and employees.
• Practical knowledge of U.S. employment practices and core HR processes, including performance management, employee relations, accommodations, leaves, compliance, onboarding, and separations.
• Experience overseeing or partnering closely with payroll, benefits, HR operations, HRIS/data, vendors, and employee communications.
• Comfort using people data, employee feedback, and business context to identify risks, recommend solutions, and communicate clear, practical recommendations.
• Ability to build credibility as a trusted, pragmatic advisor to leaders, managers, and employees; listens effectively, diagnoses people issues, and drives fair, practical resolutions.
• Proactive, curious, and solutions-oriented, with a questioning mindset and the judgment to anticipate issues, assess alternatives, and improve quality, consistency, and scalability across People practices.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a publicly traded company, life sciences, medical device, technology, or similarly regulated environment.
• Experience supporting employees across multiple jurisdictions, including partnering with employer-of-record providers or external employment advisors.
• Experience with compensation programs, equity administration, employee grants, performance cycles, engagement programs, or related employee communications.
• Experience leading or developing HR, payroll, benefits, or people operations team members.
• Advanced degree, HR certification, or relevant professional certification.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & TRAVEL EXPECTATIONS

• This is an onsite role based out of Hyperfine's Palo Alto, CA office.
• Travel up to 20% of the time to other Hyperfine offices, meetings, conferences, etc.
• The role is performed using standard technology and collaboration tools, and requires regular use of a computer, video meetings, phone, and other digital communication tools for extended periods.
• Occasional work outside standard business hours may be required to support business priorities, employee matters, company events, or collaboration across time zones.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions of the role.

Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship now or in the future of any employment Visa.

The annual base salary for this position is between $210,000-$273,000. This position is also eligible for to participate in Hyperfine's corporate bonus and equity plans. Individual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate including skill set, relevant experience, qualifications, location, position level, and other job-related reasons.

Agency Resumes: We do not accept resumes from recruitment agencies without a prior agreement in place. Any unsolicited resumes submitted by agencies will be considered the property of Hyperfine and will not be subject to any fees or charges if the candidate is hired.