About the roleThe Director, People Operations & Total Rewards owns the foundation of our People organization: pay, benefits, payroll and HR technology. The role inherits a newly implemented Rippling platform and compensation practices that grew separately in each business, and turns them into one system that is precise, trusted and ready to scale.
This is a technology-first role. We want a leader who looks at every manual step and asks how to automate it. You put Rippling, integrations and AI to work so payroll, benefits and HR operations run with less effort, fewer errors and no added headcount. This role will report to the SVP of Human Resources, sit on the HR leadership team, and work closely with Finance, Legal and leaders across every company.
What you'll doCompensation- Build a standardized compensation philosophy, job architecture, and salary structure across every company.
- Run the annual merit, bonus and promotion cycles, with budgets modeled alongside Finance.
- Design incentive plans that are simple to explain and easy to audit.
- Lead pay transparency and regular pay equity reviews.
- Advise executives on leadership pay, offers and retention.
Payroll- Deliver accurate, on-time payroll for every entity.
- Lead Rippling payroll through stabilization after the January cutover.
- Keep California wage and hour practices airtight: overtime, regular rate, meal and rest premiums and final pay.
- Own tax filings, year-end and payroll audits.
Benefits & Wellbeing- Shape a benefits strategy that balances competitiveness and cost.
- Run renewals and open enrollment with our broker and carriers.
- Manage 401(k), PEO and other vendor relationships.
- Own leave of absence administration and ACA, COBRA and ERISA compliance.
HR Technology & Operations- Own the Rippling roadmap, integrations, security roles and data integrity.
- Lead the HR Technology Manager and HR Help Desk.
- Standardize onboarding, job changes, offboarding, and records across every company.
- Keep policies, the employee handbook and required notices current.
- Deliver people analytics that leaders trust: headcount, labor cost, turnover and pay equity.
Automation & AI- Find the manual steps in HR and payroll and automate them.
- Bring AI into Help Desk answers, document generation and audit checks, with controls for privacy and accuracy.
- Build the HR automation roadmap with IT and Finance.
- Run report for hours saved, errors removed, and cycle times cut.
Leadership- Build and develop a People Operations & Total Rewards team that is fluent in technology.
- Sit on the HR leadership team and help shape the HR roadmap.
- Partner with HR business partners, Talent, Finance and Legal as one HR team.
- Manage the function's budget and vendor spend.
Qualifications- 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including 5+ years leading total rewards, payroll or HR operations and 3+ years managing teams.
- Deep, hands-on knowledge of California wages and hour and leave law, plus multi-state experience.
- Designed salary structures and run merit and incentive cycles for 1,000+ employees.
- Owned payroll and HRIS, Rippling experience, or leading a payroll or HRIS conversion, is a strong plus.
- A proven record of automating HR, payroll or benefits, with measurable results.
- Hands-on with HRIS workflows, reports and Excel or Google Sheets, and uses AI tools in day-to-day work.
- Strong analytical skills and ability to explain pay and benefits to executives and employees alike.
- Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Finance or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications- CCP, CBP, GRP, SPHR or SHRM-SCP certification.
- Experience in multi-brand, franchise, manufacturing, home services or retail environments.
- Incentive pay design for commissioned sales and skilled trades or installers.
- Experience bringing HR functions together after an acquisition or reorganization.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish.
Benefits / PerksWe believe in recognizing and rewarding our employees for a job well done. We offer growth potential for motivated individuals, competitive compensation, and a comprehensive benefits package, including:
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Paid Vacation Time
- Paid Holidays
Pay Range- $170,000 - $220,000 USD per year + bonus eligibility
