Sr. HR Director, People Operations

Location: New York (Hybrid – In Person Required) Reports directly to the Chief People & Administrative Officer (CPAO) Position Overview: We are seeking a senior HR leader to take ownership of payroll, compliance, and HR operations while helping scale the company’s people infrastructure during a period of significant growth. This role is responsible for building and strengthening core HR functions across a multistate workforce, while supporting organizational growth, high-volume hiring, and future M&A activity. The ideal candidate brings experience from a large or private equity-backed organization and is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high accountability environment. Scope & Impact: • Own HR operations and payroll governance across 10+ states • Support a growing workforce across the U.S. and India • Help build infrastructure for high-volume hiring (sales expansion) • Play a key role in M&A diligence and integration readiness • Establish scalable HR processes to support long-term growth Key Responsibilities - Payroll Ownership & Governance: • Own end-to-end payroll processing across biweekly and semimonthly cycles • Audit and validate all payroll inputs (new hires, terminations, comp changes, bonuses, commissions) • Ensure compliance with multistate wage & hour laws, with strong expertise in New York • Maintain payroll controls, SOPs, and audit procedures • Partner with Finance to ensure accuracy, reporting integrity, and cost alignment • Identify and mitigate payroll, tax, and classification risks HR Operations & Infrastructure: • Own and improve employee lifecycle processes (onboarding through offboarding) • Ensure compliance across multistate employment regulations • Oversee HRIS data integrity and reporting accuracy • Build scalable processes, documentation, and internal controls • Support benefits administration and vendor management HR Business Partnership: • Support leadership on organizational design and workforce planning • Guide managers on employee relations and performance management • Contribute to retention strategies and leadership development • Deliver HR reporting and workforce insights to leadership M&A Readiness & Growth Support: • Support HR due diligence and audit processes for acquisitions • Assist in developing frameworks for compensation alignment, job leveling, payroll and benefits integration • Support post-acquisition integration efforts • Build HR infrastructure to support rapid hiring, particularly for sales teams Operational & Financial Discipline: • Partner with Finance on headcount planning and cost management • Ensure HR processes support efficient, scalable growth • Contribute to building infrastructure aligned with future M&A and potential exit readiness • Build and manage an employee revenue and productivity model, using data and performance metrics to align headcount with revenue growth and business objectives Qualifications: • 8–12+ years of progressive HR experience • Experience in a mid to large organization or private equity backed company • Direct ownership of payroll for 100+ employees across multiple states • Strong expertise in multistate compliance and New York labor law • Experience with Paychex or similar payroll systems • Experience supporting bonus and commission-based compensation structures • Prior experience managing or mentoring HR team members • Experience supporting high growth or scaling organizations • Exposure to M&A, due diligence, or integration work strongly preferred • Strong process building skills and attention to detail • High level of financial and operational acumen What We’re Looking For: • High ownership and accountability over critical HR functions • Strong execution skills with attention to detail • Ability to operate in a fast paced, performance driven environment • Comfortable balancing hands-on execution with strategic thinking • Experience building structure and process in growing organizations • Strong judgment, discretion, and leadership presence Why This Role: This role is critical to supporting the company’s next phase of growth, including scaling hiring efforts, preparing HR infrastructure for future M&A activity, strengthening compliance and operational rigor, and building a more structured HR function. Compensation & Benefits: The base salary range for this role is $150,000 – $170,000, depending on experience. In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible for: • Health, dental, and vision benefits • Paid time off and company holidays • Opportunity for growth and expanded scope as the company scales