Director, Business Operations - People Team

Cohesity•Santa Clara, CA

About The Position

Interested candidates based outside of the designated areas are welcome to apply, provided they have the indefinite right to work in the job location. Cohesity is a leader in AI-powered data security and management. Aided by an extensive ecosystem of partners, Cohesity makes it easy to secure, protect, manage, and get value from data — across the data center, edge, and cloud. Cohesity helps organizations defend against cybersecurity threats with comprehensive data security and management capabilities, including immutable backup snapshots, AI-based threat detection, monitoring for malicious behavior, and rapid recovery at scale. We’ve been named a Leader by multiple analyst firms and have been globally recognized for Innovation, Product Strength, and Simplicity in Design. Join us on our mission to shape the future of our industry. The People & Places team is looking for a Chief of Staff to serve as the operating partner to the Chief People Officer. This role sits at the intersection of people, process, and business outcomes — bringing structure to ambiguity and turning strategic intent into execution. You’ll make a complex organization run more smoothly and ensure the most important work gets done. HOW YOU’LL SPEND YOUR TIME HERE: Serve as the operating partner to the Chief People Officer — ensuring their time, energy, and focus are directed at the highest-impact work. Proven ability to support and influence C-suite leaders, managing priorities and ensuring time and focus are spent where they matter most Manage incoming requests, triage priorities, and drive follow-through on key commitments Prepare the CPO for critical meetings including EStaff, Board of Directors, and QBRs Handle escalations and one-off requests from partners and employees on behalf of the CPO Drive the cadence and content that keeps the People leadership team aligned and accountable Own the annual and semi-annual planning process, including goal-setting, milestones, and progress readout Facilitate management meetings and leadership offsites — agendas, decisions, and action items Maintain the Company Planning Roadmap for the People team, ensuring P&P activities are timed with the business Partner with the Office of the CEO for customer, CEO, and employee visits as needed Identify and close the gaps between how the People team operates today and how it should operate. Lead start/stop/continue exercises and implement standard operating procedures across the team Drive automation and offshoring of tasks where applicable Centralize and streamline PO requests and invoice processing Build the measurement infrastructure and relationships that keep people informed and accountable Develop and track KPIs and metrics to assess the effectiveness of People initiatives Report progress to People leadership and relevant stakeholders; escalate risks early Build strong relationships with departmental BizOps leads and cross-functional partners

Requirements

Proven ability to support and influence C-suite leaders, managing priorities and ensuring time and focus are spent where they matter most
Ability to lead complex, cross-functional initiatives from ambiguity to outcomes, with strong attention to detail and follow-through
Translating leadership priorities into clear, compelling narratives for audiences including EStaff, Board of Directors, and Town Halls
Identifying patterns, synthesizing information quickly, and building the KPIs and metrics that tell the right story
Diagnosing inefficiencies and driving meaningful change through automation, standardization, or restructuring
Building trusted relationships and influencing without authority across functions and levels
Comfortable partnering with Finance on budget management, planning cycles, and workforce planning
Demonstrated ability to use AI tools to improve productivity, streamline workflows, and enhance decision-making
O perated effectively in a fast-moving, high-growth, or matrixed environment and remained calm under pressure
Experience in technology or a related industry; management consulting experience
Demonstrated strong judgment and impartiality in navigating complex team and interpersonal dynamics, maintaining strict confidentiality while ensuring decisions and priorities are guided by organizational needs
Ability to move fast and value clear, direct communication over process for its own sake

Responsibilities

Serve as the operating partner to the Chief People Officer — ensuring their time, energy, and focus are directed at the highest-impact work.
Proven ability to support and influence C-suite leaders, managing priorities and ensuring time and focus are spent where they matter most
Manage incoming requests, triage priorities, and drive follow-through on key commitments
Prepare the CPO for critical meetings including EStaff, Board of Directors, and QBRs
Handle escalations and one-off requests from partners and employees on behalf of the CPO
Drive the cadence and content that keeps the People leadership team aligned and accountable
Own the annual and semi-annual planning process, including goal-setting, milestones, and progress readout
Facilitate management meetings and leadership offsites — agendas, decisions, and action items
Maintain the Company Planning Roadmap for the People team, ensuring P&P activities are timed with the business
Partner with the Office of the CEO for customer, CEO, and employee visits as needed
Identify and close the gaps between how the People team operates today and how it should operate.
Lead start/stop/continue exercises and implement standard operating procedures across the team
Drive automation and offshoring of tasks where applicable
Centralize and streamline PO requests and invoice processing
Build the measurement infrastructure and relationships that keep people informed and accountable
Develop and track KPIs and metrics to assess the effectiveness of People initiatives
Report progress to People leadership and relevant stakeholders; escalate risks early
Build strong relationships with departmental BizOps leads and cross-functional partners