Director of Human Resources Operations - San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance•San Diego, CA

15h•$149,984 - $168,732

About The Position

The Director of Human Resources Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for HR functions supporting more than 3,000 team members across San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, including HRIS, Recruiting, Total Rewards, and Work & Family Programs. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Director leads a team of more than 15 professionals and strengthens the team member experience through effective, consistent, compliant, and service-oriented processes. The role partners across the organization to turn complex HR, systems, compensation, benefits, and employment requirements into clear guidance and practical solutions while developing people, improving processes, and supporting organizational goals. The Director leads and develops HR teams and oversees the HRIS, Talent, Total Rewards, and Work & Family Programs centers of excellence. Responsibilities span HR systems and data, recruiting operations, compensation and benefits, leave administration, workers’ compensation, employment compliance, and operational improvement. The role uses metrics and feedback to identify trends, risks, service gaps, and improvement opportunities, and works with the CHRO, Legal, Finance, HR Business Partners, leaders, vendors, and other stakeholders to ensure consistent and effective HR practices. The position is based in San Diego, California, and is a salary, full-time, exempt role. The posted salary range is $149,984 to $168,732. Initial offers are typically in the lower to middle portion of the range and depend on relevant experience, skills, qualifications, internal equity, and organizational considerations. No sponsorship is offered for this position.

Requirements

At least 8 years of progressively responsible human resources experience, including experience in multiple HR disciplines such as HRIS, talent, compensation, benefits, or HR operations.
Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams, managing complex processes, and partnering with stakeholders across an organization.
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
Strong people leadership, coaching, and talent-development skills, including setting expectations, developing managers and team members, providing feedback, and building an accountable, collaborative team.
Ability to assess workflows, identify root causes, simplify processes, establish standards, and lead sustainable operational improvements.
Working knowledge of core HR operations, including HRIS and people data, recruiting, compensation, benefits administration, and applicable employment practices.
Knowledge of evolving federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, with attention to detail and the ability to identify compliance risks and work with Legal and subject-matter experts.
Ability to analyze HR data, identify trends and risks, develop useful metrics, and translate findings into practical recommendations and measurable improvements.
Ability to partner with team members and leaders at all levels, build trust across diverse stakeholder groups, and handle sensitive or complex issues with sound judgment and discretion.
Strong project management, prioritization, and organizational skills, including managing competing priorities, meeting deadlines, and leading cross-functional initiatives.
Ability to lead change, influence without relying solely on authority, and implement processes and systems in a thoughtful, service-oriented manner.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and HR technology, reporting, and data tools, and ability to learn and evaluate tools that improve operational effectiveness.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate with tact, clarity, and diplomacy.
Commitment to confidentiality, accuracy, team member service, and practices that support SDZWA’s mission, values, and culture of belonging.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
Dayforce experience.
Experience in a large, complex, multi-site, union and non-union, or nonprofit environment.
Experience with leaves and/or workers’ compensation.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team of more than 15 HR professionals across HRIS, Recruiting, Total Rewards, and Work & Family Programs; set expectations, support accountability and collaboration, and foster professional growth.
Oversee HRIS strategy and operations, including the HRIS platform, data integrity, reporting, system configuration, and process workflows; partner with stakeholders to optimize systems and improve user experience and people-data quality.
Oversee recruiting operations and practices to support workforce needs; partner with hiring leaders on consistent and timely processes, improve candidate and hiring-manager experiences, monitor outcomes, and improve sourcing, selection, and hiring practices.
Oversee the Total Rewards center of excellence, including compensation programs and processes, compensation administration, market analysis, job structures, pay practices, and annual compensation planning.
Partner with the CHRO, Finance, HR Business Partners, and leaders to apply compensation guidelines consistently, explain compensation concepts, and support equitable, informed, and fiscally responsible decisions.
Oversee benefits administration and work with vendors, internal stakeholders, and appropriate advisors to resolve issues and improve service.
Oversee Work & Family Programs, including team member support, leave administration, and workers’ compensation processes; ensure processes are accurate, responsive, coordinated, and compliant.
Monitor evolving federal, state, and local employment requirements, labor laws, regulations, and HR best practices; work with the CHRO, Legal, and other partners to assess impacts, update procedures and guidance, and support consistent compliance.
Use metrics, feedback, and operational analysis to identify trends, risks, service gaps, and process-improvement opportunities.
Develop and standardize workflows, documentation, controls, and communications to simplify complex topics, strengthen operational effectiveness, and support organizational priorities.