Director of People Operations, Benefits and Payroll

Self-Help • Durham, NC

24d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of People Operations/Benefits & Payroll serves as the strategic and operational leader for the core functions that enable Self-Help's mission: Benefits, Payroll, Compensation, and Wellness. Reporting to the Executive Vice President for HR and Administration, this role ensures that over 900 staff members across 10 states and Washington, DC have the compensation, comprehensive benefits support, and the resources they need to thrive professionally and personally. This leader will partner closely with the Accounting & Finance, Talent Management and Learning & Development teams, and Benefits and Retirement committees to deliver integrated HR solutions that support Self-Help's continued growth through organic expansion and credit union mergers. This is an opportunity to lead with both precision and vision. You'll guide a dedicated operations team through a period of significant transformation—implementing new systems, refining processes, and building capacity to support Self-Help's expanding footprint. The role requires both depth—deep expertise in benefits design, retirement plan administration, and payroll compliance—and breadth, with opportunities to shape wellness strategy, drive process innovation through technology and automation, and contribute to broader people strategy conversations. If you're energized by building high-performing teams, designing benefits that reflect organizational values, and ensuring HR operations are both excellent and scalable, this role offers meaningful work at the heart of Self-Help's mission. The ideal candidate brings technical mastery, an orientation towards collaboration and continuous improvement, and a player-coach approach, leading with both steadiness and agility. You'll thrive in environments where influence matters as much as authority, find creative solutions to complex operational challenges, and ensure that Self-Help's people infrastructure grows alongside its impact.

Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive HR operations management experience with direct responsibility for benefits and payroll functions
• At least 3 years of leadership and team management responsibility in a national/dispersed organization with multiple locations and varied employee populations (exempt and non-exempt)
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field OR equivalent related experience
• Experience with retirement plan administration as plan sponsor (401k/403b) with an understanding of ERISA compliance, plan documents, and merger complexities
• Experience designing and negotiating benefits for a self-funded health plan
• Nuanced understanding of federal and multi-state payroll laws, with the ability to ask critical questions and ensure accuracy across exempt/non-exempt populations
• Workday (or similar HRIS) experience with business processes and optimization on benefits/payroll side; system implementation experience strongly preferred
• Excel proficiency - pivot tables, basic formulas, data organization for analysis and storytelling
• Strong analytical and financial acumen; ability to model, interpret, and present data for decision-making

Nice To Haves

• CEBS, PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP/SCP or similar professional certifications
• Wellness program design and management
• Experience with benefits marketing/internal communications to drive adoption
• Experience integrating acquired entities or managing merger-related HR processes
• Nonprofit or mission-driven organization experience

Responsibilities

• Strategic HR Leadership Collaborate with Talent Management and Learning & Development teams to deliver cohesive, integrated HR solutions; ensure seamless information sharing around leave administration, onboarding, and employee lifecycle events
• Support integration of credit unions acquired via mergers; quickly learn new systems, translate processes, and manage payroll/benefits for acquired entities until system conversion
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on benefits strategy, retirement plan management, and compliance considerations, aligning strategies with organizational goals and values
• Drive policy development, implementation, and updates in alignment with legal requirements and organizational best practices
• Lead change management initiatives, fostering cross-functional collaboration and continuous improvement in HR operations
• Direct Workday implementation of benefits/payroll business processes and optimization, ensuring data integrity across all employee records and HR systems
• Champion economic inclusion initiatives by promoting supplier diversity and supporting vendors owned by women and people of color
• Ensure payroll accuracy, consistency, and compliance across multiple states and geographies; document processes and create unified national payroll standards
• Partner closely with Accounting & Finance team on payroll accounting, reconciliations, and vendor documentation; proactively address compliance exposures and audit requirements
• Build contingency plans and cross-training protocols to ensure operational stability; anticipate and plan for complexities such as non-standard pay cycles
• Design and oversee the administration of a comprehensive benefits program, ensuring offerings are diverse, inclusive, aligned with employee needs and organizational values
• Serve as plan sponsor for 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans; convene Retirement Committee and manage relationships with investment advisors to ensure compliance with ERISA and complex regulations, especially during mergers
• Lead benefits design and vendor negotiations for self-funded health plans; partner with broker and Benefits Committee on strategic decisions including plan pricing, coverage design, and cost management
• Partner with managers and staff to identify physical, emotional, and financial wellness needs and create programming that supports staff wellbeing across all dimension
• Maximize staff adoption of benefits through proactive communication, education campaigns, and innovative rollout strategies in partnership with Internal Communications
• Execute annual merit processes in partnership with Coordinating Committee
• Serve as partner to Talent Management on compensation strategy; collaborate on job architecture and pay equity analysis
• Lead and develop the HR Operations team, including managers of Benefits/Payroll and Compensation and a layered team of seven administrators and analysts
• Build team capacity and technical skills during organizational transition, promoting collaboration, accountability, and continuous skill growth

Benefits

• Medical, dental & vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents, with 80% to 100% of premiums paid by Self-Help depending on coverage levels selected
• Employee Assistance Program Access
• Vacation accrued at 15 days/year; sick time accrued at 12 days/year
• 11 paid holidays
• Paid parental leave of 12-16 weeks, prorated for staff with less than 1 year of service
• 401k match - 3% company contribution, plus an additional $1 for $1 on first 6% that the employee contributes
• CRL-paid life insurance of $50,000, plus long-term disability and accidental death & dismemberment coverage
• Tuition reimbursement
• As a 501(c)(3) organization, employment with CRL may provide an opportunity for student loan forgiveness. Candidates should review the provisions of their student loans to determine if this is applicable.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director