Director of People Operations - Rock Dental Brands

Rock Dental Brands•Little Rock, AR

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

Rock Dental Brands is a PE-backed, multi-specialty dental services organization operating across 117 clinics and growing. We are operators. We move fast, we scale intentionally, and we hold our leaders accountable for outcomes. This is not a traditional HR environment, and we are not looking for a traditional HR leader. This is the senior People Operations leader on the ground, reporting directly to the CPO. You will run the function, not just work in it. Your job is to build a team that executes well, set the standard for how we operate, and step in when the situation demands it. Day-to-day, you lead through your team. When something is on fire, you are in it. You will own full people functions across a distributed, multi-state, multi-site workforce with a team of 6: 2 People Partners, 1 payroll specialist, 1 provider recruiter, and 2 staff recruiters. You are accountable for the performance of that team and the outcomes they produce. This role has a clear path to VP as Rock Dental continues to scale. The expectation is that you grow with the organization.

Requirements

6-12 years of progressive People Operations experience, with meaningful time in a multi-site, distributed workforce environment.
PE-backed or high-growth company experience: you have built process while the business was scaling underneath you.
Full-function ownership: you have been accountable for recruiting, employee relations, benefits, payroll, and compliance at the same time.
Self-funded benefits experience: you understand financial mechanics, not just administration.
Multi-state payroll and compliance experience.
Leads through the team sets the standard, delegates with confidence, and steps in when it counts.
Communicates directly, makes calls without needing consensus, and owns the outcomes.
Has the instinct to know when something is a team-level issue and when it requires your direct involvement.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare, DSO, dental, or similarly regulated multi-site industry background preferred.

Responsibilities

Scale recruiting across clinical and non-clinical roles at 117+ locations and growing.
Lead and develop the recruiting team to consistently meet benchmarks for time-to-fill, healthy candidate pipelines, and exceptional hiring manager engagement.
Partner with Area Managers to get ahead of workforce needs before they become problems.
Own provider recruiting strategy alongside the dedicated provider recruiter.
Maintain a low-risk, consistent ER environment across a multi-state distributed workforce.
Be the escalation point for your People Partners on complex investigations, accommodations, and terminations.
Ensure every ER decision is documented, defensible, and consistent regardless of location.
Oversee the self-funded health plan administration.
Ensure a consistent benefits experience for team members across all markets.
Hold the payroll specialist accountable for accuracy, compliance, and on-time delivery.
Own multi-state payroll compliance: wage and hour, PTO, and state-specific requirements.
Own the team member handbook, people policies, and compliance calendar.
Ensure multi-state employment law compliance across all operating markets.
Partner with legal when situations require it.
Set clear expectations, develop your team, and hold them accountable to outcomes.
Build scalable processes that do not require your constant involvement to function.
Know when to oversee and when to step in: that judgment is a core part of this role.