Director, People Operations and Culture

Kiva Confections•Alameda, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of People Operations & Culture serves as the head of HR for all Kiva companies, setting the strategic direction and operational foundation for how we attract, develop, support, and retain our people. This role leads the full People Operations function: Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, Employee Relations, Performance Management, Total Rewards, Payroll & Benefits, Workers’ Compensation, Compliance, and Culture. Their work includes ensuring scalable systems, clear expectations, strong managerial accountability, and a consistent employee experience across the organization. This role partners closely with all internal functional teams and executive leadership to align people strategy with business priorities while maintaining a people‑forward, compliant, and high‑trust workplace. MUST reside near the Bay area!

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience; SHRM-SCP or SPHR strongly preferred.
8+ years of progressive experience in Human Resources or People Operations, including team leadership.
Demonstrated experience leading People Operations in a multi‑entity organization supporting a distributed, multi‑state workforce, including entry into new states and management of registrations and jurisdiction‑specific requirements.
Strong background in employee relations, compliance, total rewards, and HR operations.
Experience owning a talent acquisition function and building compensation structures.
Experience partnering closely with executive leadership.
Exceptional communication and influencing skills at all levels of the organization.
MUST reside near the Bay area!

Nice To Haves

Experience with mergers, acquisitions, or integrations, including workforce transitions, is strongly preferred.
Cannabis, food & beverage, CPG, or other regulated manufacturing experience preferred.
Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Responsibilities

Set and execute the enterprise-wide People Operations strategy aligned with Kiva's business goals and growth plans.
Build scalable people processes that support a multi-entity, multi-state organization operating in a highly regulated industry.
Lead the people workstream in acquisitions, integrations, and organizational restructuring, including diligence, transition planning, and post-close harmonization of pay, benefits, and policy.
Serve as the senior People Operations leader across all Kiva companies, ensuring alignment and consistency.
Lead, develop, and mentor the People Operations team, setting clear expectations, priorities, and standards of excellence.
Foster cross-functional collaboration between People Operations, Finance, Legal, Operations, and business leaders.
Establish operating rhythms, metrics, and reporting that provide visibility into people performance and risks.
Own the full-cycle talent acquisition function, including sourcing strategy, hiring process, candidate experience, and accountability for time-to-fill and quality of hire.
Lead workforce planning in partnership with Finance and business leaders, including headcount forecasting and requisition governance.
Own the onboarding experience end to end, including I-9 compliance, new hire documentation, and first-year integration.
Own the design and continuous improvement of the performance management program, including goal setting, review cycles, and calibration.
Own the engagement listening strategy, including survey design, results analysis, and manager-level action planning.
Lead talent review and succession planning for critical roles, and build development and internal mobility pathways.
Strengthen manager capability through clear guidance, tools, and training.
Provide strategic oversight of employee relations, investigations, and conflict resolution processes.
Oversee workplace investigations, including harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and workplace violence matters, with appropriate escalation to Legal.
Identify recurring themes and systemic issues, and drive proactive solutions.
Oversee separations and reduction-in-force execution in partnership with Legal.
Own compensation strategy and job architecture, including leveling, salary structures, and market benchmarking.
Maintain pay equity review practices and ensure compliance with pay transparency requirements in every state where Kiva posts or hires.
Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing across all entities and states.
Oversee benefits strategy and administration, including Open Enrollment, plan design, and vendor management.
Own workers' compensation carrier and broker relationships, policy placement, and program cost management across all entities and states.
Own the interactive process and reasonable accommodation determinations under the ADA and FEHA.
Oversee administration of all leave programs, including FMLA, CFRA, PDL, SDI, PFL, and paid sick leave in all applicable states.
Partner with Environmental Health & Safety on claim strategy, return-to-work placements, and prevention.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws in every state where Kiva operates.
Own annual regulatory filings and reporting obligations, including California pay data reporting and EEO-1.
Maintain state employment registrations and compliant employment infrastructure as Kiva enters new jurisdictions.
Maintain audit-ready documentation and proactively address people-related risks before they escalate.
Ensure HRIS data integrity, audit readiness, and system optimization across all entities.
Drive operational efficiency, automation, and continuous improvement across People Operations workflows.
Own People reporting and analytics - turnover, retention, headcount, and cost of workforce — translated into recommendations for executive leadership.
Serve as a steward of Kiva's culture by reinforcing clear expectations, consistent communication, and shared standards.
Guide change management and communication during periods of growth, transition, or organizational change.