Director, People Operations

Prodege•El Segundo, CA

1d•$150,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As Prodege scales, a strong People function is a competitive advantage, and this role sits at the center of that effort. We are not looking for someone to maintain the status quo or stay purely transactional. We are looking for someone who brings deep operational expertise and an instinct for making things better. This is a builder's role. You will own how People Operations runs day to day for our U.S. team while standing up the systems, processes, and team structure that let the function grow with the company. Some of the foundation is in place and working. Other parts you will design, document, and scale. We are looking for someone who has done that work before and is energized by it, not someone who only wants to maintain a machine that already runs. Your mandate is straightforward: master the operational details so you can improve them. That means constantly asking how a process could be faster, simpler, or more scalable. By leaning into AI tools and modernizing workflows, you will automate the routine work so you can free up time for the higher-level, strategic work that moves the business. You will report to the Head of People and lead the People Operations team. You will be the primary People point of contact for our U.S.-based staff and leadership, and you will partner with HR and operational leaders across India, Greece, and Europe to keep people practices aligned across a globally connected workforce. We care as much about how the work gets done as what gets done. The right person brings the skills and experience to run core HR well, and brings the judgment, presence, and relationships to do it in a way people trust. Both matter here. One without the other will not succeed in this role.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive HR/People Operations experience, including direct ownership of HR strategy and operations, ideally in a high-growth tech or startup environment
3+ years leading and developing a People Operations or HR team.
A track record of building, not just maintaining. You have built and scaled People programs and processes, including ones you owned from a blank page to a working operating cadence.
You can design scalable people systems and infrastructure while staying hands-on with day-to-day operational needs.
Strong working knowledge of compensation and benefits design, payroll operations, employee relations, HR compliance, employment law, and global workforce planning.
Deep expertise in HRIS, ATS and HR tech stack.
Workday implementation, optimization and hands-on experience is highly valued.
You take a data-driven approach and use HR metrics to guide strategy and decisions.
Experience advising and influencing executives at the C-suite level, with the credibility to be taken seriously and the judgment to know when to push and when to support.
Experience supporting global organizations across international teams, ideally in high-growth, technology-enabled businesses such as insights, market research, consumer experience, data services, media, advertising, SaaS, or digital consumer.
Sound judgment. You navigate ambiguity and high-stakes situations without needing a playbook for every one, and you know when to decide and when to escalate.
Trust and credibility. You build trust quickly across leaders, managers, and employees, including with senior leaders who are experts in their own domains.
Strategic and hands-on. You operate as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and you roll up your sleeves to execute. This role requires both.
Clear under pressure. You communicate in a clear, calm, and credible way, especially in difficult, sensitive, or high-stakes conversations.
Advocate and partner. You hold the balance between being an advocate for employees and a partner to the business without collapsing into either one.
Steady in change. You stay effective when things are shifting, and you bring structure rather than waiting for it.

Nice To Haves

Experience in private equity-backed or high-growth operating environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own and run People Operations for the U.S. Keep the day to day reliable for employees and managers: payroll, benefits, compensation administration, employee relations, policy, and HR systems all run accurately, on time, and in compliance.
Create and maintain standard operating procedures, internal controls, and documentation across payroll support, benefits, HRIS, compensation administration, and compliance workflows.
Provide strategic oversight of Prodege's benefits programs and total rewards strategy, and partner with leadership on benefits strategy and program improvements.
Oversee benefits budget planning, forecasting, and cost management, and keep programs competitive, cost-effective, and aligned with business objectives.
Lead benefits and leave administration, open enrollment operations, vendor coordination and invoice reconciliation, qualifying life event processing, and employee support on benefits matters. You will guide the team that handles the day to day and stay close enough to the details to step in when needed.
Run annual compensation and benchmarking cycles. Lead market reviews, salary recommendations, and promotion analysis, and deliver data-backed recommendations that keep pay equitable and competitive.
Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners, including benefits brokers, immigration counsel, and compensation consultants, so they extend the capacity of the internal team.
Oversee end-to-end payroll administration for a multi-state workforce in partnership with Finance, including payroll calendars, audits, tax and wage notices, garnishments, off-cycle pay, and PTO accrual integrity. You will own accuracy and controls while working with the team and partners who process the day to day.
Ensure payroll compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and partner with Finance and leadership on payroll reporting, budgeting, and audits.
Own people compliance administration, including I-9 and E-Verify, required notices, record retention, and audit preparation, partnering with Legal and business stakeholders as needed.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across all U.S. locations, and maintain HR policies and documentation standards.
Administer performance management processes that support accountability and clear expectations.
Design, document, and scale the processes and workflows the People team needs to support a growing company, including the parts that do not exist yet.
Own and optimize the HR tech stack: Workday, benefits platforms, and compliance tools.
Drive Workday implementation and optimization, and build and improve automations, integrations, and operational workflows, including AI tools that take routine work off the team's plate.
Ensure the accuracy and integrity of all People data and reporting, and build reporting and analytics on headcount, compensation, turnover, and operational metrics that leaders can actually use to make decisions.
Manage the People Operations budget, including headcount, benefits, tools, and programs.
Lead, mentor, and develop the People Operations team: set clear direction, empower team members to own their areas, remove blockers, and coach them to operate as accurate, proactive, and trusted partners to the rest of the business.
Set the strategic direction for how the People team operates and delivers value, and build additional People Operations capability as the company scales.
Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to align hiring strategy, headcount planning, and operational scalability.
Handle employee relations with sound judgment, discretion, and consistency, including the difficult and sensitive situations.
Model the standards you expect from the People team in how you disagree with leaders, how you escalate, and how you close the loop with employees.
Partner with leaders across the U.S., India, Greece, and Europe to support organizational change, workforce planning, and people initiatives, keeping practices consistent across regions.