Director, Strategic People Partnership

Candescent•Atlanta, GA

6h•Hybrid

About The Position

Candescent is seeking a dynamic and experienced Director, Strategic People Partnership to serve as a senior HR business partner and transformation leader for our North America organization. This role sits at the intersection of strategic people leadership, organizational design, and enterprise transformation—driving modern, scalable people practices across a complex, technology‑driven FinTech business. The Director will partner closely with senior leaders across Product, Engineering, and all North America functions to deliver a high‑impact people strategy that accelerates business growth, elevates employee experience, and strengthens organizational effectiveness. This is a highly visible role for a seasoned HR leader who brings both strategic vision and operational excellence , with the credibility to influence at the executive level. Candescent is at a pivotal moment—investing in transformational change across Product and Engineering while scaling the broader enterprise. The Director, Strategic People Partnership will be the architect of the people‑side transformation, building the frameworks, capabilities, and culture that will define Candescent’s next chapter as a modern, people‑first FinTech organization.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive HR experience, including 5+ years in a senior HRBP or People Partner role.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
Experience in a technology, FinTech, SaaS, or similarly complex, fast‑paced environment.
Proven success leading large‑scale organizational transformation and change initiatives.
Strong experience partnering with Product and Engineering teams (Agile, DevOps, product‑led growth).
Deep knowledge of U.S. employment law across multiple jurisdictions.
Demonstrated use of people analytics and HR technology to drive outcomes.
Exceptional executive presence with the ability to influence at the C‑suite level.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent certification.
Change management or organizational design certifications (e.g., Prosci, ACMP).
Experience in a high‑growth FinTech or financial technology organization.
Familiarity with HRIS and engagement platforms (e.g., Workday, UKG, Glint, Culture Amp).
Experience supporting a distributed, hybrid North America workforce.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary strategic People partner to North America senior leadership, aligning people strategy to business objectives and growth plans.
Build trusted advisor relationships with leaders across Product, Engineering, Finance, Sales, and Operations.
Translate business strategy into actionable people initiatives spanning talent, structure, culture, and capability.
Participate in business planning cycles, providing workforce insights and strategic recommendations.
Act as a thought partner on complex business decisions with people implications, including M&A, restructuring, and market expansion.
Lead and co‑design organizational transformation initiatives, particularly across Product and Engineering.
Partner with leaders to assess organizational effectiveness and recommend structural improvements that enhance agility and speed.
Drive enterprise‑wide organizational design projects, including future‑state modeling, facilitation, and transition planning.
Develop and execute change management and communication strategies for major organizational shifts.
Build internal organizational design capability and establish repeatable transformation methodologies.
Champion a best‑in‑class employee experience strategy across North America, from onboarding through offboarding.
Lead listening strategies (engagement surveys, focus groups, stay interviews) and translate insights into action.
Partner with Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, and Learning & Development to deliver a cohesive employee journey.
Identify and eliminate friction points across the employee lifecycle using data, technology, and process improvement.
Define and track employee experience KPIs aligned to engagement, retention, and productivity.
Lead the evolution of People practices from transactional to proactive and value‑driven.
Evaluate and implement best‑in‑class approaches to performance management, succession planning, talent calibration, and career development.
Champion people analytics and dashboarding to enable evidence‑based decision‑making.
Introduce HR technologies, automation, and self‑service capabilities to improve efficiency and experience.
Partner with the broader People team to ensure policies are modern, compliant, and experience‑centered.
Partner with leaders on strategic workforce planning, skills gap analysis, and succession planning.
Support enterprise talent calibration processes with a consistent, fair, and development‑focused approach.
Collaborate with Talent Acquisition to shape recruitment strategies for critical technical and leadership roles.
Drive internal mobility and talent pipeline initiatives to strengthen retention and reduce external hiring reliance.
Partner with Learning & Development to build early‑career and leadership development programs.
Champion Candescent’s culture and values across the North America organization.
Design and execute engagement strategies that foster belonging, psychological safety, and high performance.
Partner with DEI leaders to embed inclusive practices into talent systems and leadership behaviors.
Facilitate leadership team effectiveness sessions, team launches, and cultural alignment workshops.
Provide coaching and guidance to leaders on complex employee relations and performance issues.
Ensure consistent application of HR policies and compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
Partner with Legal and Compliance on investigations, accommodations, and sensitive employee matters.
Maintain strong working knowledge of employment regulations across key North America jurisdictions, including Georgia.
Oversee HR operational excellence, including data integrity, process compliance, and audit readiness.