HR Director

Obsidian Security•Palo Alto, CA

About The Position

Obsidian Security is the leading SaaS security platform, trusted by global enterprises like Snowflake, T-Mobile, and Algolia. We protect 200+ organizations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, including many of the world’s largest Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 companies. Founded in 2017 and backed by top investors like Greylock, Obsidian was built to close a critical gap: securing SaaS apps where business happens—Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and hundreds more. The company does this by offering a complete SaaS security platform to reduce risk, detect and respond to threats, and prevent breaches at the source. Obsidian was built by leaders who redefined endpoint and identity security at CrowdStrike, Okta, Cylance, and Carbon Black. Now, they’re transforming how SaaS is secured. With AI driving rapid SaaS growth and complexity, agentic AI tools gain privileged access to sensitive data through integrations, creating new risks most security tools miss. Obsidian uniquely detects anomalous OAuth token activity and manages integration risks. Major announcements are on the horizon. Recognizing that SaaS security needs to evolve, Obsidian enables growing organizations to start with a lightweight, prevention-focused browser extension and expand coverage over time. With global momentum, a growing partner ecosystem including SentinelOne, DatabrDatabricks, and Google Cloud, and a major fundraise ahead, Obsidian is scaling rapidly toward long-term growth and IPO readiness. Position Summary The Director, People is a player/coach leader who runs the People function at Obsidian Security — operations, benefits, programs, compliance, and onboarding/offboarding — while managing and developing the People Operations Manager and People Generalist. The Director also personally owns HR Business Partner (HRBP) responsibilities for a select client group, advising that group's leaders on talent strategy, employee relations, and organizational effectiveness. Reporting to the VP/Head of People, the Director balances team leadership with hands-on execution to keep the People function running smoothly.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive People experience, including generalist/HRBP work and ownership of operations, benefits, and compliance
2+ years directly managing and developing People team members
Working knowledge of multi-state employment law; experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Rippling, Workday, ADP) and comfort with People data
Demonstrated success managing benefits programs and vendor relationships
Strong track record as a credible, trusted business partner to leaders
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field; SHRM-CP/SCP or PHR/SPHR preferred

Responsibilities

Manage, coach, and develop the People Operations Manager and People Generalist, setting priorities, quality standards, and growth plans for the team
Own day-to-day HRIS operations and the employee lifecycle (status changes, promotions, transfers, terminations), ensuring accurate, timely data
Partner with Finance/Payroll on accurate, timely payroll processing and reconciliation
Build/track People metrics (headcount, turnover, time-to-fill, engagement) and continuously improve processes and tools
Own employee benefits programs — plan design, negotiations, administration, and annual open enrollment/renewal — ensuring accuracy and compliance
Benchmark offerings against market data and recommend enhancements that support attraction and retention
Lead core People programs — performance management, engagement surveys, recognition, and career/learning development
Support compensation cycles (merit, bonus, equity refresh) and drive engagement initiatives that build a strong, values-aligned culture
Ensure People policies, recordkeeping, and practices comply with employment law (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, EEO, leave laws); own the employee handbook
Manage compliance filings and audits (EEO-1, ACA, workers' comp, I-9) and advise leadership on regulatory changes
Manage end-to-end onboarding and offboarding, driving enhancements to elevate and scale the programs
Own the HRBP relationship for an assigned client group as its primary People point of contact and trusted advisor
Partner with the group's leaders on org design, workforce planning, and talent reviews
Coach managers and employees through performance management, employee relations, and conflict resolution, translating business priorities into tailored People strategy