Senior Director, People Strategy & Execution

Fivetran•Oakland, CA

About The Position

From Fivetran’s founding until now, our mission has remained the same: to make access to data as simple and reliable as electricity. With Fivetran, customer data arrives in their warehouses, canonical and ready to query, with no engineering or maintenance required. We’re proud that more organizations continue to leverage our technology every day to become truly data-driven. About the Role We are seeking a Senior Director People leader to serve as a strategic operator and execution partner for our People organization. This role is designed for a highly autonomous builder who can translate People priorities into measurable business outcomes, drive operational excellence across the function, and ensure accountability against key organizational objectives. Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this individual will act as a trusted thought partner and execution lead while helping shape, manage, and accelerate the People team's operating plan. They will work across the entire organization, influencing outcomes through strong partnership, operational leadership, and business acumen. This role is intended for an accomplished operator who combines deep People expertise with strong business acumen and execution discipline. The individual will bring structure to complex environments, build scalable operating rhythms, drive cross-functional accountability, and ensure People initiatives deliver meaningful business results.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive experience in People, HR, organizational effectiveness, business operations, consulting, or related leadership roles.
Significant experience operating at the executive level and partnering directly with senior leaders.
Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional initiatives in fast-paced, evolving environments.
Strong understanding of People and HR functions, including organizational design, talent management, workforce planning, employee experience, and operational effectiveness.
Proven ability to establish operating systems, drive execution, and deliver measurable outcomes.
Builder mentality with a track record of creating structure where little exists.
Exceptional operational rigor and project leadership capabilities.
Data-driven and highly analytical, with strong executive communication skills.

Responsibilities

Build Operational Excellence: Design and implement scalable operating rhythms, governance processes, and management systems.
Identify opportunities to simplify, streamline, and continuously improve People processes and programs.
Create visibility into organizational performance through meaningful dashboards, reporting, and business reviews.
Develop mechanisms that increase organizational effectiveness while automating or simplifying existing processes.
Drive the People Operating System: Own and manage the People organization's annual and quarterly operating plans.
Establish and maintain clear objectives, key results (OKRs), metrics, and reporting mechanisms across the People function.
Monitor progress against strategic priorities and proactively identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities.
Ensure alignment between People initiatives and broader company objectives.
Connect People Strategy to Business Outcomes: Translate People priorities into measurable business impact.
Use data, insights, and business context to guide decisions and prioritize initiatives.
Partner with business leaders to understand organizational needs and ensure People initiatives support company growth and performance objectives.
Bring a pragmatic, outcome-oriented perspective to People strategy discussions.