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Role Description

The Director of Human Resources (HR Operations) will join Zócalo Health during a period of rapid growth and increasing organizational complexity. This role exists to expand upon our foundation and own the operational backbone of HR, ensuring consistent execution, regulatory compliance, and a strong employee lifecycle experience as the company scales. As part of a fast-growing organization, this leader will take full ownership of HR administration and compliance execution, freeing People & Compliance leadership to focus on strategy, systems, and future-state design. This position reports to the Chief People & Compliance Officer.

The Director of People Operations will contribute in the following ways:

• Own day-to-day HR operations, including benefits, payroll, leaves of absence, and employee records
• Manage and develop a small team
• Lead HR investigations and ensure proper documentation and process consistency
• Own the employee handbook and ensure timely updates aligned with legal and operational changes
• Oversee PTO administration and policy enforcement
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment regulations
• Maintain audit-ready HR documentation and workflows
• Partner with Legal, Finance, and People leadership on employment-related risk mitigation
• Build scalable HR processes that support growth beyond 250 employees

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including ownership of HR operations
• Prior experience in a scaling organization (startup or high-growth environment strongly preferred)
• Deep working knowledge of employment law, HR compliance, and investigations
• Experience managing HR administrators or coordinators
• Strong operational judgment and attention to detail
• Ability to operate independently and bring structure to ambiguous environments

Benefits

• Equity compensation package
• Comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision
• 401k
• Flexible PTO policy - take the time you need to recharge
• $1,000 home office stipend
• We provide the equipment needed for this role.
• Opportunity for rapid career progression with plenty of room for personal growth.