Director of Human Resources, Operations

KIPP Public Schools Northern California

Oakland, CA

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JOB DETAILS

SALARY

$136,000–$164,000 Per Year

SKILLS

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Analysis Skills, Budgeting, Building Systems, Business Operations, Business Strategy, Change Management, Coaching, Communication Skills, Compensation and Benefits, Cross-Functional, Data Administration, Data Management, Data Processing, Data Quality, Diversity, Documentation, Driver's License, Employment Law, Establish Priorities, FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993), Finance, HRIS/HRMS, Human Resources, Human Resources Management, Human Resources Processes, Human Resources Strategy, Identify Issues, Leadership, Legal, Maintain Compliance, Multiplatform/Cross-Platform, Onboarding, Operational Improvement, Operational Strategy, Operations Management, Operations Processes, PHR (Professional in Human Resources), People Management, Physical Demands, Problem Solving Skills, Process Improvement, Process Management, Project/Program Management, Promotional Programs, Regulations, Regulatory Compliance, Requirements Management, Risk Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources), Secondary School, Service Delivery, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Staff Policies, Strategic Planning, System Integration (SI), System Operations, TeX Typesetting, Team Building, Team Lead/Manager, Time Management, Usability Engineering, Vendor/Supplier Management, Worker's Compensation

LOCATION

Oakland, CA

POSTED

1 day ago

Description

Director of Human Resources, Operations

Department

HR

Reports to

Chief People Officer

Location

Oakland

Type

Full-time

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

Fullyear

About KIPP NorCal

We are a thriving nonprofit network of 23 free, public charter schools open to all students. At KIPP, we believe all children should grow up free to create the future they want for themselves and that schools can and should be a critical factorin making that vision a reality. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose-college, career, and beyond-so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.

Our student community consists of over 7,100 elementary, middle, and high school students in East Palo Alto, Oakland, San Francisco, San Lorenzo, San José, Redwood City, and Stockton. 80% qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 27% are multilingual learners, and 17% receive special education services. We strive to cultivate a representative team of teachers and leaders that reflect our students' diversity.
Role Overview

The Director of Human Resources, Operations sets the strategy and oversees execution of core Human Resources systems and operations across KIPP NorCal, ensuring a seamless, compliant, and high-quality employee experience from onboarding through offboarding. This role leads the administration of HRIS, data quality, benefits, and leave programs, while building systems that enable accurate data, strong compliance, and efficient service delivery at scale.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, this role manages the Human Resources Operations staff and partners closely with Talent Employee Experience (TEX) leaders and other department directors to ensure HR systems and processes enable the broader talent strategy and organizational goals.

In this role, you set strategy for your full department and own its results, team, and budget. You make decisions about structure, hiring, and resource allocation; you escalate cross-departmental conflicts or pivots requiring Chief-level authority.
Core Responsibilities
HR Operations Strategy

Sets and drives the strategy for HR operations, including HRIS, employee lifecycle processes, and service delivery models, including making decisions and trade-offs so that systems are efficient, scalable, and aligned to organizational priorities.
Defines and oversees implementation of standards for HR Policy, data, workflows, and documentation so that all employee information is accurate, compliant, and audit-ready.
Synthesizes operational performance and system health for senior leadership, identifying risks, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

HRIS and Data Management

Directs the administration and optimization of the HRIS (e.g., UKG), ensuring data integrity, system functionality, and alignment with business needs.
Holds accountability for HR data quality, establishing governance controls, audits, and reporting processes so that data is accurate, timely, and reliable for decision-making.
Partners with TEX, Data, Tech, and Finance teams to ensure alignment across systems, enabling clean reporting, compliance, and strategic insights.
Determines and prioritizes system enhancements and integrations that improve usability, reporting, and operational efficiency.

Employee Lifecycle Operations

Leads end-to-end employee lifecycle experience from offer acceptance through exit, ensuring seamless transitions for all employees and alignment across departments (IT, Payroll, Talent).
Builds and maintains standardized workflows for the full employee lifecycle (hiring, transfers, promotions, separations) so that all actions are processed accurately and on time.
Establishes and oversees service standards and operational practices that ensure timely, accurate, and responsive support for employees and managers.
Ensures compliance with all employment regulations and internal policies across the employee lifecycle.
Monitors lifecycle data and trends, using insights to improve retention, onboarding effectiveness, and operational efficiency.

RSO Job Architecture

Owns maintenance of and updates to the RSO job architecture, including reviewing and approving all new job descriptions and changes to existing job descriptions, inclusion of job architecture in the PDP process, and managing the promotions process.
Facilitates RSO promotions process, including alignment to job architecture, managing 360s and promotion panels, and approvals.
Ensures compliance with job architecture in all talent related decisions.

Benefits and Leave Administration

Directs benefits and leave programs, ensuring accurate administration, strong vendor management, and a high-quality employee experience.
Oversees annual benefits cycles, including enrollment, renewals, and communications, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and budget.
Ensures compliance with all applicable laws and regulations (e.g., FMLA, ADA, ACA), maintaining audit-ready systems and documentation.
Oversees time and attendance policies, including communication to staff and collaboration with payroll team to ensure accurate payment for all employees.
Oversees workers compensation program for organization.
Collaborates with the Employee Relations team when leave issues are also employee relations issues, including advising on leave policies and communication to employees and managers.
Evaluates and improves benefits and leave processes, balancing employee needs, cost, and operational feasibility.

Team Leadership and Cross-Functional Partnership

Manages and develops HR operations staff, setting clear expectations, providing coaching, and holding accountability for both team and individual results.
Builds team capacity through clear role definition, feedback, and development opportunities aligned to organizational needs.
Partners closely with TEX Directors and the Chief People Officer to align HR operations with talent strategy, including hiring, onboarding, development, and retention efforts.
Partners with Data, Technology, and Finance teams to define business requirements, improve cross-system workflows, and ensure HR operational processes function effectively across platforms.
Other duties as assigned.

KIPP Leadership Competencies

These competencies describe the core leadership behaviors expected at this level - they guide how we hire, develop, and grow our people at KIPP NorCal.

Lead Self: You shape a department culture of reflection, renewal, and continuous learning. You work to dismantle inequitable systems and hold your team accountable for equity outcomes. You drive continuous learning and innovation, proactively leveraging external expertise to stay current.
Lead People: You build strong cross-difference relationships and cultivate a diverse, high-trust department culture. You use data to drive change, enlist coalitions of support, and communicate roles, accountability, and the pace of change clearly to all stakeholders. You build cross-department coordination structures and account for the impact of your team's decisions on others.
Lead Results: You set a clear department strategy and balance long-term investment against near-term results. You make and stand by difficult decisions, sharing rationale transparently. You hold yourself and your team to high expectations and demonstrate genuine accountability for department outcomes.

Knowledge & Skills

Required Qualifications

Experience

6-9+ years of experience in HR operations, HR systems, or organizational operations in a complex organization; within education or mission-driven organizational strongly preferred
Significant experience designing and improving operational systems, workflows, and service delivery models that support scale, compliance, and a high-quality employee experience
3+ years of people management experience, including managing managers and building high-performing operational teams

Education

Bachelor's degree

Knowledge/skills

Deep expertise in HR operations, including HRIS administration, employee lifecycle processes, benefits, and compliance
Strong systems-thinking orientation, with the ability to understand how processes, policies, data, and technology interact across teams and functions to to identify issues and drive system improvements
Strong operational judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify root causes, evaluate trade-offs, and implement sustainable solutions
Strong project management skills, with a track record of partnering effectively across IT, Finance, and Legal functions.
Strong communication and change management skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts and operational decisions into clear guidance for stakeholders
Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and sound judgment

Preferred Qualifications

3+ years of experience managing HR operations, systems or programs in complex, multi-site organization preferred
HRIS implementation experience
PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP are preferred

Role Details

The following details describe how this role is structured and what to expect day-to-day.

Work Setting

Onsite

Travel Expectation

Occasional school travel

Driver's License

[Must have a valid CA driver's license and access to a reliable vehicle for work-related travel / Must have a valid CA driver's license and access to reliable transportation for work-related travel]

Physical Demands

Ability to navigate office and school campuses, use technology, and occasionally lift or carry materials [up to 20 lbs].

Mental Demands

Ability to manage competing priorities, concentrate for sustained periods, analyze complex information, and make decisions under normal work pressures.

Environmental

Office/RSO environment subject to regular interruptions and distractions

KIPP Northern California is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Compensation

KIPP Northern California is dedicated to you and your family's well-being! We offer a competitive salary as well as a comprehensive benefits package. Benefits include medical, dental, vision coverage, paid time off, retirement plan with employer contribution and commuter benefits.

We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. We benchmark annually against comparably-sized non-profit organizations in the regions where we operate, to offer competitive salaries. The salary range for this position is between $136,000 and $164,000. Most candidates will be compensated at $147,000.
How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume by clicking apply on this page.

Director of Human Resources, Operations

KIPP Public Schools Northern California

Oakland, CA

About the Company

KIPP Public Schools Northern California

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