Director, People Systems and Operations

Job Description

Position Overview:

KIPP NYC is seeking a Director, People Systems and Operations to lead the design, innovation, implementation, and maintenance of HR and People systems that are reliable, secure, integrated, and strengthen the organization’s people, payroll, and workforce operations.

At KIPP NYC, we believe strong people systems create the conditions for our employees to do their best work in service of students and families. The Director, People Systems and Operations will play a critical role in building the systems, processes, and data infrastructure that support a seamless and high-quality employee experience across our schools and Shared Services Team.

Reporting to the Managing Director, People Operations & Total Rewards, the Director serves as the organization’s architect and owner of the Human Capital Management (HCM) platform and related HR technologies, partnering closely with teams across People, Payroll, Finance, IT, and organizational leaders.

This individual will bring strong project management, systems thinking, operational excellence, and employee-centered design to complex cross-functional workstreams. They will drive employee lifecycle governance, improve service delivery, strengthen operational handoffs, and create scalable processes that support employees across the network. This role is responsible not only for maintaining systems, but also for ensuring technology and business processes work together to deliver  an accurate, efficient, compliant, and high-quality employee experience. 

The Director will also bring KIPP NYC’s People data to life—moving beyond reporting to interpret trends, surface insights, identify opportunities, and translate data into actionable recommendations that inform People Team strategy and broader organizational priorities. 

This is a full-time position with a hybrid schedule, requiring a minimum of three in-person days per week based out of our KIPP NYC Midtown Manhattan office. The role also includes travel to KIPP NYC campuses across the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. The cadence and frequency of school visits will be determined by your leadership team.

Duties and Responsibilities:

General responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

People Systems Strategy, Design & Optimization

• Serve as the systems leader and subject-matter expert for KIPP NYC’s HCM ecosystem, including Core HR, Payroll, Time & Attendance, Benefits, Recruiting, Onboarding, Compensation, Performance Management, and related People technologies.
• Develop and execute a multi-year People technology roadmap aligned with organizational strategy, evolving business needs, and the employee and manager experience.
• Lead the design, configuration, integration, testing, implementation, and ongoing optimization of People systems, workflows, and automation, ensuring technology solutions simplify and strengthen business processes rather than replicate inefficient legacy practices.
• Oversee integrations across HCM, Payroll, Finance, benefits, recruiting, identity and access management, and other enterprise systems; diagnose and lead the resolution of complex system and integration issues.
• Establish and maintain standards for system architecture, configuration, testing, documentation, release management, security, and ongoing system maintenance.

Data Governance, Controls & People Operations

• Establish and maintain People data governance standards, including data definitions, ownership, authoritative sources, role-based access and security, validation, quality controls, and recurring audits and reconciliations.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of employee and organizational data across the employee lifecycle, including jobs, positions, compensation, locations, reporting relationships, and employment status.
• Develop and maintain processes and controls that support data integrity and payroll accuracy, including appropriate segregation of duties, automation, reconciliations, documentation, and standard operating procedures; ensure the accurate preparation, review, and approval of required federal, state, local, and other regulatory People data reporting.
• Develop scalable reporting, analytics, dashboards, and service metrics, and translate workforce and service data into actionable insights, identifying trends and areas of risk or opportunity, and using those insights to inform People Team priorities and broader organizational strategy.
• Strengthen People service delivery and the employee experience through employee and manager self-service, workflow improvements, service metrics, and technology-enabled support, including the Payroll inquiry and ticketing strategy.

Project Management & Change Leadership

• Lead complex, cross-functional People technology implementations, upgrades, integrations, and operational improvement initiatives from scoping through implementation and stabilization.
• Establish disciplined project governance, including clear ownership, timelines, milestones, dependencies, risks, decision-making, implementation readiness, and measures of success.
• Coordinate work across People, Payroll, Finance, IT, Communications, school-based teams, and other stakeholders to ensure clear accountability, effective handoffs, successful execution, and a seamless, high-quality employee experience.
• Lead change management for significant system and process changes, including stakeholder engagement, communications, training, documentation, and post-launch support.
• Select and manage technology vendors and consultants, including project scope, Statements of Work, deliverables, timelines, performance, costs, and escalation of implementation or service issues.

Qualifications

• 9+ years of progressively responsible experience in Human Resources, People Operations, Employee Experience, Organizational Effectiveness, Project Management, or a related field, including significant ownership of enterprise HR technology.
• 3+ years of experience leading complex HR technology projects, teams, or functions.
• Deep experience with a major enterprise HCM platform; UKG Pro and UKG Workforce Management experience strongly preferred. 
• Demonstrated experience with HRIS configuration, integrations, data governance, testing, reporting, and system controls.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives and operational improvements.
• Demonstrated ability to diagnose complex system issues and translate business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Strong project management and process improvement capabilities.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, change management, documentation, and communication skills.
• Strong systems-thinking, analytical, and problem solving skills.
• Experience working in complex, multi-location organizations; experience in education, nonprofit, or other mission-driven organizations is a plus.
• Strong understanding of HR and payroll business processes and the employee lifecycle.
• Experience managing HR technology vendors, consultants, implementations, and Statements of Work.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, and lead complex work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Additional Information

Compensation and Benefits:

KIPP NYC offers a salary ranging from $105,060 - $131,840 per year. Salary ranges at KIPP NYC are standardized based on role level and role function. Individual salaries are determined through a lens of equity, accounting for years of experience relevant to the role and scope of responsibilities, and are benchmarked against others within the same salary band.

KIPP NYC offers a generous benefits package, including, but not limited to, the following:

• Robust benefits that include medical, dental, and vision. 
• 403(b) retirement plan with a 50% match after 6 months. 
• Generous Time-Off aligned with the school calendar
• Up to 12 weeks of 100% parental leave. 
• Bright Horizon Back-up Child and Elder care.
• Employer-paid Life Insurance and Short-term/Long-term disability.
• Employee incentives include 8 Weeks paid Sabbatical after 10 years, annual professional development funds, and tuition reimbursement.

This description is intended to describe the type of work being performed by a person assigned to this position. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required by the employee.

This is a full-time, in-person role based in New York City and will require travel to our schools. If you are not in a school-based position, the cadence and frequency of travel to schools is determined by your leadership team. If you relocate outside of a commutable distance or out of the state of NY, your employment will be subject to review, which may include separation from KIPP NYC. It is important that you notify HR if you move or have plans to relocate.

KIPP NYC LLC does not offer visa sponsorship or work authorization. 

KIPP NYC LLC is committed to creating a welcoming environment that includes employees with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving students and families throughout New York City. 

KIPP NYC LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. KIPP NYC LLC is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment.