Director of People Operations, U.S.

Vita Coco•New York, NY

6d•$150,000 - $170,000

About The Position

The Director of People Operations is a strategic and operational leader responsible for building and scaling best-in-class people operations across compensation, benefits, payroll, HRIS, compliance, and people data. This role ensures Vita Coco’s people infrastructure is accurate, compliant, scalable, and employee-centered while supporting our growth as a global public company. You will partner closely with Finance, Legal, IT, and the Global People Team to design and execute benefits and payroll strategies, strengthen internal controls, and deliver reliable people data that informs business decisions. This role manages the People Operations Manager and People Coordinator and reports to the Global VP of People.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive experience in People Operations, HR Operations, or Total Rewards
5+ years leading compensation, payroll, and benefits programs
Deep experience with payroll and compensation strategy in a public company
Strong working knowledge of UKG HRIS (implementation or optimization experience preferred)
Experience supporting multi-country / global workforces
Strong knowledge of employment law and compliance frameworks
Proven people leader

Responsibilities

Lead U.S. market benchmarking and pay analysis using external surveys and internal data to ensure competitive and equitable compensation programs
Design and oversee end-to-end U.S. compensation processes, including annual merit cycles, bonus planning, promotions, off-cycle adjustments, and pay equity reviews
Play a key role in shaping and evolving Vita Coco’s compensation philosophy, frameworks, and governance
Own benefits strategy and vendor management, including renewals, plan design, and employee experience enhancements
Ensure compensation and benefits programs are compliant, scalable, and aligned with public-company standards
Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing
Serve as system owner for global HRIS (UKG), ensuring system configuration, data integrity, and optimization
Lead UKG enhancements, integrations, testing, and process automation
Maintain SOX-aligned controls for payroll, equity, compensation, and people data
Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and international employment laws and regulations
Partner with Legal on audits, filings, and regulatory reporting (e.g., proxy statement, equity disclosures, wage and hour)
Monitor regulatory changes and proactively update policies and practices
Establish data governance, documentation, and quality standards
Build dashboards and reporting for headcount, turnover, compensation, payroll, and benefits
Provide actionable insights to People and business leaders
Build scalable processes, documentation, and SOPs
Lead cross-functional projects with Finance, Legal, IT, and the Global People Team
Manage vendors and contracts related to payroll, benefits, and HR systems
Mentor and develop team members, fostering a high-performance operations culture