Director, People Operations

Zócalo Health is a tech-enabled, community-oriented primary care organization focused on culturally competent care for historically underserved populations. The Director of People Operations will own the operational backbone of HR to ensure consistent execution, compliance, and a strong employee lifecycle experience as the company scales. This role reports to the Chief People & Compliance Officer and supports growth beyond 250 employees.

• 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

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience, including ownership of HR operations
• Experience in a scaling organization (startup or high-growth environment 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
• Must be authorized to work in the United States

• Employment type: Full-time
• Work arrangement: Remote (from anywhere in the U.S.)
• Compensation: Equity compensation package
• Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision
• Retirement: 401k
• Time off: Flexible PTO policy
• Home office: $1,000 home office stipend
• Equipment: Company-provided equipment
• Growth: Opportunity for rapid career progression