Director, People Operations (r5390) Strategy & Ops

Front Door Defense; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a Director of People Operations in San Diego to lead and scale our global People Operations function. You’ll deliver an exceptional employee experience with AI-powered processes across the lifecycle, partnering with HR, Payroll, Finance, IT, Legal, and leaders.

You’ll design governance, automation, and service delivery models, while driving performance with KPIs and SLAs. This is a strategic leadership role in a fast-growing tech company.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field.
• A minimum of 15+ years in HR or People Operations in high-growth environments.
• 7+ years leading People Operations or HR Shared Services teams.
• Experience designing and scaling shared services and service delivery models.
• Proven track record with automation and AI-enabled solutions.
• Strong expertise in employee lifecycle operations, compliance, and data governance.
• Experience partnering with HRIS and enterprise technology teams.
• Demonstrated success with KPIs, SLAs, and operational reporting.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a unified People Operations vision and multi-year roadmap.
• Lead day‑to‑day operations with high-quality service across the employee lifecycle.
• Scale the People Operations function with accountable leadership.
• Establish structure, capacity planning, KPIs, and operating rhythms.
• Serve as strategic advisor on workforce operations and AI enablement.
• Transform to self‑service, AI-enabled support model.
• Own governance for AI-enabled execution, compliance, and escalation.
• Drive automation to reduce manual effort and improve quality.
• Maintain data governance and enterprise accountability.

Skills

Leadership

People Operations

Automation & AI

Stakeholder management

KPI & SLAs

Policy & governance

Communication

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business or related field

Master’s degree or MBA

Tools

UKG

Jira Service Management

Ashby

Job description

Director, People Operations (r5390)

Lead and scale Shield AI's global People Operations with AI-enabled service delivery

Location: San Diego, California, United States

Compensation: $160,000 - 250,000 USD / year

Job Tags: Strategy & Ops

About The Role

Director of People Operations

Shield AI is seeking a Director of People Operations to lead and evolve our People Operations function as we continue to scale. In this role, you'll shape how we deliver an exceptional employee experience by building efficient, technology-enabled, and AI-powered processes that support every stage of the employee lifecycle. You'll balance strategic transformation with hands‑on operational leadership, partnering closely with HR, Payroll, Finance, IT, Legal, and business leaders to create a high‑performing, scalable People organization that enables our employees—and our business—to thrive.

What you’ll do:

Strategic Leadership & Team Management

• Define and execute a unified People Operations vision, operating model, and multi‑year roadmap spanning candidate interviewing, hiring, employee onboarding and employee lifecycle operations.
• Lead day‑to‑day operations, ensuring consistent, high‑quality service delivery across the employee lifecycle.
• Lead and scale a rapidly growing People Operations function through direct leadership, with full accountability for team performance, service quality, and outcomes across the candidate and employee lifecycle.
• Establish team structure, capacity planning, KPIs, and operating rhythms to support hiring velocity, onboarding effectiveness, and ongoing operational excellence.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executives on workforce operations, hiring experience, service delivery, and AI enablement.

Service Delivery & AI Enablement

• Transform People Operations into a self‑service‑first, AI‑enabled support model.
• Design and implement service delivery architecture, including automation, case management, and digital support channels to support rapid company scaling and global expansion.
• Lead enterprise knowledge management to enable self‑service and improve consistency and AI effectiveness.
• Own and drive service performance, including SLAs, response times, quality, and employee satisfaction.
• Establish governance for AI‑enabled execution and support, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and appropriate escalation.
• Continuously improve services through analytics, feedback, and process optimization.
• Select and manage external vendors and platforms specific People Operations.

Operational Excellence & Process Design

• Own end‑to‑end workforce lifecycle processes, from interview coordination and candidate logistics through onboarding, employee changes, and offboarding.
• Ensure seamless handoffs between recruiting and employee operations to deliver a cohesive, high‑quality experience.
• Lead process redesign initiatives to improve hiring efficiency, onboarding speed, service quality, and risk reduction.
• Establish policies, documentation, controls, and service standards.
• Drive automation strategies to reduce manual effort and improve quality.
• Ensure operational continuity and audit readiness.
• Lead change management and adoption for new processes, tools and capabilities.

Data Governance & Compliance

• Ensure accuracy, security, and integrity of employee data and workforce transactions.
• Establish governance, audit, and validation practices to reduce risk.
• Partner with HRIS, Payroll, Legal, and Finance to maintain compliance and alignment with internal controls.
• Drive enterprise accountability for data quality across People systems.

Technology & Enablement

• Partner with HRIS, IT, Talent Acquisition, and Digital teams to define and execute the People Operations technology roadmap.
• Support adoption and optimization of platforms such as UKG, Jira Service Management, Ashby, and automation tools.
• Translate business needs across the People Operations function into scalable systems and workflows.

Analytics & Continuous Improvement

• Establish related service metrics, dashboards, and reporting frameworks.
• Monitor SLAs, KPIs, and operational health indicators.
• Use data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities for automation.
• Drive continuous improvement and data‑informed decision‑making.
• Measure service effectiveness, employee experience, and AI performance.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, industry trends, and evolving best practices to continuously modernize and scale People Operations.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 15+ years of progressive HR or People Operations experience in complex or high‑growth environments.
• 7+ years leading People Operations or HR Shared Services teams.
• Experience designing and scaling shared services and service delivery models.
• Proven track record of operational transformation, including automation and AI‑enabled solutions.
• Strong expertise in employee lifecycle operations, compliance, and data governance.
• Experience partnering with HRIS and enterprise technology teams.
• Demonstrated success with KPIs, SLAs, and operational reporting.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree or MBA in a related field.
• Experience in technology, aerospace, defense, or high‑growth industries.
• Experience building AI‑enabled service models and knowledge management systems.
• Experience with UKG, Ashby and Jira
• Background in service management, digital transformation, or operational excellence.
• Knowledge of Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, or ITIL methodologies.
• Experience supporting multi‑state or global workforce operations.
• Relevant certifications (e.g., SHRM‑SCP, SPHR, PMP, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL).

$160,000 - $250,000 a year