Director, People Systems and Operations

KIPP NYC; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

KIPP NYC seeks a Director, People Systems and Operations to design, implement, and maintain HR systems that are secure, integrated, and scalable across the network of schools. You will own the HCM platform, drive a multi-year technology roadmap, and partner with People, Payroll, Finance, IT, and school leadership to deliver an excellent employee experience.

This role requires strong program management, data governance, and the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.

Qualifications

• Experience leading HR technology strategy and implementation.
• Ability to design scalable HR processes and data governance.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration across People, Payroll, Finance, IT.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and optimization of HR systems and processes.
• Develop multi-year People technology roadmap aligned with strategy.
• Oversee integrations across HCM, Payroll, Finance and related systems.
• Establish and maintain data governance standards and security.
• Develop scalable reporting, analytics, dashboards for People metrics.

Skills

Project management

Systems thinking

Operational excellence

Data analytics

HRIS

People operations

Stakeholder management

Tools

HCM systems

Payroll software

Data integration

Job description

About KIPP NYC

Founded in 1995, KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of 18 free, public charter schools located in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. We partner with families and communities to create joyful, academically excellent schools where every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities.

About KIPP NYC

Founded in 1995, KIPP NYC Public Schools is a non-profit network of 18 free, public charter schools located in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. We partner with families and communities to create joyful, academically excellent schools where every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities.

From our first middle school, KIPP Academy in the Bronx, to today’s network of eight elementary schools, nine middle schools, and one high school, KIPP NYC provides students with engaging academics, arts, athletics, and social-emotional learning that prepare them for college, career, and beyond.

Our commitment doesn’t end at graduation. Through KIPP Forward, we continue to support our alumni as they navigate college, career, and life, helping them define success on their own terms and pursue the paths that align with their goals and sense of purpose.

Together, we serve more than 9,400 students, support 4,700 alumni, and employ over 1,100 dedicated team members who bring passion, expertise, and commitment to our mission every day.

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