Employee Relations Director

Kiva Brands, Inc.; California (MO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Kiva Brands, Inc. is seeking a Director of People Operations & Culture to lead HR across all Kiva entities in the United States.

This role owns Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, Employee Relations, Total Rewards, Payroll & Benefits, Compliance, and Culture, setting scalable systems and a consistent employee experience as the business grows. The successful candidate will drive enterprise-wide strategy, manage a lean team, and serve as a trusted advisor to leaders while ensuring compliance across

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR/People Operations experience with leadership responsibility.
• Experience leading People Operations in a multi-entity, multi-state organization.
• Experience owning a talent acquisition function; M&A/integration preferred.
• Deep knowledge of California employment law; working knowledge of multi-state requirements.
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute enterprise-wide People Operations strategy, including HRM in various entities and state laws.
• Own full-cycle talent acquisition, onboarding, and workforce planning.
• Lead performance management, engagement, and succession planning.
• Oversee employee relations, workplace investigations, compensation strategy, payroll and benefits.

Skills

HR Leadership

Multi-State HR

Talent Acquisition

M&A Experience

California Employment Law

SHRM-SPHR

Bilingual EN/ES

Job description

Kiva is looking for a Director of People Operations & Culture to serve as the head of HR across all Kiva companies. This is a strategic and hands-on leadership role, owning Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, Employee Relations, Total Rewards, Payroll & Benefits, Workers' Compensation, Compliance, and Culture. You'll set the direction for how we attract, develop, support, and retain our people — building scalable systems and a consistent employee experience as we grow.

This job is for you if...

• You believe great companies are built through clarity, consistency, and genuine care for people.
• You operate equally well at the strategic level and in the weeds.
• You're a trusted advisor to leaders and a steady, credible presence for employees.
• You build structure without bureaucracy, and culture without performative gestures.
• You're ready to lead a lean, hardworking team, staying close to the work as the business grows.

As Kiva's Director, People Operations and Culture...

• Set and execute Kiva's enterprise-wide People Operations strategy, including leading the people side of any M&A, integrations, or restructuring.
• Own full-cycle talent acquisition, onboarding and workforce planning.
• Lead performance management, engagement and succession planning.
• Provide strategic oversight of employee relations and workplace investigations.Own compensation strategy, payroll and benefits across all entities and states.
• Ensure compliance with employment law in every state where Kiva operates.
• Steward Kiva's culture through onboarding, recognition, and change management.

What we're looking for:

• 8+ years of progressive HR/People Operations experience, including team leadership.
• Proven experience leading People Operations in a multi-entity, multi-state organization.
• Experience owning a talent acquisition function; M&A/integration experience strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of California employment law and working knowledge of multi-state requirements.
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.

Full job description with complete responsibilities available on our careers page: