Head of People Operations & Culture

Hawke Media; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Wellness

401(k) with company match

Unlimited PTO

Paid holidays

Parental leave

Professional growth & training

Job summary

Hawke Media in Santa Monica seeks a hands-on Director of People Operations to lead the HR function for ~150 colleagues. You will own payroll, benefits, recruiting, compliance, and culture initiatives while guiding two HR professionals and a recruiter.

You will partner with leadership to build a positive, inclusive workplace, scale People programs, and ensure compliant, effective People practices aligned with business needs.

Qualifications

• Senior HR leadership experience in a mid-sized or larger organization.
• Hands-on payroll processing for ~150 employees.
• Proven ability to lead employee relations and compliance.
• Experience with benefits, open enrollment, and retirement plan administration.
• Strong knowledge of California employment laws and local requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small HR team and serve as senior HR partner to leadership.
• Oversee onboarding, performance management, leaves, and offboarding.
• Manage payroll, benefits, and 401(k) administration with external partners.
• Oversee recruiting, candidate experience, and hiring processes.
• Develop and enforce HR policies, programs, and compliance.

Skills

Senior HR leadership

California employment practices

Payroll processing

Benefits administration

Recruiting & talent

HRIS / payroll systems

Vendor coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

HR certification (PHR/SHRM-CP)

Tools

Paycom (experience)

HRIS

Job description

Hawke Media in Santa Monica seeks a hands-on Director of People Operations to lead the HR function for ~150 colleagues. You will own payroll, benefits, recruiting, compliance, and culture initiatives while guiding two HR professionals and a recruiter.

You will partner with leadership to build a positive, inclusive workplace, scale People programs, and ensure compliant, effective People practices aligned with business needs.