Job Description:

The Director of People Operations/Benefits & Payroll serves as the strategic and operational leader for the core functions that enable Self-Help's mission: Benefits, Payroll, Compensation, and Wellness. Reporting to the Executive Vice President for HR and Administration, this role ensures that over 900 staff members across 10 states and Washington, DC have the compensation, comprehensive benefits support, and the resources they need to thrive professionally and personally. This leader will partner closely with the Accounting & Finance, Talent Management and Learning & Development teams, and Benefits and Retirement committees to deliver integrated HR solutions that support Self-Help's continued growth through organic expansion and credit union mergers.

This is an opportunity to lead with both precision and vision.

You'll guide a dedicated operations team through a period of significant transformation—implementing new systems, refining processes, and building capacity to support Self-Help's expanding footprint. The role requires both depth—deep expertise in benefits design, retirement plan administration, and payroll compliance—and breadth, with opportunities to shape wellness strategy, drive process innovation through technology and automation, and contribute to broader people strategy conversations. If you're energized by building high-performing teams, designing benefits that reflect organizational values, and ensuring HR operations are both excellent and scalable, this role offers meaningful work at the heart of Self-Help's mission.

The ideal candidate brings technical mastery, an orientation towards collaboration and continuous improvement, and a player-coach approach, leading with both steadiness and agility. You'll thrive in environments where influence matters as much as authority, find creative solutions to complex operational challenges, and ensure that Self-Help's people infrastructure grows alongside its impact.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

Strategic HR Leadership

• Collaborate with Talent Management and Learning & Development teams to deliver cohesive, integrated HR solutions; ensure seamless information sharing around leave administration, onboarding, and employee lifecycle events

• Support integration of credit unions acquired via mergers; quickly learn new systems, translate processes, and manage payroll/benefits for acquired entities until system conversion

• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on benefits strategy, retirement plan management, and compliance considerations, aligning strategies with organizational goals and values

• Drive policy development, implementation, and updates in alignment with legal requirements and organizational best practices

• Lead change management initiatives, fostering cross-functional collaboration and continuous improvement in HR operations

• Direct Workday implementation of benefits/payroll business processes and optimization, ensuring data integrity across all employee records and HR systems

• Champion economic inclusion initiatives by promoting supplier diversity and supporting vendors owned by women and people of color

Payroll Operations & Compliance

• Ensure payroll accuracy, consistency, and compliance across multiple states and geographies; document processes and create unified national payroll standards

• Partner closely with Accounting & Finance team on payroll accounting, reconciliations, and vendor documentation; proactively address compliance exposures and audit requirements

• Build contingency plans and cross-training protocols to ensure operational stability; anticipate and plan for complexities such as non-standard pay cycles

Benefits and Wellness

• Design and oversee the administration of a comprehensive benefits program, ensuring offerings are diverse, inclusive, aligned with employee needs and organizational values

• Serve as plan sponsor for 401(k) and 403(b) retirement plans; convene Retirement Committee and manage relationships with investment advisors to ensure compliance with ERISA and complex regulations, especially during mergers

• Lead benefits design and vendor negotiations for self-funded health plans; partner with broker and Benefits Committee on strategic decisions including plan pricing, coverage design, and cost management

• Partner with managers and staff to identify physical, emotional, and financial wellness needs and create programming that supports staff wellbeing across all dimension

• Maximize staff adoption of benefits through proactive communication, education campaigns, and innovative rollout strategies in partnership with Internal Communications

Compensation Management

• Execute annual merit processes in partnership with Coordinating Committee

• Serve as partner to Talent Management on compensation strategy; collaborate on job architecture and pay equity analysis

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop the HR Operations team, including managers of Benefits/Payroll and Compensation and a layered team of seven administrators and analysts

• Build team capacity and technical skills during organizational transition, promoting collaboration, accountability, and continuous skill growth

The essential functions are listed above and reasonable accommodations will be made to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Minimum Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive HR operations management experience with direct responsibility for benefits and payroll functions

• At least 3 years of leadership and team management responsibility in a national/dispersed organization with multiple locations and varied employee populations (exempt and non-exempt)

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field OR equivalent related experience

Payroll & Benefits Expertise

• Experience with retirement plan administration as plan sponsor (401k/403b) with an understanding of ERISA compliance, plan documents, and merger complexities

• Experience designing and negotiating benefits for a self-funded health plan

• Nuanced understanding of federal and multi-state payroll laws, with the ability to ask critical questions and ensure accuracy across exempt/non-exempt populations

Technical Acumen

• Workday (or similar HRIS) experience with business processes and optimization on benefits/payroll side; system implementation experience strongly preferred

• Excel proficiency - pivot tables, basic formulas, data organization for analysis and storytelling

• Strong analytical and financial acumen; ability to model, interpret, and present data for decision-making

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• CEBS, PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP/SCP or similar professional certifications

• Wellness program design and management

• Experience with benefits marketing/internal communications to drive adoption

• Experience integrating acquired entities or managing merger-related HR processes

• Nonprofit or mission-driven organization experience

As an HR Leader, you will be….

• A strategic systems builder, proactively building infrastructure for scalable growth, while preserving flexibility for nuances across geographies and business units

• Adept at operating within a relationship-based organization, highly collaborative and embodying an “us vs. the problem” mindset

• Deeply attuned to morale, displaying earnest willingness to listen to and incorporate constructive feedback, ensuring team members feel heard and supported

• Ready to roll up your sleeves to execute when needed, while also being able to take a long-view perspective

• Agile and influential, knowing when to push forward versus hold back, discerning on what’s critical and what can wait

• Comfortable with quantitative analysis, understanding how HR data is structured, making cost-benefit arguments regarding benefits,, and translating complex data requests into meaningful insights

You’ll also bring a deep commitment to Self-Help’s mission of creating economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents and low-wealth families and communities, and aligned in thought and action with our core values.

WORK ARRANGEMENTS

The Director of People Operations/Benefits & Payroll is a hybrid role, based out of Durham, NC. Staff are expected to be in the office three days per week, with Monday and Wednesday as communal days and the third day determined by each individual. In order to connect and collaborate with colleagues across the organization, this role may include up to three weeks of travel each quarter for strategic planning, retreats, and visits to regional offices. Similarly, because we work across three time zones, leaders often make themselves available to connect during evening hours.

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY & BENEFITS

Self-Help believes that wealth inequality undermines the security and strength of families, communities, and the US economy. For that reason, we maintain a minimum salary floor well above the federal minimum wage for our staff, to help them meet their basic needs and save for the future. We also cap salaries at the higher end of our compensation scale, where many staff, including the CEO and other senior leaders, earn the same salary, subject only to geographic adjustments.

Salary: $97,541 - $126,610

Compensation ranges are based on local market rates and are determined by geography, role, and experience. The higher end of each range represents the current organizational salary cap for each location, which increases annually based on cost of living and organizational performance.

Health

• Medical, dental & vision insurance for employees and eligible dependents, with 80% to 100% of premiums paid by Self-Help depending on coverage levels selected

• Employee Assistance Program Access

Paid Time Off

• Vacation accrued at 15 days/year; sick time accrued at 12 days/year

• 11 paid holidays

• Paid parental leave of 12-16 weeks, prorated for staff with less than 1 year of service

Financial Wellbeing

• 401k match - 3% company contribution, plus an additional $1 for $1 on first 6% that the employee contributes

• CRL-paid life insurance of $50,000, plus long-term disability and accidental death & dismemberment coverage

• Tuition reimbursement

• As a 501(c)(3) organization, employment with CRL may provide an opportunity for student loan forgiveness. Candidates should review the provisions of their student loans to determine if this is applicable.

JOIN THE TEAM!

Visit the Self- Help Career's page to submit your resume and complete the application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, starting February 18. For full consideration, please apply before February 24.

Interview Process

Self Help’s aim is that the hiring process is both robust and efficient, ensuring that there is time for mutual discovery along the way. For this role, candidates can expect a phone screen, video interview with the hiring manager, panel interview with Talent and HR Leaders, as well as an onsite final interview that will connect them with colleagues from across the organization. Once the interview process begins, we anticipate it will take 6-8 weeks until an offer is made and communicated.

Self-Help is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Company Disclaimer:

Self-Help is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression (including transgender status), age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, class or family status.