# Director, People Operations

**Company:** [Shield AI](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/shield-ai)
**Location:** San Diego, CA, Dallas, TX
**Role:** People Ops
**Salary:** $160k – $250k/yr
**Experience:** 15+ years
**Skills:** people operations, hr shared services, service delivery models, ai enablement, Automation, Data Governance, Compliance, HRIS, ukg, Ashby, jira service management, KPIs, slas, lean six sigma, itil
**Posted:** 2026-07-17

> Lead and scale People Operations at Shield AI by building AI-powered, self-service processes across the employee lifecycle. Requires 15+ years HR/People Ops experience including 7+ years leading shared services teams, with expertise in operational transformation, automation, data governance, and technology enablement.

## Job Description

## 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 to 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).

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