Director, People & Culture (San Diego)

As Centura’s Director of People & Culture, you will serve as a strategic leader responsible for shaping and advancing the firm’s people strategy and culture. In partnership with leadership, you will align HR practices with business objectives, driving operational excellence, compliance, and a values-driven, psychologically safe, and engaging workplace.

This role leads initiatives that strengthens employee engagement and supports a high-performing, inclusive environment, while ensuring HR policies, programs, and systems reflect best practices and comply with federal and state regulations. As a trusted advisor to both leadership and employees, you will foster collaboration, trust, compassion, and transparency across the organization, championing a culture where people thrive and business goals are achieved through aligned, purpose-driven performance.

Primary Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop the People & Culture team.
• Foster a psychologically safe team environment and provide coaching, guidance, and ongoing feedback to support individual growth, strengthen capabilities, and drive high performance.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and solutions-oriented team environment that reflects Centura’s values and culture.
• Oversee team workflows and resource allocation to ensure efficient execution of People & Culture initiatives and programs.
• Partner with team members to elevate their strategic thinking, empowering them to take ownership of program design and execution.
• Identify opportunities to enhance team structure, processes, and capabilities to support the firm’s growth and evolving needs.
• Support succession planning and talent development within the People & Culture function to ensure long-term success

Employee Engagement

• Partner with the Sr. People & Culture Specialist to build and enhance employee engagement and culture initiatives, ensuring alignment with the firm’s values and business objectives.
• Partner with the Sr. People & Culture Specialist to design and manage engagement programs, including employee events, wellness initiatives, volunteer opportunities, etc.
• Support the integration of development resources, such as building curriculum with Centura’s Executive Coach and owning Centura’s leadership development training to enhance employee growth.
• Oversee the use of engagement tools to gather feedback, identify trends and partner with the Sr. People & Culture Specialist to implement changes.
• Review and interpret engagement data and survey results with the Sr. People & Culture Specialist, providing insights and recommendations to leadership to inform culture and retention strategies.
• Ensure employee recognition programs effectively reinforce Centura’s values and support a positive, performance-driven culture.
• Partner with the Sr. People & Culture Specialist to translate employee feedback into strategic initiatives that enhance engagement, morale, and organizational effectiveness.
• Champion a culture of transparency, compassion, trust, and open communication across the organization.
• Continuously evaluate engagement strategies and programs, ensuring they remain effective, scalable, and aligned with evolving business needs.

Performance Management

• Continuously refine Centura’s performance management framework to ensure alignment with the firm’s mission, values, and strategic objectives.
• Partner with leadership to establish clear performance expectations, goal-setting processes, and feedback standards that promote accountability and growth.
• Partner with the Sr. People & Culture Specialist to oversee and administer Centura’s annual and quarterly review cycles, including timeline planning, training and communication.
• Coach managers on delivering constructive, values-based feedback and fostering a culture of continuous performance improvement.
• Analyze performance data to identify firmwide strengths, development needs, and trends that inform talent planning and training initiatives.
• Ensure consistency, fairness, and compliance in performance evaluation practices across all departments.
• Partner with Finance and leadership to connect performance outcomes with compensation and advancement decisions.
• Develop and maintain performance improvement and development programs that support employee success and retention.
• Champion a feedback-driven culture that values recognition, accountability, and professional development.
• Analyze performance data to identify firmwide trends, high-potential talent, and areas requiring additional support, training or intervention

Open Enrollment

• Lead Centura’s annual benefits renewal and open enrollment process, including timeline creation, vendor coordination, and communication planning.
• Evaluate current benefit plan performance annually by analyzing participation, utilization, employee feedback and cost trends.
• Partner with the firm’s benefits broker to review plan design options, renewals, and alternative carriers or cost-savings opportunities.
• Benchmark benefit offerings against industry standards to ensure competitiveness and alignment with the firm’s total rewards strategy.
• Recommend plan design changes to leadership based on cost, compliance, and employee needs.
• Oversee benefits-related compliance requirements, including ACA reporting, ERISA notices, COBRA administration, and plan document updates.
• Collaborate with Finance to forecast benefits costs and incorporate updates into the annual budget.
• Manage vendor and carrier relationships, ensuring service quality, data accuracy, and timely issue resolution.
• Develop and deliver employee communication materials for open enrollment (e.g., guides, FAQs, and presentations) that clearly explain benefits options and changes.
• Conduct post-enrollment audits to verify accuracy of enrollments, deductions, and carrier data feeds.
• Analyze employee benefits trends and utilization data to inform future benefit strategy and wellness initiatives.

Leave of Absences / Reasonable Accommodations

• Administer Centura’s Leave of Absence (LOA) and Reasonable Accommodation processes in compliance with federal and California laws (e.g., FMLA, CFRA, ADA).
• Coordinate with employees, managers, and HR leadership to ensure a smooth leave process and proper return-to-work planning.

Workers’ Compensation

• Oversee Centura’s Workers’ Compensation program in compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employees and managers regarding workplace injuries or incidents.
• File claims and coordinate with the insurance carrier to ensure timely submission and follow-up.
• Partner with the insurance carrier, healthcare providers, and legal representatives to ensure effective case management and resolution.

Policy Updates and Renewals

• Review annual federal and California legislative and regulatory updates to ensure company policies remain compliant.
• Partner with Littler or other legal resources to update Centura’s Employee Handbook and related policy documents as needed.
• Coordinate with leadership and department heads to communicate new or updated policies to employees.
• Provide guidance to managers and employees regarding policy interpretation and implementation.

Compliance

• Oversee all HR compliance functions to ensure alignment with federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour, leave, benefits, and anti-discrimination regulations.
• Oversee completion of all mandatory employee trainings and certifications, including compliance, anti-harassment, and cybersecurity requirements.
• Ensure accurate and timely completion of required reporting and filings (e.g., ACA, EEO-1, OSHA, COBRA, ERISA).
• Conduct regular internal audits of HR practices, personnel files, and system data to maintain compliance and readiness for external audits.
• Partner with leadership to manage compliance-related investigations, employee relations issues, and disciplinary actions as needed.
• Stay informed of changes in employment law and proactively recommend updates to policies and processes to mitigate organizational risk.
• Perform other duties as assigned, contributing to a collaborative and high-performing team environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Successful track record of leading a team and providing individual mentorship and development
• Experience building and managing employee engagement initiatives
• Deep understanding of employment law and HR compliance across federal and California regulations (FMLA, CFRA, ADA, ACA, EEO, wage and hour, etc.).
• Experience with open enrollment, compensation structures, and total rewards strategies.
• Knowledge of change management and organizational effectiveness principles.
• Skilled in coaching leaders through feedback, performance improvement, and talent growth.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution, moving seamlessly between big-picture planning and hands-on player-coach leadership.
• Skilled project management methodologies and experience building and implementing talent management frameworks.
• Knowledge of compensa