The Opportunity
We're hiring an Associate Director, People Ops and Programs to operate in a founding People Operations role, reporting to the VP of People. You will own People Ops programs end-to-endstrategy, design, rollout, enablement, measurement, iteration. You will build our core People Ops systems (HRIS, performance / engagement platforms, LMS) and launch reliable workflows and operations to support an employee base that will grow to 150+ over the next 12 months with hundreds of contractors. You will also partner with leaders on complex people issuesproviding coaching, clear recommendations, and structured documentation. This role will grow into a player-coach position as we scale, with the opportunity to build and lead a small Programs / Ops team.
Location : Hybrid TueThu in our SoHo HQ (408 Broadway, NYC).
What You'll Do
Own People Ops programs
- Set strategy, design programs, run launches, enable managers, measure outcomes, and iterate quickly.
- Ship clear cadences, playbooks, templates, and KPIs for onboarding, performance, engagement, and manager enablement.
Systems, tooling, and operations
Own HRIS, performance / engagement platforms, and LMS; design and maintain integrations.Build automated flows for the employee lifecycle across diverse employee populations (FTE, Contractor, Hybrid, Remote)Evaluate and implement new tools with clear ROI and adoption plans.People Partnership
Coach managers on feedback, performance expectations, team dynamics, and change.Lead low-to-moderate complexity ER matters; escalate high-risk cases with Legal and the VP of People.Provide timely, documented recommendations with clear business impact; maintain consistent ER records.Process, policy, and compliance
Keep core processes tight : offboarding, I-9 / E-Verify, leaves, multi-state compliance, documentation.Refresh policies with Legal / Compliance and Workplace / IT to reinforce a high-performance, inclusive culture.Cross-functional collaboration
Partner with Finance, Legal / Compliance, IT, Recruiting to scale reliable, repeatable processes.What You'll Bring
6+ years in People Operations / Program Management, with a record of shipping company-wide programs and improving them with data.Hands-on experience running onboarding and performance cycles in high-growth or dynamic environments.Systems mindset : you've administered HRIS platforms, built integrations, and automated workflows.Strong analytical skills; you build dashboards and drive decisions from metrics.Practical knowledge of multi-state compliance and sound judgment on sensitive people issues.Clear communicator, low-ego collaborator, bias for action.Bonus Points
Built programs 0?1 at a startupInterview Process
Intro call with Talent AcquisitionInterview with the VP of PeopleTake-home exerciseVirtual panel with cross-functional partnersOn-site panel in NYC and final conversation with a founderStepful is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.