Director of People Operations

About the Director of People Operations

The Director of People Operations at Mobile Loaves & Fishes is a strategic, highly relational leadership role reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer. This position oversees the full scope of human resources operations, including talent acquisition, employee relations, benefits administration, organizational development, and overall people strategy, while leading a small HR team and stewarding an approximate $1 million departmental budget. More than a traditional HR leadership role, the Director of People Operations serves as both a systems builder and culture leader within a deeply mission-driven, trauma-informed organization. This individual will partner closely with executive leadership to strengthen organizational health, support leadership development initiatives, and help navigate the complexities that come with rapid organizational growth and emotionally demanding ministry work. The ideal candidate will bring significant senior-level HR experience across both nonprofit and for-profit environments and will lead with emotional intelligence, steadiness, empathy, and sound judgment. Success in this role requires a leader who can build trust across the organization while also establishing healthy systems, accountability, and professional boundaries that support long-term staff wellbeing. The Director of People Operations will play a key role in fostering a healthy, mission-aligned culture where employees feel supported, developed, and equipped to serve with excellence.

Responsibilities

• Strategy & Organizational Effectiveness: Serve as a key "systems builder," providing strategic oversight for HR operations, organizational effectiveness, and overall people strategy. Partner closely with executive leadership to ensure policies, processes, and organizational initiatives support both employee wellbeing and the organization's Christ-centered mission and culture. Help evaluate and strengthen organizational structure, workforce planning, and team development as the ministry continues to grow and scale. Collaborate cross-functionally with senior leaders to build trust, navigate complexity, and foster a healthy, mission-aligned organizational culture.
• Team Leadership & Human Resources Management: Oversee an approximate $1 million departmental budget with indirect responsibility supporting approximately $14 million in payroll and benefits administration. Lead and develop a small People Operations team, including direct oversight of People Operations Managers and additional indirect reports. Oversee talent acquisition processes, including recruitment strategy, candidate screening, and partnership with hiring managers throughout the hiring process. Provide leadership across core HR functions, including benefits administration, compliance, onboarding and offboarding, payroll-related processes, and employee lifecycle management.
• Leadership Development & Coaching: Contribute to the development and execution of leadership training, coaching initiatives, and organization-wide professional development programs. Equip leaders and staff to maintain healthy emotional and professional boundaries within a trauma-informed ministry environment. Support managers in navigating difficult conversations, employee accountability, and team leadership with confidence and consistency.
• Employee Relations & Staff Support: Provide oversight and support related to employee relations, performance management, and staff care initiatives. Serve as a steady, empathetic resource for teams operating in emotionally demanding environments, helping promote long-term staff health and resilience. Oversee leave administration processes, including FMLA, short-term disability, and employee support through personal or workplace challenges.
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Organizational Support: While volunteer management and fundraising are not primary functions of this role, the Director of People Operations will serve as a strategic partner to teams responsible for advancement, community engagement, and volunteer operations. Ensure ministry teams have the organizational support, HR partnership, and staff care needed to effectively carry out their mission and externally facing initiatives.

Education and Experience

• Senior HR Leadership Experience: The ideal candidate will bring significant experience leading HR and organizational effectiveness initiatives within complex and growing organizations. While educational background is flexible based on experience and demonstrated competency, candidates should possess a strong track record of strategic people leadership, ideally with 7+ years in senior-level HR leadership roles.
• Cross-Sector Perspective: Experience across both nonprofit and for-profit environments is highly valued, particularly within mission-driven organizations where culture, growth, and operational excellence must work in tandem.
• Trauma-Informed Leadership: Prior experience supporting teams within emotionally demanding or trauma-informed environments is strongly preferred, along with a demonstrated commitment to people-first leadership practices.
• Leadership Development & Organizational Growth: Candidates should have hands-on experience designing or implementing leadership development, coaching, training, and organizational development initiatives that strengthen teams and culture at scale.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strategic Thinking & Organizational Agility: Candidates should be comfortable navigating organizational complexity and ambiguity with discernment, flexibility, and sound judgment rather than rigid or purely transactional approaches.
• Systems Building & Organizational Development: The role requires strong organizational leadership skills, including experience building scalable systems, strengthening processes, and supporting healthy organizational growth.
• Coaching & Mentorship: Strong coaching and leadership development abilities are essential, including the capacity to equip managers and staff to navigate personnel matters, accountability, and team leadership effectively and independently.
• Comprehensive HR Expertise: Candidates should possess deep knowledge across core HR functions, including employee relations, benefits administration, payroll compliance, leave management, recruitment, onboarding, and performance management.
• Relational Leadership Style: Within the organization's collaborative culture, the ideal leader will demonstrate both tenacity and enablement—balancing follow-through, accountability, encouragement, and team empowerment.

Personal Characteristics and Qualifications

• Faith & Mission Alignment: As a Christ-centered ministry, Mobile Loaves & Fishes seeks a leader who is personally aligned with the organization's Christian mission, values, and culture, and who can thoughtfully navigate faith within the workplace with authenticity and maturity.
• Steadiness & Emotional Intelligence: The Director of People Operations must bring a calm, grounded, and emotionally steady presence, particularly within a fast-paced and emotionally complex ministry environment. Healthy boundaries, resilience, and strong self-awareness are essential.
• Humility & Relational Leadership: The successful candidate will lead with humility, curiosity, and a collaborative spirit, taking time to build trust, understand the organization, and cultivate strong relationships across teams and departments.
• Courageous & Collaborative Leadership: This role requires someone who can engage difficult conversations with wisdom and confidence, advocate effectively for employees and organizational health, and partner constructively with executive leadership.
• Culture & Team Presence: The ideal candidate will contribute positively to the organization's relational culture by bringing warmth, authenticity, approachability, and a genuine enjoyment of people and community.