Managing Director, People & Culture

Your Role and Responsibilities

• HR Operations, Policy, and Compliance
• Assess and either harmonize or enhance HR policies across a multi-state organization
• Serve as the team’s go-to authority on employment law (particularly CA, WA, and NY), translating legal requirements into practical, defensible guidance for managers and employees
• Build and maintain reliable, well-documented HR processes: onboarding, offboarding, performance management, leaves, accommodations, separations, so the function runs predictably and without gaps
• Employee Relations
• Personally handle complex, sensitive, and high-stakes employee relations matters with sound judgment, discretion, and follow-through
• Coach managers on performance management, documentation, and difficult conversations, so people issues are handled well at every level
• Spot patterns and systemic risks early, and address them before they become crises
• Talent Management
• Partner with the head of Learning & Development to shape and build a talent management program grounded in the firm’s long-term business needs and the strengths of its existing team, using that foundation to inform every phase of the program, from recruiting to development to offboarding
• Develop a comprehensive performance management strategy and work directly with managers to implement the strategy consistently
• Lead and develop a small People & Culture team, operating as a player-coach who does the work alongside the team (including filling gaps where needed) while progressively building the team’s capabilities
• Strategic Guidance
• Advise the executive team on organizational design and the competitive landscape for talent, grounded in the real needs of our people and the constraints of our business
• Develop a forward-looking people strategy that helps us identify and cultivate future leaders, address succession issues, and evolve with a rapidly-changing technological and competitive landscape
• Prepare and present clear, concise Board-level updates on people metrics, risk areas, and strategic initiatives
• Guide the compensation and benefits program by advising on strategy and key inputs (e.g., what to benchmark, what matters, and why) without needing to personally build the models
• Culture & Engagement
• Earn trust as an accessible, credible leader who listens, follows through, and treats people honestly
• Drive engagement practices (i.e., surveys, listening strategies, stay and exit interviews) and turn what you hear into concrete action, not just slide decks
• Partner with leadership and other internal stakeholders to foster an equitable and inclusive workplace, embedding these principles into everyday practices and decisions rather than treating them as standalone programs

What You Will Bring to the Role

• Experience and Background
• 10+ years of progressive HR experience with demonstrated depth in employee relations, talent management, and policy in complex, multi-site organizations
• Strong working knowledge of employment law in your home state (i.e., California for SF-based candidates or Washington for Seattle-based candidates) and ideally a working familiarity with other states where we have offices and the judgment to know when to act, when to pause, and when to call outside counsel
• Hands-on experience harmonizing HR practices in organizations that have grown through merger
• A track record of finishing things, producing high-quality written work product, managing competing priorities without dropping balls, and holding yourself to the same standard you set for your team
• The ability to communicate at every altitude, from a one-on-one with a worried employee to the full Board
• Experience in financial services or wealth management is a plus
• Distinguishing Characteristics
• Courage. You say the hard thing when it needs to be said, to both the fragile and the powerful, and you do it with enough care and clarity that people trust you, even when they don't like the message.
• Tolerance for ambiguity. You can make sound, defensible decisions with incomplete information, explain your reasoning, and adjust when you learn more. You don't freeze waiting for a perfect answer that isn't coming.
• Ownership. When something is yours, it gets done. You don't need to be chased, reminded, or managed. The work product that comes out of People & Culture reflects your standard, and sets and upholds a high standard for team performance

About Us

Laird Norton Wetherby (LNW) has served the interests of exceptional families and individuals for more than five decades. As both an RIA and trust company, LNW offers a full spectrum of specialized wealth & legacy planning, investment management, and trust & estate services that advance the aspirations and long-term, multigeneration financial ambitions of its clients. LNW has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as well as an affiliate trust company in South Dakota, empowering clients across the U.S.

LNW is majority owned by Laird Norton Company, one of the longest-sustained family enterprises in the United States, as well as by active employees.

Additional Information

The firm aims to cultivate an inclusive environment and culture that fosters growth, collaboration and acceptance; where we celebrate the diverse voices and perspectives of our employees; and where employees feel empowered to bring their full, authentic selves. Our diversity drives us forward and helps us build deeper relationships with our clients and our community.

The firm is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination against employees, applicants for employment, individuals providing services in the workplace pursuant to a contract, unpaid interns and volunteers based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, marital status, registered domestic partner status, military and veteran status, civil air patrol status, national origin, immigration status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, and including medical conditions related to lactation) or medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics).