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Salary: USD 148,750 - 218,750 / annual
Panorama Education is seeking a Director of People Operations & Systems to build and lead a lean, AI-enabled People function. This is a builder role focused on owning the infrastructure that enables accurate, efficient, and scalable HR operations.
You will own the People systems ecosystem, people data integrity, payroll governance and controls, employee lifecycle operations, and the continuous redesign of People workflows through AI, automation, and self-service. You will inherit systems and processes that need to evolve, lead the transition to a modern HR technology environment, and create an operating model that reduces manual work while strengthening accuracy, controls, and employee and manager experience.
Key responsibilities include:
**People Systems & Technology:** Own the HRIS architecture, system governance, integrations, access, and vendor performance. Serve as the internal business owner for HRIS modernization, leading requirements, data migration, configuration, testing, training, and rollout. Ensure systems are designed around scalable workflows, clear controls, and manager/employee self-service. Partner with IT and Security on integrations, access controls, and audit requirements.
**People Data, Analytics & Controls:** Own the integrity and governance of People data including organizational structure, job architecture, compensation data, and employee records. Build proactive data-quality controls to identify discrepancies before they create payroll, reporting, or compliance issues. Develop scalable dashboards and self-service reporting for headcount, hiring, turnover, compensation, and talent trends. Reduce reliance on manual reports through workflow redesign and automation.
**Payroll Governance & Operational Risk:** Lead payroll capability with accountability for accuracy, timeliness, controls, documentation, and audit readiness. Manage and develop the payroll team member responsible for day-to-day execution. Establish clear review and escalation mechanisms with Finance. Redesign payroll workflows as systems and automation mature, shifting toward governance and exception management.
**Employee Lifecycle & People Operations:** Own the operational infrastructure supporting onboarding, offboarding, employment changes, contractor lifecycle, I-9/E-Verify, and international EOR operations. Ensure workflows are accurate, compliant, well-controlled, and increasingly self-service. Partner across Finance, IT, Legal, Security, Talent, and People Business Partners. Maintain a resilient operating model with clear documentation and backup coverage.
**Benefits, Compliance & Team Leadership:** Lead the Benefits & Compliance capability with clear priorities, vendor partnerships, and effective compliance operating rhythm. Own operational compliance infrastructure and audit readiness. Clarify roles, decision rights, controls, and service expectations. Build capacity through systems, partners, and automation rather than headcount.
**AI-Enabled Operational Transformation:** Continuously identify manual handoffs, bottlenecks, and control points that can be eliminated, simplified, or automated. Use AI and automation as core tools for operating-model redesign. Evaluate workflows from first principles before automating. Measure improvements in capacity, speed, accuracy, control, and experience.
**Cross-Functional Partnership:** Serve as the senior People Operations partner to Finance on payroll controls, People data, and workforce reporting. Partner with IT and Security on systems architecture and controls. Work with Legal on employment and compliance matters. Translate complex operational issues into clear recommendations for leadership.
Success will be measured by trusted and governed People data, successful HRIS modernization, strong payroll controls with fewer manual failure points, increased manager and employee self-service, materially reduced manual work through AI and automation, clear team ownership and escalation paths, and reliable cross-functional partnerships.
**Requirements:**
- 8–12+ years of progressive People Operations, HRIS, HR technology, payroll operations, or related experience, including senior ownership of complex operational environments
- Demonstrated experience leading a major HRIS implementation or transformation; direct Rippling experience strongly preferred; ADP Workforce Now experience a plus
- Strong payroll fluency, including controls, multi-state considerations, audits, exceptions, and the relationship between upstream HRIS data and payroll accuracy
- Experience leading and developing operational team members and creating clear accountability across functions
- Strong systems and data orientation; ability to move between process architecture, data quality, reporting, integrations, controls, and practical execution
- Evidence of redesigning workflows through automation, AI, self-service, or technology—not simply digitizing existing manual processes
- Comfort using AI tools such as ChatGPT or Claude as part of day-to-day problem solving, analysis, and workflow design
- Strong analytical and spreadsheet skills, sound judgment, high attention to detail, and bias toward durable solutions rather than workarounds
- Ability to partner credibly across Finance, IT, Security, Legal, Talent, and senior People leadership, including navigating ambiguity and making clear recommendations
- Working fluency in compensation and benefits operations is valuable; deep compensation strategy expertise is not required
