Director, People Operations & HR Business Partner
Merchant Industry LLC, Jericho, NY, United States
New York (Hybrid – In Person Required) Reports directly to the Chief People & Administrative Officer (CPAO)
Position Overview We are seeking a senior HR leader to take ownership of payroll, compliance, and HR operations while helping scale the company’s people infrastructure during a period of significant growth. This role is responsible for building and strengthening core HR functions across a multistate workforce, while supporting organizational growth, high-volume hiring, and future M&A activity. The ideal candidate brings experience from a large or private equity-backed organization and is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high accountability environment.
Scope & Impact
Own HR operations and payroll governance across 10+ states
Support a growing workforce across the U.S. and India
Help build infrastructure for high-volume hiring (sales expansion)
Play a key role in M&A diligence and integration readiness • Establish scalable HR processes to support long-term growth
Key Responsibilities - Payroll Ownership & Governance
Own end-to-end payroll processing across biweekly and semimonthly cycles
Audit and validate all payroll inputs (new hires, terminations, comp changes, bonuses, commissions)
Ensure compliance with multistate wage & hour laws, with strong expertise in New York
Maintain payroll controls, SOPs, and audit procedures
Partner with Finance to ensure accuracy, reporting integrity, and cost alignment
Identify and mitigate payroll, tax, and classification risks
HR Operations & Infrastructure
Own and improve employee lifecycle processes (onboarding through offboarding)
Ensure compliance across multistate employment regulations
Oversee HRIS data integrity and reporting accuracy
Build scalable processes, documentation, and internal controls
Support benefits administration and vendor management
HR Business Partnership
Support leadership on organizational design and workforce planning
Guide managers on employee relations and performance management
Contribute to retention strategies and leadership development
Deliver HR reporting and workforce insights to leadership
M&A Readiness & Growth Support
Support HR due diligence and audit processes for acquisitions
Assist in developing frameworks for compensation alignment, job leveling, payroll and benefits integration
Build HR infrastructure to support rapid hiring, particularly for sales teams Operational & Financial Discipline
Partner with Finance on headcount planning and cost management
Contribute to building infrastructure aligned with future M&A and potential exit readiness
Build and manage an employee revenue and productivity model, using data and performance metrics to align headcount with revenue growth and business objectives
Qualifications
8–12+ years of progressive HR experience
Experience in a mid to large organization or private equity backed company
Direct ownership of payroll for 100+ employees across multiple states
Strong expertise in multistate compliance and New York labor law
Experience with Paychex or similar payroll systems
Experience supporting bonus and commission-based compensation structures
Prior experience managing or mentoring HR team members
Experience supporting high growth or scaling organizations
Exposure to M&A, due diligence, or integration work strongly preferred
Strong process building skills and attention to detail
High level of financial and operational acumen
What We’re Looking For
High ownership and accountability over critical HR functions
Strong execution skills with attention to detail
Ability to operate in a fast paced, performance driven environment
Comfortable balancing hands-on execution with strategic thinking
Experience building structure and process in growing organizations
Strong judgment, discretion, and leadership presence
Why This Role This role is critical to supporting the company’s next phase of growth, including scaling hiring efforts, preparing HR infrastructure for future M&A activity, strengthening compliance and operational rigor, and building a more structured HR function.
The base salary range for this role is $150,000 – $170,000, depending on experience.
In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible for:
Health, dental, and vision benefits
Paid time off and company holidays
Opportunity for growth and expanded scope as the company scales
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Position Overview We are seeking a senior HR leader to take ownership of payroll, compliance, and HR operations while helping scale the company’s people infrastructure during a period of significant growth. This role is responsible for building and strengthening core HR functions across a multistate workforce, while supporting organizational growth, high-volume hiring, and future M&A activity. The ideal candidate brings experience from a large or private equity-backed organization and is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high accountability environment.
Scope & Impact
Own HR operations and payroll governance across 10+ states
Support a growing workforce across the U.S. and India
Help build infrastructure for high-volume hiring (sales expansion)
Play a key role in M&A diligence and integration readiness • Establish scalable HR processes to support long-term growth
Key Responsibilities - Payroll Ownership & Governance
Own end-to-end payroll processing across biweekly and semimonthly cycles
Audit and validate all payroll inputs (new hires, terminations, comp changes, bonuses, commissions)
Ensure compliance with multistate wage & hour laws, with strong expertise in New York
Maintain payroll controls, SOPs, and audit procedures
Partner with Finance to ensure accuracy, reporting integrity, and cost alignment
Identify and mitigate payroll, tax, and classification risks
HR Operations & Infrastructure
Own and improve employee lifecycle processes (onboarding through offboarding)
Ensure compliance across multistate employment regulations
Oversee HRIS data integrity and reporting accuracy
Build scalable processes, documentation, and internal controls
Support benefits administration and vendor management
HR Business Partnership
Support leadership on organizational design and workforce planning
Guide managers on employee relations and performance management
Contribute to retention strategies and leadership development
Deliver HR reporting and workforce insights to leadership
M&A Readiness & Growth Support
Support HR due diligence and audit processes for acquisitions
Assist in developing frameworks for compensation alignment, job leveling, payroll and benefits integration
Build HR infrastructure to support rapid hiring, particularly for sales teams Operational & Financial Discipline
Partner with Finance on headcount planning and cost management
Contribute to building infrastructure aligned with future M&A and potential exit readiness
Build and manage an employee revenue and productivity model, using data and performance metrics to align headcount with revenue growth and business objectives
Qualifications
8–12+ years of progressive HR experience
Experience in a mid to large organization or private equity backed company
Direct ownership of payroll for 100+ employees across multiple states
Strong expertise in multistate compliance and New York labor law
Experience with Paychex or similar payroll systems
Experience supporting bonus and commission-based compensation structures
Prior experience managing or mentoring HR team members
Experience supporting high growth or scaling organizations
Exposure to M&A, due diligence, or integration work strongly preferred
Strong process building skills and attention to detail
High level of financial and operational acumen
What We’re Looking For
High ownership and accountability over critical HR functions
Strong execution skills with attention to detail
Ability to operate in a fast paced, performance driven environment
Comfortable balancing hands-on execution with strategic thinking
Experience building structure and process in growing organizations
Strong judgment, discretion, and leadership presence
Why This Role This role is critical to supporting the company’s next phase of growth, including scaling hiring efforts, preparing HR infrastructure for future M&A activity, strengthening compliance and operational rigor, and building a more structured HR function.
The base salary range for this role is $150,000 – $170,000, depending on experience.
In addition to base compensation, this role is eligible for:
Health, dental, and vision benefits
Paid time off and company holidays
Opportunity for growth and expanded scope as the company scales
#J-18808-Ljbffr