ROLE
As the Director of People Operations, you will be a strategic People leader at Luminate. You will head our People Operations (Human Resources) function across our global team, directly contributing to our mission. As part of the Operations leadership team, you will work closely with the Chief Operating Officer (COO) as a trusted advisor – helping to develop and implement People Operations strategies and initiatives (i.e. workforce planning, job levelling, travel management, and compensation and benefits), with a strong focus on legal compliance.
In this role, you will set People Operations priorities that align with our organisational goals, oversee performance management, and advise leadership on important people-related decisions.
HOW TO APPLY
This is a short preview of the job description, to see the full version and apply for the role click on this link: https://app.beapplied.com/apply/mkuukkzpxh
Our screening process requires candidates to respond to a handful of questions that provide perspective on how your skills would relate to the day-to-day job. Submissions will be anonymised, randomised and reviewed by a panel of reviewers from the hiring team. If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you to the next step, which includes formal interviews and meeting select members of the team.
Applications are due by 27 October 2025 at 5:59pm (EST).
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
(Percentages indicate approximate allocation of effort)
Strategy and Leadership (20%):
- Act as a strategic advisor to the COO, on continuously improving People Operations policies, processes, and practices.
- Collaborate with leadership to assess workforce development needs and establish strategies that meet our organisational goals and reflect our core values.
- Ensure Luminate adheres to all employment laws and regulations by guiding managers and staff on compliance and minimising risk.
- Stay up-to-date on HR and organisational development trends and best practices. You will engage with peers across The Omidyar Group (TOG) to share insights and learn from each other.
- Proactively advise the Executive Team regarding significant People matters.
People Operations (Core Focus - 60%):
- Serve as Luminate’s lead HR professional, overseeing all People Operations policies, programmes and practices.
- Manage employee relations and coach managers and staff on HR best practice.
- Establish annual People Operations priorities and budgets; regularly monitor budget performance; and define and track key HR metrics.
- Develop and update People Operations policies and processes to ensure efficient operations.
- Implement HR best practices to create a healthy and inclusive workplace.
- Advisor to line managers ensuring they are well-informed, trained and supported in managing their teams and delivery a positive employee experience.
- Oversee full-cycle recruitment, as well as onboarding and offboarding processes for employees.
- Oversee the administration of global employee benefits, compensation and leave programs.
- Continuously assess and improve our performance management process to ensure it facilitates ongoing, constructive feedback.
- Implement performance improvement plans as needed and ensure consistency across the organisation.
Team management, development and support (15%):
- Develop and retain high-performing People Operations team by supporting their career growth, increasing responsibilities, and ensuring strong performance.
- Ensure effective communication from the People team to the rest of the organisation, being mindful of organisational hierarchies (power dynamics) and staying aligned with our values.
- Foster a collaborative, aligned, and joyful work environment.
Compliance, Travel & Risk (5%):
- Ensure People policies and procedures are clearly communicated to staff, and provide relevant training and support as needed.
- Oversee the maintenance of employee records and ensure compliance with statutory requirements, labour laws and internal policies.
- Develop and maintain HR policies, handbooks, and required compliance and ethics training.
- Oversee budgets related to travel and staff safety/risk, and manage relationships with vendors (travel agencies, risk management providers etc.).
- Regularly review and update our duty of care, employee safeguarding, and travel safety processes, and communicate any changes broadly across the organisation.
While this job description reflects the ideal scope of the role, responsibilities may evolve in line with structural needs, always remaining aligned with the core purpose of the position.
DAY-TO-DAY RESPONSIBILITIES
A typical week might include:
- People management support: Meeting with team leadership to align on performance and engagement topics, team capacity, and staff wellbeing.
- Strategic planning: Meeting with the COO and Operations team leadership to understand their work, draft global operations priorities, and explore alignment with People team activities.
- Due diligence and compliance coordination: Working with Finance and Legal colleagues to review documents such as policies, contracts, and global payroll, ensuring all requirements are met.
- Process administration: Oversee periodic process reviews (and conduct them directly when needed) to analyse data, surface learnings and make recommendations.
- Flexibility is key to this role – some days might be taken up by emergency responses (e.g. traveller safety or security issue affecting staff).
ABOUT LUMINATE
Luminate is a global foundation working to ensure that everyone – especially those who are underrepresented - has the information, rights, and power to influence the decisions that shape society. The foundation is focused on enabling people to fully participate in civic and political life, to safely challenge power, and to access accurate, trustworthy information. It was established by philanthropists Pierre and Pam Omidyar and has worked for over a decade on issues related to governance and citizen engagement.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW
Luminate believes that diversity and inclusion make us more successful in our work, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression.