Director, People and Operations

YOUR DAY TO DAY

As the Director, People and Operations, you will serve as a key internal leader supporting the firm’s People initiatives and the operational infrastructure that enables our team to perform at its best. In this role, you will help evolve our talent management practices, support leadership in developing a high-performing organization, and serve as a trusted resource to employees across areas such as performance management, employee relations, benefits, and compensation.

In parallel, you will oversee the day-to-day operations and employee experience within our Chicago office, ensuring the workplace environment, vendor relationships, technology, and internal processes effectively support productivity, collaboration, and a strong team culture. You will work closely with firm leadership to help ensure our internal operations run smoothly and continue to scale with our growth.

If you are passionate about advancing People programs and operational excellence within a dynamic and growing consulting firm, we encourage you to apply.

What you’ll do:

• Provide HR leadership, focusing on talent management strategies, compensation and benefits, organizational development, and effective coaching (e.g., coaching managers through performance management, navigating sensitive employee matters, and ensuring fair, consistent and values-aligned decision-making).
• Serve as a critical advisor and strategic thought partner to senior leadership, offering insights and challenging traditional approaches to ensure alignment with our progressive vision.
• Lead company culture initiatives, aligning employee engagement with our values and mission.
• Act as the primary internal point person to facilitate daily office operations and contribute to shaping and informing the long-term strategic vision of our office in partnership with our Head of Chicago Office.
• Support other office and infrastructure initiatives and related vendors (e.g., information technology).

Key Activities:

• Own and evolve the firm’s People strategy, including recruiting, performance management, compensation, benefits, and professional development to support the firm’s continued growth.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to firm leadership, providing guidance on organizational design, talent planning, and team health across the firm.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations and infrastructure of the Chicago office, including managing vendor relationships (e.g., IT, building property management, office services), supporting workplace systems and technology, and ensuring the office environment effectively supports team productivity and collaboration.
• Continuously improve the employee experience within the Chicago office, including space planning, workplace policies, and operational processes that support a high-performing and collaborative consulting environment.
• Ensure on-going compliance with federal, state, and local HR regulations (e.g., employee background checks, required trainings, pay transparency).
• Serve as a trusted and accessible resource for employees across the firm while partnering with leadership to support team health, employee experience, and a positive, high-performing workplace environment
• Shape the firm’s total rewards strategy, including compensation benchmarking, salary bands, bonus planning, and benefits design to ensure competitiveness and alignment with firm performance.
• Evolve the firm’s performance development programs including review cycles, competency models, promotion processes, and identifying training opportunities to strengthen employee skills and capabilities.
• Build and scale people processes across hiring, onboarding, performance management, and employee development.

Who you are:

• 10 years of professional experience, with at least 5 years in internal operations, human capital, or people-focused leadership roles.
• Experience working in small or growing organizations, startups, or professional services environments preferred. Prior work within a professional services or consulting environment is a plus.
• Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution, taking ownership of initiatives while ensuring the day-to-day needs of the organization are met.
• High degree of judgment, discretion, and emotional intelligence when handling sensitive employee and organizational matters.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust across all levels of the organization and serve as a trusted, accessible resource for employees and leadership.
• Highly organized, proactive, and adaptable, with the ability to anticipate needs and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to use data and insights to inform people and operational decisions.
• Comfortable managing office operations and vendor relationships alongside HR responsibilities.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

What we offer:

• A reasonable pay scale for this role is $175,000 - $250,000. The pay scale for this role reflects a wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, skills, experience, training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. At Armitage, it is not typical for an employee, at any level, to be hired at or near the top of the pay scale, as compensation decisions are dependent on the factors listed above.
• In addition to a competitive base salary and bonus structure, Armitage offers several benefits including medical, dental, vision, HSA, disability insurance, life insurance, 401(k) match, paid time off, parental leave, wellness stipend, and additional voluntary benefits.