Director, People & Culture (Maternity Leave Coverage)

Director, People & Culture (Maternity Leave Coverage)

We’re looking for a Director, People & Culture to join Brooklinen on a 6-month maternity leave coverage (January–June 2026) and help lead our People strategy during an exciting chapter of growth and evolution.

You’ll partner closely with our Chief People Officer and Executive Team to ensure our culture, programs, and operations run seamlessly — balancing strategy and execution across engagement, leadership development, DEI, and organizational design. If you’re a thoughtful, experienced HR leader who thrives in fast-paced, people-first environments, we’d love to meet you.

Overview

At Brooklinen, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We’re looking for a Director, People & Culture who can bring both strategic insight and operational excellence to how we attract, grow, and retain great talent.

This role will provide seamless leadership continuity while our Chief People Officer is on leave — ensuring our culture, operations, and programs remain strong and connected. You’ll help translate company priorities into people strategies that drive clarity, engagement, and performance, while keeping our People programs — from onboarding to compensation planning — running smoothly and consistently reflecting our values of trust, accountability, and collaboration.

This is a highly cross-functional role that partners closely with our Executive Team, People Team, and functional leaders across the business. You’ll oversee our People & Culture team, provide day-to-day leadership, and ensure initiatives are executed with precision and empathy.

What You’ll Do

Lead and Develop the People & Culture Team

• Oversee a small but mighty team — two HR Business Partners and an Office Coordinator — ensuring clarity of ownership, collaboration, and execution excellence.

• Coach and develop team members to deliver high-quality support across engagement, operations, and employee experience.

• Act as the senior People leader in daily partnership with the Executive Team, ensuring all People programs and decisions are carried forward with clarity and care.

Oversee Core People Operations and HRBP Support

• Lead HR operations and systems (HRIS, compliance, data integrity), ensuring seamless processes and a positive employee experience.

• Serve as a senior advisor to senior leaders (Senior Director and above) on organizational design, team performance, and employee relations.

• Partner with the Chief People Officer to ensure People programs and processes run smoothly through periods of growth and change.

Drive Key Strategic Priorities

• Steward ongoing People initiatives, ensuring continuity and alignment during a key transition period.

• Lead company-wide engagement, DEI, and employee experience initiatives that strengthen connection, clarity, and inclusion.

• Oversee performance management, learning & development, and succession planning programs that build capability and accountability.

• Ensure People initiatives are well-communicated, data-informed, and aligned with company goals.

Provide Insights and Partnership to Leadership

• Translate people data into insights that inform decisions on retention, workforce planning, and organizational health.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, Operations, and Executive Leadership to align People strategies with business priorities and resourcing.

What Success Looks Like

• Our People & Culture programs continue to run smoothly, with clarity and alignment across teams.

• Leaders feel supported with proactive HR partnership and actionable insights.

• Engagement and performance programs land with consistency and impact.

• The People team remains strong, connected, and focused on execution excellence.

• By June, the team and programs remain strong, and you’ve helped ensure a smooth transition back to our CPO’s leadership.

What You’ll Bring

• 8 years of progressive HR experience, with at least 3–5 years leading HRBP or People functions.

• Proven experience partnering with senior executives in a high-growth or transformation environment.

• Strength in org design, talent management, DEI, and employee experience.

• A balance of strategic perspective and operational detail orientation.

• Empathy, discretion, and strong communication skills across all levels.

• A passion for culture-building and creating workplaces where people thrive.

Details

• Role Type: Temporary (Maternity Leave Coverage – ~6 months)
• Location: Hybrid – Brooklyn HQ (2 days per week, core days Tuesday–Thursday)
• Reports to: Chief People Officer

Compensation & Benefits

At Brooklinen, we’re committed to offering competitive compensation and benefits that reflect our stage and culture. The salary range for this temporary role is $140,000–$164,000 (pro-rated for the 6-month engagement), commensurate with experience.

Why Join Us?

At our core, we’re a team that values authenticity, passion, and genuine connection. We’ve built a culture where friendly, welcoming, and driven people thrive—collaborating without ego and fueling each other’s success.

We believe balance is non-negotiable. Our days start at 10 am, vacations are meant to be taken, and Summer Fridays mean closing the laptop at 3 pm all year long.

Growth is part of our DNA. As Brooklinen expands, we’re committed to creating opportunities for our team to stretch, learn, and make a meaningful impact.

Our culture and commitment have been recognized by LinkedIn Top Startups, Inc.’s Best Workplaces, and Forbes Best Startup Employers—but we know we’re just getting started.

At Brooklinen, diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences make us stronger. If this role excites you but you’re not sure you meet every single qualification, we encourage you to apply.

About Brooklinen

Brooklinen, one of the largest soft good DTC brands in the US, was founded in 2014 with one goal in mind: To create happiness at home with products that are made to be lived in.

While you may have heard of us as “The Internet’s Favorite Sheets,” ten years later, we’re so much more than that. We design with the modern bedroom in mind – a place full of life, where people can authentically show up as themselves - all with products made for comfort and ease. And to make good on the promise of value, Brooklinen creates all of our products with the best quality, at the best price. Our premium soft goods are available online and throughout the country at our eight retail locations.
 
Our products are that good. But don’t take it from us alone: Our assortment of sheets, towels, and more have received over 100,000 5-star reviews and been awarded many times over by industry tastemakers like Architectural Digest, Good Housekeeping, The New York Times’ Wirecutter, and many more. 

Note for recruiting agencies: We oversee our hiring internally, and we kindly ask that recruitment agencies refrain from sending us unsolicited resumes unless we have a pre-existing agreement for a particular role. We’re excited about welcoming all applicants who are interested in joining our team to apply directly!

#LI-Hybrid #LI-MK