Director, People Operations

Who We Are Saatva is the original direct-to-consumer mattress and home furnishings company, founded on the principle that everyone deserves healthy, restorative sleep. Today, Saatva is the largest online luxury mattress brand in the U.S., with more than 30 Viewing Rooms in prime areas across the nation—and we’re growing fast.

We are a people-first company that embraces the idea of total life success, empowering each other to thrive in every aspect of our lives. We offer competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package, including robust health coverage, 401(k) matching, and generous paid time off.

Our dedication to excellence has earned us recognition as a seven-time honoree on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies. We are also certified as a Great Place to Work and have been named among Fortune Magazine’s Best Workplaces in Retail and Best Workplaces in New York, as well as a BuiltIn.com Best Workplace.

Role Description Saatva is seeking a strategic and process-driven Director, People Operations to lead our people operations function and ensure a seamless, compliant, and positive experience across the employee lifecycle. In this critical leadership role, you will supervise and mentor the People Operations Specialist, serving as the strategic force behind our operational excellence. You will be responsible for providing high-level oversight and strategic direction across core pillars: Compliance, Compensation & Benefits, and HR Systems & Technology.

What You Will Do

• Team Leadership: Supervise, mentor, and develop the People Operations Specialist, fostering a high-performing culture of accuracy, empathy, and continuous improvement. Support initiatives that enhance workplace culture, engagement, and employee wellness, ensuring a positive and inclusive employee experience.
• Compliance & Regulatory Oversight: Oversee all HR policy management to ensure practices strictly align with federal, state, and local labor laws, including complex state-specific regulations. Direct annual compliance filings, such as EEO-1 and ACA reporting, and ensure the organization maintains an "audit-ready" status for SOC-1/SOC-2 reports and personnel files.
• Compensation & Benefits:
• Own and manage the annual compensation review process, including merit increases, market adjustments, and incentive pay allocations.
• Conduct job pricing, benchmarking, and market analysis using industry salary surveys to establish accurate compensation bands and pay structures.
• Partner with talent acquisition and hiring managers to provide competitive, equity-aligned compensation recommendations for new hires and promotions.
• Audit pay practices regularly to ensure internal pay equity and strict compliance with state pay transparency laws.
• Provide strategic oversight for full-cycle payroll administration, ensuring 100% accuracy in pay, deductions, and tax withholdings.
• Lead the strategy and vendor coordination for the annual open enrollment process, benefit invoice reconciliation, and comprehensive leave of absence (LOA) administration.
• HR Systems & Technology: Drive the optimization and data integrity of our HRIS platforms (currently ADP Workforce Now). Champion the integration of new HR technologies, leveraging automation and AI to streamline manual workflows, and generate advanced labor cost and tax liability reporting for executive leadership.

What You Will Need

• Experience: 7–10+ years of progressive experience in HR Operations, Compensation, Payroll, or Benefits Administration, with demonstrated experience supervising and developing direct reports.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in HRIS platforms and Excel, with a strong drive to identify opportunities for automation and technological efficiencies.  AI champion.
• Knowledge: Deep, comprehensive understanding of federal, state, and local labor laws, alongside advanced compensation benchmarking, payroll tax regulations, and benefits administration.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex pay, compliance, or benefit issues into simple, empathetic terms for stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Precision & Integrity: A high attention to detail and an absolute commitment to discretion and professionalism when handling sensitive, confidential data.

Work Location & Environment This is a hybrid position based in the NYC Metro area, requiring approximately three days of in-person collaboration per week. Eligible candidates must be located within commuting distance of our NYC Hub, requiring Tuesday attendance at our Whitestone, Queens HQ, plus two additional days per week at one of our NYC Metro Area Viewing Rooms.

Benefits & Compensation

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Comprehensive coverage available for you and your family.
• Retirement: 401(k) Plan with Employer Match.
• Paid Time Off: Paid Vacation to ensure you stay rested and restored.
• Bonus Program: Eligibility for company performance-based bonuses.
• Financial Wellness: FSA, HSA, and Commuter Benefits.
• Wellness & Discounts: Discounted Gym Membership, Employee Referral Bonus Program, and significant discounts on Saatva products for you, your friends, and your family.

Equal Employment Opportunity Saatva is committed to fostering an inclusive environment that values diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.