Director, People

a.k.a. Brands is seeking a forward-thinking Director of People who blends strategic instincts with operational precision. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer & Head of People, this leader will own the full spectrum of Total Rewards, Benefits, HRIS, and People Operations for a dynamic, multi-brand public company — bringing a data-driven, next-generation HR mindset that never loses sight of the human element.This is a high-visibility role at the intersection of people strategy, compliance, and technology. The Director will serve as the company's subject matter expert across compensation architecture, benefit plan design, HR technology, and SOX-controlled people processes — leveraging data and insights to make smarter decisions while building the kind of employee experience that attracts and retains exceptional talent. Critically, this leader will understand that a.k.a. Brands is not just a digital business: our retail store footprint is growing, and this role plays a meaningful part in shaping how we attract, develop, and retain store-level talent at scale. With two direct reports, this leader will model a culture of accountability, curiosity, and continuous improvement across both corporate and retail populations.Key Responsibilities Total Rewards & Compensation Architect and evolve the company's compensation philosophy and pay structure across all brands and employee populations — grounding every decision in market data, internal equity analysis, and a genuine understanding of what motivates peopleOwn the annual merit cycle, bonus administration, and equity program — managing eligibility files, coordinating with FP&A and the ELT, driving employee communications, and executing payouts with precisionManage equity lifecycle events including initial grants, refresh, vesting, and termination processing; partner with the Director of Technical Accounting on monthly SC-03 reconciliationsDevelop and maintain compensation structures that span both corporate and retail store populations — recognizing the distinct market dynamics, hourly/salary mix, and geographic variability that come with a growing physical retail footprintProduce and publish Total Rewards statements that tell a compelling story about the full value of working at a.k.a. Brands; conduct ongoing salary benchmarking to ensure competitiveness in every market we hire — including key retail marketsUse compensation data and trend analysis to surface proactive insights for leadership — enabling evidence-based decisions on talent investment, retention risk, and organizational designPartner with the Compensation Committee and Board on executive compensation matters as needed (SOX controls ELC-01, ELC-03, SC-02)Own the full benefits lifecycle — from day-to-day plan administration and employee communications to open enrollment strategy and 5500 compliance — ensuring programs are both competitive and genuinely valued by employees across corporate and retailLead the annual benefits renewal and plan design process: go to market with the company's broker, evaluate offerings through both a financial and employee-experience lens, and present data-backed recommendations to the ELTDesign and communicate benefits in a way that resonates equally with a corporate employee in Orange County and a part-time retail associate in a Culture Kings store — meeting people where they areLeverage benefits utilization data and employee feedback to continuously assess program effectiveness and identify opportunities to evolve offerings in ways that reflect how our people actually live and workAdminister 401(k) loan and withdrawal reviews/approvals; ensure timely Form 5500 filing with regulatory authoritiesMaintain SOX benefit administration controls, ensuring benefit changes in ADP are reviewed and documented per control requirementsProvide Director-level oversight of work visa processes in coordination with outside counselHRIS & People Technology Own and continuously optimize the company's HR technology ecosystem — anchored by ADP Workforce Now, Rippling, and Lever — with a focus on data integrity, automation opportunities, and building systems that empower the team rather than slow it downChampion a data-first culture within the People function: establish reporting cadences, build dashboards, and surface workforce analytics that give leadership real-time visibility into headcount, turnover, compensation trends, and moreEvaluate and implement next-generation HR tools and integrations that reduce manual work, improve the employee experience, and scale with the businessMaintain SOX access controls (AC-01 through AC-04): user provisioning, timely terminations and transfers, quarterly access reviews, and privileged access managementLead performance review cycle design and execution within HRIS platforms; ensure the process is meaningful, efficient, and consistently applied across brandsPartner with IT on system integrations and vendor governance across the HR technology portfolioPeople Operations & Compliance Serve as the Director-level owner for all SOX HR controls (HR-02, HR-04, HR-06, SC-03, Benefit Admin) — maintaining rigorous evidence documentation and coordinating with external auditors with confidence and precisionOversee the monthly master file review (HR-06) covering new starters, terminations, salary changes, bank details, and pay codes; use this data as an active quality signal, not just a compliance checkboxManage vendor relationships and performance across the Total Rewards and HR technology portfolio; own the HR departmental budget with a focus on ROI and strategic alignmentProvide HRBP-level partnership to brand leadership teams through weekly and monthly touchpoints — bringing both data and empathy to conversations about organizational health, headcount planning, and team dynamics across corporate and retailEnsure compliance with employment posting requirements, LMS administration (Navex / Rippling), and Code of Ethics training — building a culture where compliance is a shared value, not a choreRetail People Management & Growth Serve as the People function's strategic partner for a.k.a. Brands' expanding retail store footprint — developing scalable people programs, policies, and frameworks that support store teams across multiple brands and locationsBuild and maintain compensation and career progression frameworks for retail store populations — including hourly associates, store leads, and store management — ensuring clarity, consistency, and competitive positioning in every marketPartner with brand and retail operations leaders to identify people-driven levers for store performance: turnover reduction, internal promotion rates, time-to-fill, and engagement scores at the store levelLeverage workforce data to identify trends in retail staffing, scheduling, and attrition, and translate those insights into actionable recommendations for brand HR and operations leadershipEnsure HR systems, policies, and Total Rewards programs are purpose-built to serve both a corporate headquarters and a distributed retail workforce — not just adapted from one to the otherPayroll Oversight Serve as the Director-level authority over US payroll across all brands — providing strategic oversight, governance, and SOX-required approvals rather than day-to-day processing, with accountability for the integrity and accuracy of every cycleReview and approve bi-weekly payroll prepared by the team; function as the SOX HR-02 signatory responsible for validating that exception reporting, variance investigation, and supporting documentation meet audit standardsReview and approve payroll tax calculations after GL posting and prior to month-end close (SOX HR-04); provide sign-off in Flocast and ensure payroll schedules are uploaded accuratelyMaintain oversight of off-cycle payrolls (equity events, bonuses, retro-pay, terminations) and expense management platforms — setting the standard for accuracy and timeliness while empowering the team to executeProactively identify payroll process improvement opportunities — leveraging system capabilities and data to reduce manual intervention, mitigate risk, and build a payroll function that scales with the businessDirectly manage and develop two People team members, fostering a high-trust environment where each person understands how their work connects to the broader people strategy and is empowered to growModel a data-informed, human-centered leadership style — one that holds the team to a high bar while investing meaningfully in their development and wellbeingServe as an escalation point and decision-maker for issues that exceed direct reports' authority, creating clarity and removing obstacles so the team can operate at their bestQualifications Required 8+ years of progressive HR experience with deep expertise across Total Rewards, Benefits, and HRIS — with a track record of using data and technology to drive better people outcomesDemonstrated experience in a publicly traded company environment, including working knowledge of SOX HR and access controlsStrong compensation background: merit cycles, bonus administration, equity programs, and benchmarking methodology — with the ability to design structures that serve both exempt corporate and hourly retail populationsHands-on benefits leadership experience including broker negotiations, plan design, and 5500 complianceProficiency owning and optimizing an enterprise HRIS platformExperience supporting retail or distributed workforce environments — understanding the unique people challenges of store operations, high-volume hiring, hourly workforce management, and multi-location complianceWorking knowledge of US multi-state payroll governance and oversight — with the ability to review, approve, and hold accountability for payroll accuracy without being the day-to-day processorDemonstrated experience managing, coaching, and developing direct reports in a high-performance environment#J-18808-Ljbffr