Position Director/Senior Director, People Strategy & Operations

Reports to: Head of People Operations 

Location: White Plains, NY (Hybrid)

ABOUT THE UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE: 

The United Football League (UFL) is the premier professional spring football league, powered by the visionary leadership and investment of Mike Repole and Impact Capital, RedBird Capital Partners, FOX, Dany Garcia, Dwayne Johnson, and ESPN. Built on innovation, accessibility, and competitive excellence, the UFL delivers a dynamic professional football experience for players, fans, and partners alike. The league currently features eight teams and is focused on building the next era of spring football, with expansion planned for 2028 and beyond.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Join us in building the future of football by creating scalable people practices, strengthening our employee experience, and helping the organization grow with intention. The Director/Senior Director, People Strategy & Operations is responsible for leading key enterprise People Operations functions, with particular focus on total rewards, benefits, HRIS and people analytics, workforce planning, organizational design, compliance, and operational excellence. This role will partner closely with senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to translate business priorities into practical, data-informed people strategies for a growing, multi-state workforce.

The Director/Senior Director will balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution, serving as a trusted partner to the EVP, General Counsel & Head of People Operations and Business Operations Leadership while collaborating closely with Talent Acquisition, Payroll, Finance, and functional leaders across the league.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

People Strategy + Operations

• Oversee core People Operations programs and services, ensuring consistent, responsive, and high-quality support across the league.

• Serve as a senior HR leader responsible for helping develop and execute the organization’s long-term people strategy and operating model.

• Partner with the EVP, General Counsel & Head of People Operations on workforce planning, organizational design, headcount strategy, and operating-model initiatives that support business growth.

• Develop and maintain HR metrics, workforce analytics, dashboards, and reporting tools that support strategic decision-making, headcount planning, and organizational growth.

• Develop and oversee compensation strategy, including salary structures, benchmarking, incentive plan support, and pay practices designed to maintain competitiveness, internal equity, and fiscal discipline.

• Lead, mentor, and develop direct reports by establishing priorities, setting clear performance expectations, and creating opportunities for growth.

• Lead change management and process-improvement initiatives associated with organizational transformation, growth, and evolving business needs.

Total Rewards + Benefits

• Oversee  the strategy, administration, and continuous improvement of employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, wellness, life, disability, and leave programs.

• Manage annual Open Enrollment, employee communications, and benefits education initiatives to ensure an effective employee experience.

• Partner with brokers, consultants, and vendors to evaluate plan performance, negotiate competitive offerings, manage costs, and improve employee advocacy.

• Analyze benefits utilization, cost trends, market data, and employee needs to recommend enhancements and support long-term benefits strategy.

• Ensure benefits programs remain compliant with applicable federal and state requirements, including ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, FMLA, and related legislation.

HRIS + People Analytics

• Own and continuously improve People Operations systems, data integrity, workflows, reporting, and related processes in partnership with internal stakeholders and external vendors.

• Evaluate opportunities to streamline People Operations processes, improve system utilization, strengthen data quality, and create operational efficiencies in a fast-paced environment.

• Conduct research and analysis of organizational trends using HRIS, workforce, compensation, benefits, and talent data to identify insights and inform business decisions.

• Partner with the Director, Talent Acquisition to align recruiting strategy, workforce plans, and hiring priorities with organizational needs and approved headcount.

Compliance + Employee Relations

• Maintain current knowledge of HR trends, best practices, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies; translate relevant developments into practical recommendations, policies, and processes.

• Lead the development, review, and implementation of People policies, processes, training, and compliance initiatives that support the organization’s business and workforce needs.

• Monitor and support organizational compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations; review and update policies and practices to maintain compliance and mitigate risk.

• Partner with the EVP, General Counsel & Head of People Operations on complex or high-risk employee relations matters, investigations, organizational changes, and other sensitive workforce issues.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with the Sr. Director, Payroll to support accurate and compliant payroll operations for players and employees and serve as a secondary escalation point for complex payroll matters.

• Collaborate with the Director, Talent Acquisition on workforce and talent strategies, recruiting processes, and hiring priorities while maintaining clear ownership of recruiting execution within Talent Acquisition.

• Partner with Finance and business leaders on headcount planning, compensation budgeting, workforce modeling, and other People-related financial decisions.

• Support leadership with data, insights, tools, and recommendations that strengthen manager effectiveness, organizational performance, and the employee experience.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

The qualifications listed below represent the credentials necessary to perform the essential functions of this position. To be successful in this position, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, or related field required, advanced degree preferred.

• 8–12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including significant leadership responsibility across multiple People Operations disciplines such as benefits, compensation, HRIS, employee relations, payroll, talent acquisition, compliance, and workforce planning.

• Prior experience within sports, entertainment, media, or another fast-paced, multi-location organization strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated experience leading end-to-end benefits administration and strategy, including medical, dental, vision, retirement plans, leave of absence, wellness programs, and annual open enrollment.

• Strong working knowledge of multi-state payroll, payroll compliance, wage and hour laws, and HRIS/payroll systems; direct payroll processing experience is a plus.

• Experience partnering with Talent Acquisition and business leaders on workforce planning, hiring strategy, recruiting processes, and organizational growth.

• Demonstrated experience developing and improving HR processes, policies, systems, and operational efficiencies.

• Strong understanding of federal, state, and local employment laws, multi-state compliance requirements, and employee relations practices.

• Proven ability to influence decision-making and build trusted relationships with senior leaders and cross-functional partners.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, financial acumen, and project/program management skills.

• Exercise a high degree of professionalism, judgment, discretion, and diplomacy in interactions with all levels of the organization.

• Possess a strong work ethic; self-motivated, adaptable, and proactive in identifying opportunities to improve processes and create efficiencies.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines.

OTHER DUTIES

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS 

• This role operates in a hybrid work environment, with an expectation of in-office collaboration 2-3 days per week in White Plains, NY. 

• Minimal Travel (<10% travel): as determined by the business, including local team markets, attending select games and UFL events.

• Ability to work a flexible schedule inclusive of weekends, nights, and holidays as required by the business.

• Position may require periods of sitting at a desk, frequent bending, moving, lifting, and carrying material weighing up to 20 pounds.

• Other duties as assigned by the Head of People Operations.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The UFL maintains a strong policy of equal opportunity in employment.  It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.  Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations.