Director, People Operations

At Brightcore Energy, we specialize in turn-key solutions that simplify the clean energy journey for large commercial and industrial clients. Whether it's cutting-edge geothermal systems, solar, energy storage, or smart building technologies, we bring expertise, innovation, and a seamless approach to every phase of a project - from planning and design to implementation and ongoing support - thereby streamlining project timelines, reducing costs, and eliminating scope gaps.

Job Description

The Director, People Operations is responsible for leading the operational, compliance, and employee lifecycle People functions across the organization. This role partners closely with the General Counsel and SVP, People and works in peer collaboration with the Talent Manager to ensure the organization's people infrastructure is compliant, scalable, and operationally effective. The Director, People Operations oversees employee relations administration, HR systems, workforce reporting, employment compliance, and the operational execution of the employee lifecycle. This role ensures that People processes support a multi-state construction workforce, including both field and corporate employees, while maintaining strong documentation, audit readiness, and regulatory compliance. The Director serves as the operational steward of People processes and policies, ensuring consistency, risk mitigation, and operational discipline across the organization's People practices.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

(Management may amend or assign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time)

People Operations & Employee Lifecycle

• Execute and continuously improve the organization's People operations infrastructure across the full employee lifecycle.
• Manage operational People processes including onboarding coordination, performance management, leave management, and offboarding.
• Ensure consistent application of employment policies, practices, and procedures across both corporate and field populations.
• Provide clear and reliable access to People operational support, including guidance on benefits, timekeeping and payroll processes, leave administration, and effective use of systems.
• Establish scalable People processes and documentation standards to support company growth.
• Partner with Finance/Payroll to ensure accurate execution of compensation and role changes, PTO and leave administration, terminations, and workforce data management.
• Oversee workforce lifecycle processes associated with project ramp-up and demobilization typical of construction operations.
• Identify operational inefficiencies and implement improvements to enhance employee experience and organizational effectiveness.

Employee Relations & Risk Management

• Oversee the administration of employee relations matters including performance management, corrective action, workplace investigations, and separations.
• Ensure employee relations processes are consistent, well-documented, and aligned with company policies and legal requirements.
• Partner with the General Counsel and external counsel on complex or high-risk employee relations matters.
• Provide guidance to managers on disciplinary actions, performance issues, and workplace conduct concerns.
• Maintain defensible documentation and investigation protocols to mitigate employment-related risk.
• Monitor organizational trends and proactively identify areas of workforce risk.

HR Systems, Data Governance & Workforce Analytics

• Serve as operational owner of the organization's HR systems, including administration of the TriNet HRIS platform (in partnership with Payroll).
• Ensure the integrity, accuracy, and security of employee data.
• Develop and maintain workforce reporting, dashboards, and analytics to support informed decision-making by leadership.
• Lead the implementation of system enhancements, automation initiatives, and workflow improvements that improve People operational efficiency.
• Establish data governance standards and conduct periodic audits to ensure compliance and data integrity.

Compliance, Regulatory Governance & Audit Oversight

• Lead the organization's employment compliance infrastructure across federal, state, and local jurisdictions, with particular focus on multi-state operations and New York employment law.
• Conduct regulatory workforce reporting including EEO-1 filings, unemployment claims, and other required employment reporting.
• Partner with Safety team to ensure accurate OSHA recordkeeping and workforce documentation alignment.
• Conduct periodic internal HR compliance audits related to wage and hour practices, I-9 documentation, leave administration, and personnel file integrity.
• Support compliance documentation related to prevailing wage, apprenticeship, and other project based workforce requirements in coordination with the Talent Manager and Finance.
• Monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely updates to policies, procedures, and operational practices.

Field Workforce & Safety Coordination

• Support consistent People practices across both corporate and field environments, recognizing the operational dynamics of construction job sites.
• Collaborate with Operations leaders to address workforce challenges associated with multi-site project workforces.
• Ensure People processes support the needs of field supervisors, project managers, and operational teams.
• Support workforce engagement and communication initiatives for field employees in partnership with the Talent Manager.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Organizational Collaboration

• Partner closely with the Talent Manager to ensure seamless coordination between recruiting, onboarding, engagement initiatives, and operational HR processes.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Payroll, Safety, and Operations to ensure consistent and compliant workforce practices.
• Support organizational growth, restructuring, and workforce transitions from an operational and compliance perspective.
• Identify and implement operational improvements that strengthen HR governance and organizational scalability.
• All other duties and projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8+ years of progressive Human Resources or People Operations experience.
• Bachelor's degree.
• Experience supporting operational or field-based employee populations. Construction industry experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations, including investigations, corrective action, and performance management.
• Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws, particularly New York employment regulations.
• Proven ability to partner with leadership on people-related decisions and risk mitigation.
• Strong judgment and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• High emotional intelligence and ability to navigate complex employee and leadership dynamics.
• Ability to operate independently while maintaining alignment with People team leadership.
• Clear, professional communication skills with employees, managers, and executives.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with HRIS and payroll systems (TriNet or similar PEO platforms preferred).
• Comfortable managing reporting, audits, and compliance documentation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and HR operational tools.
• SHRM-CP, PHR, or equivalent certification preferred.

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has supervisory responsibility.

Expected Hours of Work

An Employee is expected to work a minimum of forty (40) hours per week. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay in accordance with applicable wage and hour laws, while exempt employees may be required to work additional hours as necessary to fulfill their job responsibilities. Overtime requirements will be determined based on the operational needs of the organization. The salary range and/or hourly rate listed is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future. When determining an employee's base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., location, specialty, years of relevant experience, education, credentials, and internal equity). Brightcore also offers a comprehensive set of benefits to compliment the base salary. The base annual salary range for this position is $140,000-$160,000 and is eligible for an annual performance-based bonus.

Travel Requirements

• Travel may be required up to work/project sites in the greater Northeast Region (but not limited to) of the United States.
• Lodging & travel reimbursement will be provided for overnight stays.

Work Environment

• Work site setting.
• Office setting.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• This is not a safety sensitive position.

Drug & Alcohol-Free Workplace

Brightcore Energy is committed to a safe workplace free of drugs and alcohol. All Brightcore Energy positions require a pre-employment background check that includes prior employment verifications, a criminal history check, and a pre-employment drug screen.

In accordance with DOT regulations (49 CFR ?? 40.25), Brightcore Energy is required to obtain prior drug and alcohol testing records for applicants/employees intending to perform safety-sensitive duties for covered Department of Transportation positions. If an applicant/employee refuses to provide written consent for Brightcore Energy to obtain these records, the individual will not be permitted to perform safety-sensitive functions.

Office/Remote/Field Work

We offer a variety of structured work arrangements, including remote, hybrid, and field-based assignments, aligned with organizational needs and role-specific requirements. Work arrangements are role-dependent, with guidelines established based on position requirements and business needs. This policy is subject to change at Brightcore's discretion.

Brightcore Health Benefits Overview

Brightcore offers a full slate of medical, dental, and vision benefits including options to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and a Health Savings Account (HSA).

401k Plan

Brightcore currently offers both traditional and Roth 401k plans with a dollar-for-dollar match of up to 3% of contributions and $0.50 on the next 2% for a total potential match of 4% annually.

Other Benefits & Perks

• PTO
• Financial Wellness Benefits
• Benefit Concierge Program through Health Advocate
• EAP - Employee Assistance Program
• Disability, Life, & AD&D Benefits
• Access to Marketplace for Discounted Goods & Services

Brightcore Energy is committed to bringing together individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives.

Brightcore Energy is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals. We recruit, hire and promote into all job levels the most qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), parental status, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, transgender status, sexual orientation, marital, family or partnership status, political affiliation or activities, military service, domestic violence victim status, sexual or reproductive health decisions, caregiver status, traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles or any other status protected under applicable federal, state and local laws. Brightcore Energy is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all aspects of employment, including job assignment and compensation.

We respect the laws enforced by the EEOC and are dedicated to going above and beyond in fostering diversity across our company.

This job description provides a general overview of the expectations and basic duties of the job and is not a comprehensive list of all duties and responsibilities. Brightcore Energy will assign additional duties and tasks that it deems necessary to meet the requirements of the position. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.