Director of HR Strategy & Operations
4 days ago
Los Angeles
Job Description:\n\nDescription \nSKIMS is a solutions-oriented brand creating the next generation of underwear, loungewear, shapewear, and essentials. We are setting new standards by delivering technically innovative, comfort-driven products with elevated design for everybody.\n At the intersection of culture, innovation, and commerce, SKIMS is a global brand redefining modern apparel. Our teams are built on creativity, collaboration, and operational excellence, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive, high-performance environment where ambitious, curious, and values-driven individuals can do the best work of their careers.\n As we continue to scale globally, our HQ teams play a critical role in shaping strategy, building world-class infrastructure, and driving sustainable growth across markets.Position Summary\n \nSKIMS is seeking a highly strategic, analytical, and operationally driven Director of HR Operations and Strategy to partner closely with the Chief People Officer and senior leadership team as we continue to scale our global business.\n \nThis highly visible role sits at the intersection of People, Finance, Operations, and Technology, combining strategic planning with hands-on operational execution. The Director will be responsible for translating People priorities into actionable business strategies, driving operational excellence, overseeing workforce planning and financial management, and ensuring our HR infrastructure evolves alongside the company's continued growth.\n \nServing as a key liaison between HR and Finance, this individual will bring structure, accuracy, and accountability to headcount planning, workforce investments, equity administration, and strategic People initiatives.\n \nThe ideal candidate will combine exceptional business and financial acumen with strong project management capabilities, operational discipline, and a genuine passion for people and organizational effectiveness. They must be equally comfortable presenting strategic recommendations to executive leadership, managing complex financial and workforce data, and rolling up their sleeves to drive initiatives forward.\n \n\n Key Responsibilities \nHR Strategy & Executive Partnership\n\nServe as a trusted strategic partner to the Chief People Officer and senior People leadership team, translating business objectives into clear, actionable HR priorities.\nDevelop and execute an integrated People strategy roadmap with defined priorities, ownership, timelines, and measurable outcomes.\nEstablish an effective operating cadence across the People organization, ensuring accountability, visibility, and follow-through on strategic initiatives.\nPartner with senior leadership on organizational design, resource allocation, workforce planning, and long-term People strategy.\nIdentify operational challenges, competing priorities, and organizational risks, proactively recommending solutions.\nPrepare executive-level presentations, strategic recommendations, business cases, and materials for Board and leadership meetings.\nSupport organizational changes, leadership transitions, business expansion, and other high-priority initiatives.\n \nFinancial Management, Budgeting & Workforce Planning\n\nServe as a primary liaison between HR and Finance, ensuring alignment on workforce investments, financial planning, and headcount governance.\nPartner with Finance and FP&A to develop, manage, and monitor the People department's operating budget and broader workforce financial commitments.\nOversee workforce budgeting, financial forecasting, and labor cost planning across corporate, retail, and international functions.\nTrack actual workforce expenditures against approved budgets, identifying variances, financial risks, and opportunities for cost optimization.\nDevelop comprehensive reporting on salary costs, benefits expenses, contractor spending, recruitment costs, and other people-related investments.\nSupport annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and long-range workforce financial planning.\nBuild financial models and scenario analyses to evaluate hiring investments, organizational changes, compensation adjustments, and resource allocation.\nDeliver regular executive reporting on workforce costs, budget performance, and key financial metrics.\n \nHeadcount Planning, Tracking & Governance\n\nPartner closely with the VP of Global Talent, Finance, and business leaders to maintain a centralized and accurate global headcount tracker.\nMaintain visibility into all approved, open, filled, proposed, and backfill positions across the organization.\nEstablish and manage consistent approval processes for new headcount, replacements, organizational changes, and incremental hiring requests.\nMonitor open requisitions, hiring progress, projected start dates, and associated compensation commitments.\nReconcile approved headcount plans against HRIS data, recruiting activity, payroll records, organizational structures, and financial forecasts.\nIdentify discrepancies between budgeted and actual headcount and proactively recommend corrective actions.\nDevelop headcount reporting and scenario planning to support business expansion, hiring prioritization, and long-term workforce investments.\nDrive transparency, financial discipline, and accountability across the headcount approval process.\n \nEquity Compensation & Administration\n\nPartner with Total Rewards, Finance, Legal, and external administrators to support the effective management of employee equity compensation programs.\nCoordinate equity planning cycles, grant recommendations, approvals, vesting schedules, and reporting requirements.\nMaintain accurate equity-related employee records and ensure alignment between HRIS, equity administration platforms, and Finance reporting.\nSupport the preparation of equity allocation analyses, award histories, and executive decision materials.\nEstablish clear governance, documentation, and approval processes to ensure equity awards are administered accurately and on schedule.\nSupport employee equity communications and the ongoing administration of long-term incentive plans.\nIdentify opportunities to improve and automate equity administration workflows, ideally leveraging Carta.\n \nStrategic Project Management & Cross-Functional Execution\n\nLead complex, cross-functional People initiatives from initial planning and stakeholder alignment through implementation and measurement.\nDevelop project frameworks, timelines, milestones, and accountability measures to ensure successful delivery.\nMaintain oversight of the strategic HR project portfolio, managing dependencies, competing priorities, and execution risks.\nPartner with HR, Finance, Talent Acquisition, Legal, Technology, and business leadership to drive organizational initiatives.\nSupport strategic workforce planning, organizational design, operational transformation, and new business initiatives.\nEstablish scalable project management practices that improve efficiency and ensure measurable business outcomes.\nDrive change management, communication, and adoption of new processes and initiatives.\n \nPeople Analytics, Reporting & Business Intelligence\n\nDevelop and continuously improve People dashboards, KPIs, and executive scorecards.\nEstablish consistent reporting frameworks covering headcount, workforce costs, recruitment, retention, compensation, employee engagement, internal mobility, and organizational effectiveness.\nTranslate complex workforce and financial data into meaningful insights and actionable business recommendations.\nPartner with Finance and HR leadership to establish consistent data definitions, validation processes, and reporting standards.\nDevelop automated reporting processes that improve accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility.\nPrepare monthly, quarterly, and annual People business reviews, highlighting organizational performance, emerging trends, and opportunities for improvement.\n \nHR Technology, Systems & Operational Excellence\n\nEvaluate and optimize HR technology, systems, and operational processes to support business growth.\nPartner with HRIS, IT, Finance, and other stakeholders to develop scalable reporting and workforce planning infrastructure.\nIdentify opportunities to automate manual processes and implement technology-driven solutions that improve efficiency and accuracy.\nEstablish standardized workflows, documentation, controls, and governance across HR operations.\nSupport the implementation and adoption of new HR systems, planning tools, and reporting platforms.\nEnsure accurate, consistent, and reliable employee and workforce data across systems.\n \nEmployee Experience & Organizational Effectiveness\n\nPartner with the Chief People Officer and People leadership team to support initiatives that enhance employee experience, engagement, and organizational culture.\nCollaborate with Learning & Development on career progression frameworks, manager development, and employee growth initiatives.\nAnalyze employee engagement data, workforce trends, and organizational feedback to identify improvement opportunities.\nSupport initiatives that strengthen employee retention, internal mobility, community, and belonging.\nEnsure operational processes and People initiatives support both business performance and a positive employee experience.\n \nCompliance, Governance & Risk Management\n\nEstablish appropriate controls and governance around workforce data, financial reporting, headcount approvals, and equity administration.\nPartner with Legal, Finance, and HR leadership to support compliance with relevant employment requirements and internal policies.\nSupport HR compliance initiatives, including reporting related to leave management, accommodations, and employment obligations.\nIdentify operational, financial, and compliance risks and recommend improvements.\nMaintain the highest levels of confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive employee, compensation, equity, and business information.\n Skills, Knowledge and Expertise\nBachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Operations, or a related discipline.\n8–10+ years of progressive experience in HR Operations, People Strategy, Business Operations, Finance, Management Consulting, or a related field.\nDemonstrated experience partnering with senior executives and driving complex, cross-functional initiatives.\nStrong financial acumen, with hands-on experience in budgeting, forecasting, workforce cost management, and financial reporting.\nProven experience managing headcount planning, position control, workforce budgeting, and organizational reporting.\nAdvanced Excel or Google Sheets skills, including financial modeling, scenario planning, data reconciliation, and complex reporting.\nStrong understanding of HR operations, organizational effectiveness, and employee lifecycle processes.\nExperience working closely with Finance, FP&A, Talent Acquisition, and executive leadership.\nExceptional analytical capabilities and the ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations.\nProven project management and change management experience in fast-paced, evolving environments.\nExperience developing executive presentations, business cases, and strategic reporting.\nFamiliarity with HRIS, workforce planning, reporting, and project management systems.\nExcellent communication, stakeholder management, and organizational skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority.\nStrong judgment, discretion, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.\nComfortable balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution.\n \nPreferred Qualifications\n\nSHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP certification.\nExperience within a high-growth, global consumer, fashion, retail, or apparel organization.\nExperience supporting both corporate and retail workforce planning across multiple markets.\nExperience with equity compensation programs, including grants, vesting schedules, equity reporting, and administration.\nHands-on experience with Carta is strongly preferred.\nFamiliarity with long-term incentive plans (LTIPs), stock options, restricted stock units (RSUs), or similar equity arrangements.\nExperience with HRIS platforms such as UKG, Workday, or SuccessFactors.\nFamiliarity with Power BI, Tableau, Looker, or comparable reporting platforms.\nExperience implementing HR technology, workforce planning systems, or automated financial reporting solutions.\nExperience supporting international or multi-jurisdictional HR operations.\n \nWhat Success Looks Like\n \nThe successful Director of HR Operations and Strategy will bring structure, financial discipline, strategic clarity, and operational excellence to a rapidly growing global People organization.\n \nThey will establish clear visibility into workforce investments, ensure headcount and financial data are accurate and actionable, and create scalable processes that allow SKIMS to make informed people decisions with confidence.\n \nThey will be a trusted partner to the Chief People Officer, Finance, and executive leadership, translating strategic priorities into measurable results while ensuring critical projects are delivered efficiently and effectively.\n \nAbove all, they will understand that exceptional HR Operations is not simply about systems, processes, and financial controls. It is about building an organization where employees can thrive, leaders can make better decisions, and the business can continue to grow sustainably.\n Benefits, Culture and Perks Benefits and Culture\nUp to 100% Company Paid Healthcare (medical, dental, vision) \nKind Body Fertility Benefits \n401(k) savings plan with up to 4% match \nUnlimited PTO \nFull Access to LinkedIn learning \nEmployee Discounts \n Perks (HQ Location)\nFree weekly catered lunch at HQ – M/T/W/Th\nDog-Friendly office on a Thursday and Friday\nFree Swag Giveaways \nAnnual Holiday Party \nAnnual Summer Party \nInvitations to pop-ups and other company events \nComplimentary daily office snacks and beverages