Director of People Operations, Vita Coco
United States
$150-170k
2+ days a week in office (Manhattan, NY)
Coconut-based beverages
Be an early applicant
Coconut-based beverages
201-500 employees
Be an early applicant
$150-170k
2+ days a week in office (Manhattan, NY)
201-500 employees
Company mission
To reimagine what is possible when brands deliver great-tasting, natural, and nutritious products that are better for you and better for the world.
Role
Who you are
- 8+ years of progressive experience in People Operations, HR Operations, or Total Rewards
- 5+ years leading compensation, payroll, and benefits programs
- Deep experience with payroll and compensation strategy in a public company
- Strong working knowledge of UKG HRIS (implementation or optimization experience preferred)
- Experience supporting multi-country / global workforces
- Strong knowledge of employment law and compliance frameworks
- Proven people leader
What the job involves
- The Director of People Operations is a strategic and operational leader responsible for building and scaling best-in-class people operations across compensation, benefits, payroll, HRIS, compliance, and people data
- This role ensures Vita Coco’s people infrastructure is accurate, compliant, scalable, and employee-centered while supporting our growth as a global public company
- You will partner closely with Finance, Legal, IT, and the Global People Team to design and execute benefits and payroll strategies, strengthen internal controls, and deliver reliable people data that informs business decisions
- This role manages the People Operations Manager and People Coordinator and reports to the Global VP of People
- Total Rewards:
- Lead U.S. market benchmarking and pay analysis using external surveys and internal data to ensure competitive and equitable compensation programs
- Design and oversee end-to-end U.S. compensation processes, including annual merit cycles, bonus planning, promotions, off-cycle adjustments, and pay equity reviews
- Play a key role in shaping and evolving Vita Coco’s compensation philosophy, frameworks, and governance
- Own benefits strategy and vendor management, including renewals, plan design, and employee experience enhancements
- Ensure compensation and benefits programs are compliant, scalable, and aligned with public-company standards
- Payroll & HRIS (UKG):
- Ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll processing
- Serve as system owner for global HRIS (UKG), ensuring system configuration, data integrity, and optimization
- Lead UKG enhancements, integrations, testing, and process automation
- Public Company Compliance:
- Maintain SOX-aligned controls for payroll, equity, compensation, and people data
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, and international employment laws and regulations
- Partner with Legal on audits, filings, and regulatory reporting (e.g., proxy statement, equity disclosures, wage and hour)
- Monitor regulatory changes and proactively update policies and practices
- People Data & Analytics:
- Establish data governance, documentation, and quality standards
- Build dashboards and reporting for headcount, turnover, compensation, payroll, and benefits
- Provide actionable insights to People and business leaders
- Operational Excellence & Leadership:
- Build scalable processes, documentation, and SOPs
- Lead cross-functional projects with Finance, Legal, IT, and the Global People Team
- Manage vendors and contracts related to payroll, benefits, and HR systems
- Mentor and develop team members, fostering a high-performance operations culture
Our take
Coconut water is a $1B+ market in the US, and it was fiercely fought over back when it was still emerging. Vita Coco ultimately came out on top, beating out Zico (ultimately shuttered following its acquisition by Coca-Cola), and since then, has spread its reach to over 30 countries worldwide.
It’s made some savvy product decisions to keep hold of this top spot. The Vita Coco brand has diversified to accommodate evolving consumer priorities by adding additional health- and sustainability-focused beverages. It’s also riding the recent canned-cocktail craze through a partnership forged with Diageo’s Captain Morgan. And perhaps most importantly, it hasn’t changed its prices much despite the economic downturn.
Analysts predict this budget-friendly approach will see the top-tier company performing well in the event of a recession. Certainly, it will also give the company a boost in a market where coconut water is considered a premium beverage. There are whispers that Zico might be returning to the game, but this old rival will have a lot of catching up to do, especially off the back of a post-IPO secondary offering that has bolstered Coco's value.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
Company
Funding (2 rounds)
Feb 2011
$13.7m
EARLY VC
May 2010
$4.1m
EARLY VC
Total funding: $17.8m
Company benefits
- Health Benefits
- 401(k) + Match
- Paid Holidays and Unlimited Vacation
- Phone Allowance
- Car Allowance
- Gas Card
- Professional Development
- Financial Advisors
- Employee Product Allowance
- Commuter Benefits
- Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave
- CALM & PEERFIT Gym Membership
- Vita Coco E*Trade Account
- Pet Insurance & Dog Friendly Office
Company HQ
Midtown Manhattan, New York, NY
Leadership
Michael Kirban
(Executive Chairman & Co-Founder)Has been with the company ever since co-founding it back in 2004.
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