Director of People Operations, Descript
$220-260k
Collaborative audio and video editor
Open for applications
Collaborative audio and video editor
101-200 employees
Open for applications
$220-260k
101-200 employees
Company mission
To make video a staple of every communicator's toolkit, alongside docs and slides.
Role
Who you are
- 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including 5+ years in a people leadership or HR management role within a scaling, high-growth environment
- Demonstrated ability to lead and execute across multiple HR domains, including employee relations, compensation, benefits, compliance, and engagement
- A strong operational toolkit, with experience implementing HR programs and processes that scale with business growth
- Comfort working in ambiguity, with a decisive, solutions-oriented approach to problem solving
- Track record of building trust with senior leaders and navigating both strategic and tactical challenges with poise and confidence
- Deep knowledge of California labor laws and HR compliance requirements
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with an ability to influence and coach at all levels of the organization
- Based in San Francisco with the ability to collaborate regularly in person with teammates and leaders
- If you’re a seasoned HR leader who thrives in high-growth environments and is ready to drive operational excellence with empathy and impact—we’d love to meet you
What the job involves
- We’re hiring a People Operations Director who brings both depth and breadth of experience across the HR function, and who thrives in a hands-on, fast-paced environment
- In this role, you’ll lead a lean, high-performing HR team and act as a critical thought partner to the VP of People—owning day-to-day operations while driving forward high-impact initiatives that support our next phase of growth
- Lead and mentor a small HR team with a focus on high performance, ownership, and professional development
- Oversee core HR operations across the entire employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, performance, engagement, and compliance
- Own and evolve compensation, benefits, and internal HR systems—leveraging your prior experience to make informed, data-backed improvements
- Act as the go-to expert for employee relations—handling complex and sensitive issues with discretion, clarity, and leadership maturity
- Partner closely with the VP of People and executive team to design and implement scalable people programs that support business outcomes
- Identify and address operational inefficiencies proactively, driving process improvements that balance speed with sustainability
- Serve as a strategic executor—moving initiatives forward with minimal oversight, keeping stakeholders aligned, and adjusting as priorities evolve
- Be a visible and trusted presence across the org, building strong cross-functional partnerships through consistent, reliable execution
- Guide the ongoing development of HR systems, policies, and infrastructure to support a growing, distributed workforce
Our take
Descript offers podcasters, YouTubers and other content creators a series of modern tools for editing and transcribing audio and video files. It stands out from more traditional editing platforms by using modern tools like natural language processing and AI generated transcriptions.
One of its most newsworthy features is its transcription to audio editing software. Users can edit the AI generated transcription in text format, which is then reflected in the audio itself, and in the speaker's “natural" voice. Founded by Groupon founder and former CEO Andrew Mason in 2017, the company has experienced fast growth, and has already been used across the industry by outlets like the BBC, NPR, VICE, The Washington Post and The New York Times.
The company’s early success and future potential have been underlined in the form of substantial funding. The podcasting industry alone (which encompasses both video and audio) accounted for $22 billion. Descript, which continues to add intelligent and quality-shifting features, is well-positioned to capture this lucrative and growing market.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
30% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 4 rounds)
Oct 2022
$50m
SERIES C
Jan 2021
$30m
SERIES B
Total funding: $100m
Company benefits
- Generous healthcare package
- Unlimited vacation time
- Catered lunches
- Whether you love WFH or can’t wait to get back to being in person, we're interested in offering an environment that works for you
Company HQ
Civic Center, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Andrew Mason
(CEO)Studied at Northwestern University before founding Groupon in 2008. Was a Part-time Partner at Y Combinator and co-founder of Detour.com.
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