Director of People Operations, U.S.

The Vita Coco Company is on a mission to reimagine what’s possible when brands deliver healthy, nutritious, and great-tasting products that are better for consumers and better for the planet, anchored by the leading coconut water brand in the world -- Vita Coco. We started in 2004 when two guys in a bar realized that coconut water wasn’t getting enough credit in the U.S.. Fast forward: we’re now a publicly traded company (NASDAQ: COCO).

As a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corporation, we’re serious about supporting farming communities, protecting natural resources, and building brands that do good. Our HQ is located on the island of Manhattan in New York City (we know...very tropical), with offices in London and Singapore.
Our Values:

• Human First: We lead with inclusivity, transparency, and empathy.
• Nothing is Impossible: We experiment, learn, and keep moving forward.
• United by Our Will to Win: We stay aligned, work collaboratively, and push toward shared goals.
• Part of Something Bigger: We’re committed to uplifting the communities we’re connected to locally and globally.

About the Role 

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. 

Key Responsibilities 

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 

Qualifications 

• 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  

A reasonable estimate of the current pay range for this position is $150,000-$170,000 per year. The base pay actually offered may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors.

The Vita Coco Company is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of age, race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation (including transgender status, gender identity or expression), physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, AIDS/HIV status, military service, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Company is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy in regard to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.