Director of People Operations (Human Resources)

Job Summary:

The Company:
Exos is a 30-year-old, privately owned global coaching and consulting business operating across sport, military readiness, fitness center management, and workplace performance. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona—home to our largest elite athlete facility—we work with organizations and individuals around the world to elevate human performance.
Recently, we acquired Biocore Inc., a leader in biomechanics, data engineering, and applied sports science supporting elite athletes and military populations. With these combined capabilities, Exos operates across four distinct businesses: Sports Coaching & Consulting, Fitness Center Management, Military Readiness, and Workplace Consulting & Solutions.
Our purpose is simple and ambitious: to elevate human performance through science, coaching, and technology to expand what is possible.
The Position:
We are seeking a Director of People Operations to serve as the primary People partner for our Sport business and one of our largest strategic clients—a Fortune 10 technology company. This role functions as a senior HR business leader with deep ownership of employee relations, coaching managers, resolving complex and sensitive issues, and conducting workplace investigations. The role will lead employee engagement and organizational effectiveness, while partnering closely with our People Operations Shared Services team across Talent, Total Rewards, and HR Operations. This position supports approximately 400 team members across the U.S., ranging from elite performance coaches to fitness center staff, in fast-growing, highly visible parts of our business.
Success in this role requires a true general manager mindset—someone who can move fluidly from strategic workforce planning and executive-level presentations to hands-on employee relations and complex investigations. These businesses are evolving rapidly, and this leader must continuously reassess people strategies while building trusted relationships with leaders and team members alike.
This is a hybrid role, based in our Phoenix office three days per week, with occasional travel. The role reports to the Chief People Officer and partners closely with senior leaders across the supported businesses.
Our Culture:
We are proud to be a Great Place to Work organization and place a strong emphasis on the employee experience. Our leaders balance advocacy for team members with sound business judgment. We believe greatness is a team sport—and we operate as a team of coaches who value curiosity, humility, and continuous growth.

The Profile:

We are looking for a confidently humble People leader—someone who isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, ask hard questions, and do the work required to support both the business and its people.

Leaders who thrive at Exos are:

• Curious and growth-oriented

• Comfortable operating in ambiguity

• Grounded in both empathy and accountability

• Team-first, with low ego and high standards

• A passion for sport, fitness, or high-performance environments is a strong plus.

Key Responsibilities:

• Partner with People Operations leadership to develop and execute HR strategies aligned to business needs

• Lead employee relations, including coaching managers, resolving complex issues, and conducting workplace investigations

• Shape people analytics and lead strategic workforce planning efforts

• Serve as the primary People partner to business leaders, influencing and owning talent and organizational decisions

• Quarterback HR Centers of Excellence activities (Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Talent Development, Total Rewards, and HR Operations) in partnership with Shared Services

• Develop, interpret, and administer policies, programs, and procedures

• Ensure compliance with all federal and state employment laws, including wage and hour regulations

• Identify, assess, and mitigate people-related risk in collaboration with cross-functional partners

• Support change management initiatives at both the site and enterprise levels
  Facilitate and track required training programs

• Support succession planning and long-term talent strategies

• Lead or contribute to special projects as needed

Qualifications: 

• 7+ years of relevant HR experience in a multi-site, geographically dispersed, service-based environment

• Experience operating at a senior HR business partner or Director level (title not required)

• Demonstrated strength in employee relations and organizational problem-solving

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP certification preferred

• Experience working with large, diverse employee populations

• Proficiency with HRIS platforms (Workday experience preferred)

• Strong communication and influencing skills

• Ability to adapt quickly and remain effective in complex or high-pressure situations

• Willingness to travel periodically

• Proven success in fast-paced, loosely structured environments

• Experience supporting organizational change and policy rollout

WHO WE ARE 

For nearly 30 years, Exos has been dedicated to getting people ready for the moments that matter by promoting a holistic approach to health. As an elite coaching company, Exos applies its evidence-based methodology to programming designed to unlock the potential in everyone from corporate employees, to elite athletes, military operators, and beyond.

Simply put, we “get you ready” for the moments that matter — whether that’s striving to excel at work, or training for a major athletic event. How do we do it? Our employer solutions include fitness center management, on-site coaching and classes, and the Exos app, as well as immersive team-building experiences, executive coaching, and personal development programming. Our professional athlete training programs propel elite athletes to new heights in the NFL combine and NBA Draft each year, and our practitioner education courses and workshops provide industry professionals ongoing opportunities for development.

We’ve never been the type to accept the status quo. We’re all about studying, learning, innovating, and making waves. And we feel that it’s our responsibility to help others because we know there’s a better way. That better way is Exos Readiness.

We are an equal opportunity employer

EXOS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace for all. We invite applicants from a wide variety of identities, ideas, perspectives and experiences and encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply. Exos offers reasonable accommodations to job applicants with disabilities. 

Learn more here:

• EEO is the Law
• EEO is the Law Supplement