Senior Director, Payroll Partnerships

Human Interest is on a mission to ensure that people in all lines of work have access to retirement benefits. 

Nearly half of all working Americans are not saving enough for their future. Too often it’s because they are employed by a company that doesn’t offer a retirement plan. Human Interest is changing that by making it affordable and accessible for small and medium-sized businesses to offer employees a path to financial independence through retirement savings.

We’re a high-growth tech company changing the retirement industry. We’ve raised more than $700M in primary and secondary financings and are backed by a number of investors. Most recently, this includes funding from Marshall Wace and Baillie Gifford, as well as top investors such as BlackRock, TPG (The Rise Fund), SoftBank, Glynn Capital, NewView Capital, USVP, Wing, Uncork, and more.

About the role

The Director of Payroll Partnerships will be responsible for leading our payroll partnerships strategy, driving growth, and ensuring the seamless integration of payroll solutions across our legacy and digital platforms. You will work closely with cross-functional teams, including product, sales, compliance, legal and operations, to identify and cultivate strategic growth partnerships with payroll providers, technology vendors, and other leading industry stakeholders. This position requires a strong strategic mindset, powerful financial acumen, exceptional relationship-building skills, and a deep understanding of payroll systems and technologies.

About the team

Our Partnership Team at Human Interest is dedicated to building and nurturing strategic relationships that empower organizations to offer their employees innovative retirement solutions. We work closely with leading payroll organizations, Service Bureau Organizations, Broker - CPA- Franchise channel partners and industry leading tech partners to deliver seamless and customized 401(k) services that drive financial wellness and retirement security. Our team is composed of experienced professionals who bring a blend of expertise in fintech, financial services, and partnership management. With a focus on collaboration, innovation, and exceptional high touch partnership, we aim to create win-win solutions that not only meet the needs of our partners but also help individuals plan for a secure financial future. Whether it’s supporting onboarding, acquiring new partners or optimizing existing relationships, our team is committed to ensuring that every partnership is built on trust, transparency, and shared success.

What you get to do every day

Strategic Partnership Development:

• Identify, establish, and nurture key strategic partnerships with payroll service providers, fintech companies, and other key industry players.
• Drive the overall partnership strategy to increase the adoption and effectiveness of payroll solutions within our ecosystem.
• Negotiate and structure partnership agreements that align with company objectives and ensure mutually beneficial outcomes.

Partnership Management:

• Lead the day-to-day management of existing tech and legacy payroll partnerships, ensuring alignment with business goals and delivering on partnership KPIs and mutually aligned growth targets quarter over quarter.
• Act as the main point of contact for partners, addressing issues, resolving conflicts, and driving continuous improvements.
• Monitor and report on the performance and ROI of payroll partnerships, making data-driven recommendations to optimize desired outcomes.

Cross-functional Collaboration:

• Work closely with Product, Sales, and Marketing teams to ensure partner success and seamless integration of payroll solutions and technologies into the overall HI product offering.
• Support the Sales team by providing expertise in engagement opportunities and defining areas of amplification of the all-in-one HI x payroll offerings and value propositions to partner sales teams and potential clients.
• Collaborate with the Operations team to ensure that payroll integrations are implemented efficiently and effectively for our clients.

Market Insights & Thought Leadership:

• Stay current with competitors,  trends, regulations, and emerging technologies within the 401K, payroll and HR space, identifying opportunities for innovation and differentiation.
• Provide thought leadership both internally and externally on best practices, market trends, and the evolving payroll landscape.
• Attend and represent the company at industry events, conferences, and forums to promote our payroll solutions and expand our network.

Team Leadership & Development:

• Lead and mentor a high-performing team of partnership managers and specialists.
• Foster a collaborative and results-oriented culture within the team, providing guidance, support, and professional development opportunities.
• Set clear goals and expectations for the team, driving accountability and performance.

What you bring to the role

• 10+ years of experience in payroll, partnerships, business development, or related fields, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven track record of successfully managing and scaling strategic partnerships, particularly in the HCM tech, payroll or fintech industries.
• Strong understanding of payroll systems, compliance, and the broader HR technology ecosystem.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships at all levels of an organization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Leadership and team management experience, with a demonstrated ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve goals.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, HR, or a related field (MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred).

Travel Requirements 

• Frequent travel with a minimum expectation of 40-50% domestically and possibly internationally 1-2 times per year

Why you will love working at Human Interest

Mission - Highly collaborative startup dedicated to supporting employee engagement and growth. It’s an opportunity to help solve one of the biggest unsolved problems in America: saving for retirement.

Culture - Our operating principles define how we come together as a team to do our work. They reflect Human Interest’s unique view on what’s important and what’s right. Documenting this core aspect of our culture helps employees make good decisions on their own. It also helps candidates considering career opportunities critically evaluate whether they will thrive at Human Interest. 

• Customer obsession
• Long-term orientation
• Autonomous and accountable teams
• An escalating bar for talent and performance 
• Fundamental optimism 

Compensation - At Human Interest, there are a number of factors that are used to determine the appropriate pay range for each position. We take into account the cost of labor for each position in various markets across the US. The base salary for this position spans $190,000 - $200,000 and represents the minimum in our lowest geographic region to a maximum in our highest geographic region. The salary that we offer to a new employee within this range is based on their location within the US, their relevant job-related skills, and experience. At Human Interest, base salary is one component of the overall Total Rewards package. Depending on the position, additional compensation components such as bonus, commission, and equity may be offered. All of our employees are offered a robust suite of physical, financial and mental wellness benefits.

Benefits - 

• A great 401(k) plan: Our own! Our 401(k) includes a dollar-for-dollar employer match up to 4% of compensation (immediately vested) and $0 plan fees
• Top-of-the-line health plans, as well as dental and vision insurance
• Generous PTO and parental leave policies
• Addition Wealth - Unlimited access to digital tools, financial professionals, and a knowledge center to help you understand your equity and support your financial wellness
• Lyra - Enhanced Mental Health Support for Employees and dependents  
• Carrot - Fertility healthcare and family forming benefits
• Candidly - Student loan resource to help you and your family plan, borrow, and repay student debt
• Monthly work-from-home stipend; quarterly lifestyle stipend
• Employee Resource Groups including Veterans, Lift Ev’ry Voice, Pride, LatinX, Families, and Women in Tech
• Fun online and regional events and celebrations and department and company offsites
• The vast majority of our positions can be 100% remote
  

We’re a great place to work (but don’t take our word for it) 

Here’s a list of our awards and accolades:

• Certified as a Great Place To Work® (2023-2025)
• Fortune Best Place to Work in the Bay Area (2024)
• Best Places to Work by Built In (2023-2024)
• America’s Best Startup Employers by Forbes (2020-2022, 2024) 
• A Top Company by Y Combinator (2020-2023)
• Inc. Fastest Growing Companies (2021)

Human Interest is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran or military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristics protected under federal, state, or local laws.

We are committed to making every stage of our application process fully accessible to all individuals. If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the process, please let us know at applicantaccommodations@humaninterest.com.

Please note Human Interest does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from candidates. We will not consider resumes from vendors including and without limitation search firms, staffing agencies, fee-based referral services, and recruiting agencies. 

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider employment-qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We comply with CCPA guidelines.

See more: https://humaninterest.com/disclosures