Senior Director, People Operations Full Time NEW

We are Tennis! The USTA (United States Tennis Association) is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the US Open.

Why Work for the USTA?

We are a passionate team of staff and volunteers focused on growing the sport of tennis and making it accessible to all. We are committed to removing barriers and creating opportunities for ALL to participate. Don’t know tennis? Don’t worry, you can still find yourself in the game!

The Role

At the USTA, our mission is to grow the game of tennis to inspire healthier people and communities everywhere. To do that, we need a champion of our most valuable asset: our people. As the Sr. Director, People Operations, you will be the strategic architect of our total rewards, wellness, HR-related systems management, and organizational culture. You will lead the design and execution of high-impact compensation and benefits programs that attract world-class talent, while serving as the primary advocate for a healthy, inclusive, and compliant workplace through expert employee relations. This is a leadership role for a data-driven strategist who understands that a great employee experience is the “ace” that helps us win as a team.

Value Architecture & Total Rewards Strategy

• Design & Equity: Design, implement, and oversee a comprehensive, multi-tiered compensation framework that ensures internal equity and external competitiveness. This includes the end-to-end management of base salary structures, geographic differentials, and annual merit increase cycles.
• Incentive Alignment: Develop and refine short- and long-term incentive programs that translate the USTA’s organizational mission into measurable performance outcomes, ensuring that “how we pay” reinforces “what we achieve.”
• Transparency & Education: Develop communication strategies that demystify compensation for employees and people leaders, fostering a culture of trust, transparency, and clarity regarding the organization’s investment in its talent.

Market Intelligence & Organizational Benchmarking

• Data-Driven Positioning: Lead the annual market benchmarking process, utilizing survey data and labor market analytics to calibrate our competitive positioning within the sports, entertainment, and non-profit sectors.
• Job Architecture & Leveling: Maintain a rigorous job leveling and titling architecture that ensures organizational scalability. This involves evaluating new and existing roles to ensure they are appropriately slotted based on scope, impact, and market value.
• Predictive Analytics: Monitor emerging trends in the “Future of Work”—including pay transparency legislation and shifts in total rewards preferences—to keep the organization ahead of the curve.

Executive Compensation & Board Governance

• External Partnership Management: Serve as the primary internal liaison for the organization’s external compensation consultant . Collaborate on the design, modeling, and validation of executive-level pay structures to ensure they meet the highest standards of market alignment.
• Committee Support & Reporting: Lead the development of high-impact materials and presentations for the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors

Benefits & Total Wellbeing

• Health & Wellness: Oversee the USTA’s comprehensive benefits portfolio (Medical, 401k, Wellness perks), ensuring they reflect our commitment to “champions of wellness.”
• Innovation: Pivot our offerings to meet the modern needs of a hybrid workforce, including mental health support, family-friendly policies, and “play-where-you-work” perks.

In-house Consulting

• Provide thoughtful consultation to USTA National and Section leadership as needed and/or requested

Who You Are

• Experience: 15+ years of progressive HR leadership, with at least 5 years specifically overseeing Compensation, Benefits, and HR Operations
• Industry Knowledge: Proven track record in the sports, media, or entertainment industries.
• Technical: You are equally comfortable in a complex Excel sheet modeling bonus structures as you are in a sensitive 1-on-1 consultative session.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related field, or certification from SPHR/CEBS.

What We Offer

At the USTA, we know people are our most important asset. For this reason, we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to meet the needs of a diverse workforce!

• Flexibility: Our Hybrid with Flexibility approach combines a balance of remote working with in-office collaboration to spark teamwork and creativity.
• Comprehensive benefits designed to meet your unique needs: Medical, dental, vision, access to doctors virtually, a flexible spending account to manage your health and dependent care expenses, and life and disability insurance are a small part of our offerings.
• Time to recharge and energize: Generous paid time off policy – including vacation, sick, personal, and paid holidays, parental leave, and a paid winter recess.
• Plan for your future financially and professionally: 401(k) with employer matching (up to 6.5%), promotional and growth opportunities, Learning and Development programs to learn on the job, and up to $7,000 for tuition reimbursement.
• Mental and emotional wellness: Resources for overall well-being, including mental health and meditation benefits.
• Other cool perks: A personalized health management program, pet insurance, commuter benefits, identity theft protection, discounts with our network of partners, and fun events are just a few of the optional benefits available.

The expected range for the annual base salary for this position is $160,000 – $180,000. This role is eligible for an Incentive Compensation Plan (ICP) bonus up to 15%. This range does not include any additional pay or benefits for which a person may qualify. The actual base salary offered is determined by several variables, including, as appropriate, the applicant’s qualifications for the position, the years of relevant experience, their unique skills, and the location from which they will be performing the job.

Come One, Come All

We strongly encourage you to apply if you’re interested; we’d love to learn how you can “serve” our team with your unique experience!

USTA is dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals, regardless of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, pregnancy, veteran status, marital status, family status, alienage or citizenship status, creed, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.