Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.
Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.
Target Resume Now
About the Role
The Managing Director of People & Culture is a senior leader responsible for building, managing, and improving the human resources function at LNW. This role combines hands-on HR leadership with strategic perspective to advise the executive team and Board on people-related matters within a complex, regulated wealth management industry.
Responsibilities
- Assess and harmonize or enhance HR policies across a multi-state organization, ensuring legal soundness and operational clarity.
- Serve as the authority on employment law (CA, WA, NY), translating legal requirements into practical guidance.
- Build and maintain reliable HR processes for onboarding, offboarding, performance management, leaves, accommodations, and separations.
- Handle complex and sensitive employee relations matters with sound judgment and discretion.
- Coach managers on performance management, documentation, and difficult conversations.
- Identify and address patterns and systemic risks in employee relations early.
- Partner to shape and build a talent management program aligned with business needs and existing team strengths.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive performance management strategy with managers.
- Lead and develop the People & Culture team, acting as a player-coach.
- Advise the executive team on organizational design and the talent landscape.
- Develop a forward-looking people strategy for leadership development and succession planning.
- Prepare and present Board-level updates on people metrics, risks, and initiatives.
- Guide the compensation and benefits program strategy.
- Earn trust as an accessible and credible leader.
- Drive engagement practices and translate feedback into action.
- Foster an equitable and inclusive workplace in partnership with leadership.
Requirements
- 10+ years of progressive HR experience with demonstrated depth in employee relations, talent management, and policy in complex, multi-site organizations.
- Strong working knowledge of employment law in California or Washington, with familiarity of other states where LNW has offices.
- Hands-on experience harmonizing HR practices in organizations that have grown through merger.
- Proven ability to complete tasks, produce high-quality written work, manage competing priorities, and uphold high standards.
- Ability to communicate effectively at all levels, from individual employees to the Board.
- Experience in financial services or wealth management is a plus.
- Candidates must meet all employment qualifications at time of hiring, including successful completion of background and credit checks, execution of employee agreements, and ability to perform essential job functions.
Skills
- Employee relations
- Talent management
- Policy development
- Employment law
- HR process management
- Performance management
- Organizational design
- Compensation and benefits strategy
- Engagement strategies
- Inclusion and belonging
- Communication
- Judgment
- Empathy
- Operational excellence
- Clear communication
- Teaching
- Mentoring
- Courage
- Tolerance for ambiguity
- Ownership
Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
Work Type
- Full-time
- Hybrid
Experience Level
- Senior leader
- 10+ years of progressive HR experience
Salary/Compensations
- $220,000 to $275,000 for San Francisco
- $210,000 to $260,000 for Seattle
Benefits
- Medical coverage
- Dental coverage
- Vision coverage
- Generous time off
- Sabbatical program
- Flexible spending plans for health care
- Flexible spending plans for dependent care
- 401(k) plan
- Educational reimbursements
About the Company
- For more than five decades, Laird Norton Wetherby (LNW) has served the interests of exceptional families and individuals.
- LNW offers a full spectrum of specialized wealth & legacy planning, investment management, and trust & estate services.
- LNW has offices in Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, as well as an affiliate trust company in South Dakota.
- LNW is majority owned by Laird Norton Company, one of the longest-sustained family enterprises in the United States, as well as by active employees.
Equal Opportunity
- The firm is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination against employees, applicants for employment, individuals providing services in the workplace pursuant to a contract, unpaid interns and volunteers based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ancestry, marital status, registered domestic partner status, military and veteran status, civil air patrol status, national origin, immigration status, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, and including medical conditions related to lactation) or medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics).