Director of People

Who We Are Summer is a Certified B Corp® on a mission to restore financial freedom for the 46 million Americans burdened by student debt. We combine deep policy expertise with powerful technology to simplify every step of college cost planning and loan repayment. We have helped people save an average of $278 per month and more than $1.8 billion in total savings to date. By partnering with leading employers, cities, and financial institutions, including ADP, the City of New York, Banc of California, Norton Healthcare, and the American Federation of Teachers, Summer helps millions of Americans move closer to a debt-free future. Backed by $30 million in funding from top investors including Rebalance Capital, SemperVirens, QED Investors, General Catalyst, and Flourish Ventures, we’re building the infrastructure that powers student loan relief and education affordability in America. Your Role As Director of People, you’ll lead the day-to-day operations of Summer’s People function, overseeing the full employee lifecycle from recruitment to retention. You’ll design scalable processes and programs that support Summer’s growth, while ensuring our People practices reflect our mission and values. This is a hands-on leadership role ideal for someone who enjoys balancing strategic thinking with execution, partnering closely with the COO and executive leadership team to build an exceptional employee experience as we scale. What You’ll Do Serve as a trusted advisor to managers and employees on organizational design, team development, and people strategy. Partner with leadership to develop and implement People strategies that align with company goals, support growth, and strengthen overall organizational effectiveness. Lead all aspects of the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, retention, and workforce development. Oversee all Talent functions, including recruiting, employer brand, and workforce planning — ensuring Summer attracts and retains top talent to meet business goals. Build and manage scalable onboarding, performance management, and feedback frameworks — including employee review cycles and career development programs. Design and implement learning and development initiatives that promote skill growth, leadership readiness, and career mobility. Oversee compensation benchmarking, benefits administration, and vendor relationships to ensure equity and competitiveness. Strengthen Summer’s culture through engagement, recognition, and initiatives that foster connection, inclusivity, belonging, and well-being. Manage HR operations and systems (HRIS, ATS, payroll) while partnering with Finance on headcount planning and budgeting. Lead all HR compliance and employee relations by ensuring alignment with federal, state, and local employment laws in collaboration with legal counsel and proactively mitigating risk through consistent policies and procedures. You Might Be a Fit If You Have 8+ years of progressive HR/People experience, including 3–5 years in a leadership role within a high-growth or scaling organization. Proven ability to build and lead People programs across talent management, performance, compensation, and employee engagement. Demonstrated success advising executives and managers on organizational design, workforce planning, and change management. Experience implementing and optimizing HR systems (HRIS, ATS, payroll) and scalable processes in remote-first or distributed environments. Strong knowledge of employment law, compliance, and HR best practices across multiple U.S. states. Track record of developing and managing equitable compensation and total rewards programs. Ability to analyze people data and leverage insights to inform operations and decision-making. Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills; able to influence across functions with empathy and clarity. Passion for culture, equity, and employee growth — and for creating workplaces where people can do their best work. Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field preferred SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or similar senior-level HR certification preferred. The Details Compensation: $165-185K + equity + comprehensive benefits (for FTE roles only) Work Setup: Remote (U.S.) Status: Full-time Work Environment Summer is a remote-first company with team members across the U.S. We collaborate asynchronously and meet virtually each week, with in-person gatherings for key moments during the year. Why Join Summer Summer is on a mission to help borrowers navigate and eliminate student debt. We partner with financial institutions, employers, and government agencies to provide digital tools that simplify the loan experience for millions of borrowers. We’re a mission-driven team that believes in solving real problems with real empathy. We care deeply about our users and each other. If you’re excited about building technology that changes lives, we’d love to meet you. How We Support You Equity grant to share in Summer’s success 100% employee-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance 401(k) plan with 3% match, fully vested day one Home office setup reimbursement Monthly lunch credits Direct contributions toward your student loans Up to 11 paid holidays + flexible PTO Paid leave for family, health, or personal needs Annual in-person events including Summer Camp and Summer Wonderland And more! Equal Opportunity Summer provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination or harassment of any kind. This policy applies to all employment terms and conditions, including recruiting, hiring, promotion, termination, compensation, and training.