Most small organizations don't have a people problem. They have a people infrastructure problem: hiring that happens in a panic, compensation set by rushed Google search, a handbook nobody has opened since it was written (or no handbook at all), and a culture that used to run on proximity and goodwill and is now quietly straining. It works right up until it doesn't, and by then the cost shows up as turnover, burnout, and a leadership team doing three jobs at once.

I work as your strategic people partner, and I work close to the ground. That means getting into how your team is actually structured, hired, paid, developed, and cared for — then building what's missing with you: org design and role clarity, compensation philosophy and pay bands, hiring and onboarding frameworks, performance and feedback practices, and the culture work that keeps values from becoming wall art. I bring director-level people operations experience to organizations that aren't ready for — and often don't need — a full-time HR leader.

What I don't do is the recurring tactical work. I'll design your interview process, write the scorecard, and coach you through the hard call; I won't be the one sitting in every interview. I'll build the compensation structure and the pay bands; I won't be running payroll. The distinction matters, because it means what we build together belongs to your team rather than to a consultant you have to keep paying.

This work often looks like: org charts and role design · compensation frameworks and pay equity review · hiring and interview strategy · onboarding and offboarding design · handbook and policy strategy · performance and feedback systems · culture assessment and values work · manager coaching and leadership development · people strategy for a growing or restructuring team

Best for: a founder making their first hires · a team that's outgrown informal management · a nonprofit with no dedicated HR function · an organization heading into growth, merger, or restructuring

Not sure whether it's a structure problem or a people problem? Let's spend 15 minutes on it. →