Analyst or Associate, Human Capital

DESRI (formerly D. E. Shaw Renewable Investments) is a market-leading owner and operator of renewable energy projects throughout the United States. We have acquired or developed approximately 13 gigawatts of contracted capacity across a portfolio of over 85 renewable energy projects in 24 states.

At DESRI, our culture is grounded in rigorous analytics and thoughtful risk-taking, with a strong emphasis on creativity, intellectual curiosity, and continuous improvement. We operate with lean teams that prioritize efficiency and minimize unnecessary bureaucracy, enabling individuals to take ownership and move quickly. We value open, constructive dialogue and believe it leads to better outcomes. Above all, we are driven to go the extra mile and support one another, fostering a collaborative environment built on accountability, integrity, and care.

About the role

DESRI is seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented individual to join our Human Capital team as an Analyst or Associate, title commensurate with experience. This is a dynamic, hands-on role that sits at the center of our Human Capital operations, supporting a wide range of activities across payroll, total rewards, benefits, HRIS systems, and core Human Capital processes. This role is well-suited for an early-career professional looking to build a strong foundation in Human Capital within a fast-paced, high-performing environment. This role offers meaningful exposure to leadership and key stakeholders, along with opportunities to take ownership of workstreams, exercise sound judgment, and contribute to critical team initiatives over time.

What you'll do

You will serve as a critical Human Capital team member with core ownership across payroll, total rewards, benefits, HRIS, and immigration, working in close partnership with the Corporate Finance team, while also supporting broader operational and project-based work across the Human Capital function. Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Payroll: Acting as a key point of contact for payroll processing and administration, partnering closely with Corporate Finance on payroll funding, reconciliations, accruals, and reporting; ensuring accuracy and compliance across pay cycles, off-cycle payments, and year-end processes (e.g., W-2s, tax filings); and investigating and resolving discrepancies in partnership with Finance and external payroll vendors
• Total Rewards & Compensation: Supporting compensation cycles, benchmarking, and market data analysis; assisting with annual merit, bonus, and equity processes; and preparing analyses and reporting to inform total rewards decision-making
• Benefits: Administering day-to-day benefits operations, including enrollment, eligibility, vendor management, and billing reconciliation; serving as an escalation point for complex employee benefits questions; and supporting open enrollment and renewal processes end-to-end
• HRIS: Owning data integrity, configuration, and reporting within the HRIS, including building and maintaining reports/dashboards for HC and business stakeholders, testing system updates, and identifying and implementing process improvements and automation opportunities
• Immigration: Coordinating immigration case management with outside counsel, tracking visa and work authorization statuses and deadlines, and ensuring timely, compliant processing of sponsorships and renewals
• Partnering closely with the HC team across both the U.S. and HYD (Hyderabad, India) to ensure alignment on payroll, benefits, and HRIS processes across geographies, exercising sound judgment in navigating differences and cultural sensitivities, and escalating as appropriate
• Supporting broader HC processes and initiatives, including performance cycles, year-end processes, training/LMS content, and employee engagement efforts, with ownership over discrete workstreams and deliverables
• Supporting onboarding, preboarding, and offboarding logistics as needed, including documentation, background checks, and I-9 verification, in coordination with IT, vendors, and internal stakeholders
• Serving as a go-to resource for employees navigating payroll, benefits, systems access, and general workplace questions, exercising strong judgment on when to elevate versus resolve independently
• Managing ad hoc projects and providing analytical and reporting support across the team, with increasing ownership over time

Qualifications

• Strong interest in building a career in Human Capital, with a particular interest in payroll, total rewards, benefits, or HRIS
• Early-career candidate (e.g., ~1-2 years of relevant experience, ideally in payroll, HR operations, benefits administration, or a related analytical/finance-adjacent role) preferred
• Strong Excel skills required, including comfort with formulas, pivot tables, VLOOKUP/INDEX-MATCH, and building and maintaining reconciliations, trackers, and reports; ability to work with large data sets accurately and efficiently
• Comfort working with numbers and data; ability to reconcile figures, spot discrepancies, and maintain a high degree of accuracy in payroll, compensation, and benefits-related work
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, particularly with sensitive, deadline-driven, and compliance-oriented processes
• Strong sense of ownership, urgency, follow-through, and ability to manage priorities and discrete workstreams independently
• Professional presence, sound judgment, and the ability to handle highly confidential compensation, benefits, and employee data with discretion
• Strong communication skills and ability to work both independently and collaboratively — including cross-functionally with Corporate Finance — exercising sound judgment in day-to-day decision making
• Willingness to take on a wide range of responsibilities, from analytical and process-driven work to broader project-based initiatives
• Intellectual curiosity, motivation, and a proactive, analytical approach to learning and problem-solving
• Strong aptitude for working across HR systems and technology platforms (e.g., HRIS, payroll systems), with the ability to learn and navigate new tools quickly; prior exposure to an HRIS or payroll platform a plus
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, with particularly strong Excel skills and a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail
• At DESRI, we consider a wide range of factors to determine your compensation. We rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, location, skills, and experience. The expected annual base salary for this position is $75,000 - $100,000.
• Our compensation and benefits package includes variable compensation in the form of a year-end bonus, guaranteed in the first year of hire, and benefits including medical and prescription drug coverage, 401(k) contribution matching, paid time off, wellness reimbursement, family building benefits, and a charitable gift match program.
  

Successful candidates will be highly driven, adaptable, and eager to contribute to a team-oriented environment while building a long-term career in Human Capital.