Head of People

Job Description

Job Description

It’s a great time to join COMC – Millions of Cards. Endless Joy.

Our industry is thriving, and COMC is investing in the technology, infrastructure, and customer experiences that will power our next stage of growth. We’re building a team passionate about making collecting easier, more engaging, and more enjoyable while expanding the reach and capabilities of our marketplace.

Location:  Algona, WA

Job Type:  Full-Time, Exempt

Reports To:  CEO

Travel Required:  Minimal; occasional travel to company sites

Compensation: $160,000- $200,000 per year, paid bi-weekly and subject to applicable taxes

Summary

The Head of People leads COMC’s People function and serves as a trusted partner to the CEO and executive team. This role owns the full scope of HR, with a clear mandate: connect people and business outcomes. That means building programs that keep employees engaged and growing, handling employee relations with fairness and good judgment, and helping leaders make sound people decisions that move the business forward.

This is a hands-on role on a small People team. The Head of People sets direction and does the work: running engagement programs, handling employee relations cases directly, partnering with leaders day to day, and stepping into operational work when the team needs it. The right person keeps the HR foundation solid but spends most of their energy on the work that shapes how people experience COMC and how well teams perform.

About You

You are an HR leader who starts with the business. You understand how the company makes money, what each team is trying to achieve, and where people are the difference between hitting the plan and missing it. Leaders seek you out because you help them solve real problems, not because they have to check a policy box.

You care about the employee experience and know engagement is built through everyday practices, not one-off events. You listen well, act on what you hear, and measure whether it worked. You handle sensitive employee situations calmly and fairly, and you coach managers to lead well on their own. You’re a builder and a doer. You’re as comfortable running an investigation, drafting a survey, or answering a tough employee question yourself as you are presenting to the executive team, and you think a year or two ahead while delivering this week.

Responsibilities

Business Partnership & People Strategy

• Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO and executive team, translating business goals into people priorities, plans, and measurable outcomes.
• Partner with leaders across Operations, Product, Engineering, Growth, Finance, and Legal on org design, workforce planning, and team effectiveness.
• Bring a point of view to leadership discussions, using people data and employee insight to inform business decisions.
• Define and track people metrics that tie to business performance, such as retention, engagement, internal mobility, time to productivity, and manager effectiveness.
• Lead the people side of change, including reorganizations, new programs, and growth initiatives, with clear plans and plain-spoken communication.

Employee Engagement & Culture

• Design, launch, and personally run COMC’s employee engagement strategy, including listening programs, engagement surveys, and action planning with leaders.
• Turn survey results and employee feedback into specific, owned action plans, and report progress back to employees and leadership.
• Build recognition, connection, and onboarding programs that help employees feel valued and connected to COMC’s mission and customers.
• Strengthen culture across multiple locations and remote employees, making sure everyone has a consistent, positive experience.
• Partner with leaders on retention, identifying risks early and building targeted plans to keep key talent.

Employee Relations

• Personally lead employee relations matters, including conducting investigations, conflict resolution, performance concerns, and corrective action, with fairness, consistency, and discretion.
• Coach managers through difficult conversations and people decisions so they build confidence and capability over time.
• Spot patterns in employee relations issues and address root causes through manager training, policy updates, or process changes.
• Partner with Legal on complex or high-risk matters, balancing risk with doing right by employees and the business.

Talent, Performance & Development

• Oversee talent acquisition strategy, partnering with hiring managers to attract, select, and onboard strong talent.
• Own performance management, goal setting, and feedback practices that drive accountability and growth.
• Build manager and leadership development programs that raise the bar for how COMC leads people.
• Support succession planning and career paths so employees can see a future at COMC.
• Partner on compensation, merit, and incentive programs, ensuring pay practices are fair, competitive, and aligned with performance.

People Operations & Compliance

• Ensure a strong HR foundation through the People team, including payroll partnership, benefits, HRIS (ADP Workforce Now), policies, and records.
• Maintain compliance with federal, Washington State, and multi-state employment requirements, treating compliance as a baseline rather than the goal.
• Keep policies and the employee handbook current, clear, and aligned with how COMC wants to operate.
• Use people systems and data to simplify work, improve the employee experience, and deliver reliable reporting.

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the People team, setting clear priorities and building a service-minded, business-focused culture.
• Work alongside the team on day-to-day HR work, including employee and manager questions, the HR inbox during peak periods and absences, and program execution.
• Manage the People budget and vendor relationships, including benefits brokers, carriers, and HR technology partners.
• Represent the People function in board and executive reporting as needed.

Skills & Qualifications

• Proven track record as a strategic HR business partner who has influenced business outcomes, not just HR processes.
• Hands-on by nature: comfortable doing the work yourself, not only directing it, on a small team in a fast-moving, growing company.
• Demonstrated success building and running employee engagement programs, with measurable improvements in engagement, retention, or culture.
• Deep employee relations experience, including conducting investigations and coaching managers through complex situations.
• Strong generalist foundation across talent acquisition, performance, development, compensation, benefits, and HR operations.
• Working knowledge of federal and Washington State employment law; multi-state experience preferred.
• Comfort using data to tell a story and drive decisions, including surveys, people metrics, and dashboards.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to write warm, clear, plain-spoken messages for employees and concise recommendations for executives.
• Sound judgment, high integrity, and discretion with confidential information.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now or similar HRIS a plus; e-commerce, marketplace, or collectibles industry experience a plus.

Education & Experience

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including 4+ years in an HR leadership or senior HR business partner role.
• Experience leading a small HR team while carrying your own workload of programs and employee relations cases.
• Experience in a growing company of 200 to 500 employees preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.

Benefits Offerings

• Competitive salary
• 9 paid company holidays per year
• Paid Time Off of up to nearly 4 weeks per year
• 401(k) program with company match
• Employer-provided medical and dental plan options
• Employer-provided long-term disability and life insurance
• Short-term disability for employees outside Washington State
• Employee discount on COMC
• Employee Assistance Program

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This position primarily operates in a professional office environment and may involve prolonged periods of sitting, standing, and using computers and other standard office equipment. Occasional travel may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Additional Information

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Employees may be required to perform other job-related duties as assigned, consistent with business needs and the skills and experience of the employee.This document does not create a contract of employment, either express or implied. Employment with COMC is considered at-will.

Equal Opportunity Employer

COMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We strongly encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.