Director of People Operations

About the Company

Lowery Property Advisors is a fast-growing commercial real estate appraisal and advisory business with staff spread across 12 Texas offices, along with locations in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Georgia. The organization is built around strong values, clear communication, high standards, and genuine care for people. It is looking for an experienced HR leader who can strengthen daily people operations, improve hiring and onboarding, support managers, and help preserve the culture that defines the company.

Role Overview

The People Operations Manager will oversee core HR activities company-wide, including recruiting, onboarding, offboarding, employee relations, HR administration, and support for managers. The role is both strategic and hands-on, with a focus on helping the business grow by improving how employees are hired, supported, and developed. A major part of the job is enabling leaders with practical tools, training, and confidence so they can manage performance, handle tough conversations, and lead teams with clarity and accountability. This position reports to the CEO and is expected to have one direct report shortly after joining.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and continuously improve the end-to-end hiring process, from posting roles through offer acceptance.
• Work with managers to define staffing needs and role expectations.
• Support candidate sourcing, screening, and assessment.
• Arrange interviews and maintain clear communication with applicants.
• Help hiring managers evaluate both technical fit and alignment with company culture.
• Ensure candidates experience a polished, organized, and positive recruitment process.
• Own the onboarding experience for new hires, including pre-boarding communication, paperwork, system access, orientation, and the first week on the job.
• Help managers create effective first 30/60/90-day plans for new team members.
• Improve onboarding guides, checklists, and related processes over time.
• Support employee engagement, recognition, internal communication, and culture-building efforts.
• Handle routine offboarding matters independently, including checklists, documentation, equipment returns, system access removal, and final administrative tasks.
• Conduct or assist with exit interviews.
• Support terminations when required and ensure they are handled respectfully, consistently, and with proper documentation.
• Escalate higher-risk situations to leadership or legal counsel when appropriate.
• Coach and equip managers to lead teams effectively, including performance management, communication, and team development.
• Act as a trusted advisor for managers dealing with feedback, conflict, and difficult conversations.
• Establish consistent management expectations and standards across the organization.
• Promote a workplace where accountability and care are both present.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen manager effectiveness and team health.
• Help design and deliver training and tools that build manager capability.
• Partner with leadership to spot gaps in management practices and team performance.
• Contribute to the development of scalable HR processes, frameworks, and tools for a growing business.
• Help clarify roles, expectations, and accountability across the organization.
• Maintain employee files, records, and HR documentation.
• Assist with benefits administration and employee inquiries.
• Ensure completion of required HR forms, I-9s, handbook acknowledgments, and other compliance items.
• Help update HR policies, procedures, and employee handbook content.
• Coordinate with payroll, finance, leadership, external HR advisors, and employment counsel as needed.
• Protect and reinforce the company’s culture and core values.
• Support values-based hiring, onboarding, recognition, and communication.
• Make sure people processes remain human, clear, consistent, and aligned with how the business operates.
• Represent the culture by modeling professionalism, warmth, humility, and accountability.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 6–8+ years of progressive experience in HR.
• Background in an HR Generalist, HR Manager, People Operations, or similar position.
• Strong recruiting experience and confidence running a hiring process.
• Proven ability to manage onboarding and offboarding independently.
• Experience helping with or leading terminations in a careful, well-documented way.
• Good judgment and discretion in employee relations matters.
• Ability to coach managers through everyday people issues.
• Strong written and verbal communication, organization, and follow-through.
• Genuine interest in culture, values, and employee experience.
• Comfort working in a growing, entrepreneurial professional services setting.
• Ability to balance empathy with accountability.
• Familiarity with EOS, Traction, accountability charts, scorecards, or other values-based operating systems is preferred.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now is a plus, though not mandatory.
• Demonstrated experience training or coaching managers on leadership and performance management.
• Comfort handling sensitive issues and difficult conversations.
• Ability to build and improve HR processes as the company scales.
• Mindset centered on continuous improvement.
• Strong judgment in hiring and selecting high-quality talent.
• Willingness to travel about 20% of the time.

What Success Looks Like

• Managers become more confident and effective at leading teams and addressing performance concerns.
• Tough conversations and people issues are addressed early and well.
• Hiring processes consistently bring in strong-quality candidates.
• HR systems and processes mature alongside company growth without losing the people-first approach.
• The organization gains stronger alignment, accountability, and clarity at every level.

Benefits

The role includes a competitive compensation package with room for pay growth and advancement. Full benefits are provided, including paid time off, employer contribution toward medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a matching 401(k). The company is an equal opportunity employer.

Additional Information

This is a hands-on leadership role reporting directly to the CEO, with the likelihood of one direct report soon after the start date. The position requires approximately 20% travel. It is based in Irving, Texas and is intended to support a growing multi-state organization.