Ops Lead

TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) helps people thrive in their local communities by providing the trusted local news and services that matter most. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA reaches more than 100 million people monthly across the web, mobile apps, streaming, and linear television. Together, we are building a sustainable future for local news.

Hybrid – 2 days per week onsite
WTHR | Downtown Indianapolis, IN

Director of People Ops & Technology

The People Ops Excellence Lead owns how People Operations works. This role is responsible for designing, mapping, standardizing, and continuously improving People processes across the employee lifecycle. The focus is operational excellence: reducing variation, eliminating waste, clarifying handoffs, and building repeatable, scalable ways of working. This is an individual contributor role with enterprise-level influence. You will not manage people—you will design the systems, processes, and standards that enable People teams to operate effectively.

If you enjoy fixing the machine more than running individual cases, this role was built for you.

• Process Design & Continuous Improvement
  • Design, mapping, and optimization of end-to-end People Operations processes (onboarding, employee changes, exits, core HR workflows)
  • Creation and maintenance of current-state and future-state process maps
  • Identification of waste, failure points, handoffs, controls, and risks
  • Application of Lean, Six Sigma, and operational excellence principles
• Standards, Documentation & Governance
  • Definition and documentation of SOPs, playbooks, job aids, and best practices
  • Establishment of People Ops standards, controls, and governance
  • Ensuring processes are consistently followed and intentionally improved
• Onboarding & Enablement
  • Ownership of onboarding experience design across People Operations
  • Clear role definitions, handoffs, success metrics, and feedback loops
  • Product-ownership mindset for People enablement tools (LMS, knowledge platforms) from a content and experience perspective
  • Development and maintenance of HR knowledge content to support self-service and reduce rework
• Data, Metrics & Root Cause Analysis
  • Use of data and operational metrics to measure effectiveness, adoption, and impact
  • Root cause analysis of process failures and recurring issues
  • Continuous improvement based on evidence, not anecdotes
• Cross-Functional Partnership
  • Partner with HRBPs, People Experience, Payroll, HRIS, and Talent teams
  • Design solutions that are scalable, sustainable, and actually adopted
  • Influence without authority through clarity, logic, and results

• A former or current HRBP who prefers fixing systems over handling individual cases
• A process-first thinker who sees workflows, controls, and outcomes—not just tasks
• Someone energized by standardization, clarity, and measurable improvement
• Comfortable influencing across teams without formal authority
• Pragmatic: knows the difference between a perfect process and one that will actually be used

• Experience in HR Operations, People Operations, or HR Business Partnering
• Demonstrated experience with formal process mapping and documentation
• Lean, Six Sigma, or operational excellence experience (certification or equivalent hands‑on work)
• Strong root cause analysis and structured problem‑solving skills
• Experience improving complex, cross‑functional processes
• Ability to translate process design into practical, adoptable ways of working
• Experience owning learning, onboarding, or enablement content from a product perspective

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt
• Experience applying Lean or Six Sigma in a corporate or HR environment
• Familiarity with service delivery or shared services operating models

• People processes are mapped, standardized, and measurably better
• Variation is reduced and exceptions are intentional, not accidental
• Onboarding is predictable, scalable, and continuously improving
• HRBPs spend less time navigating ambiguity and more time delivering value
• Leaders trust People Ops processes because they are clear, repeatable,…