People and Culture Director
Curioso is a collective of 50+ creatives working across studios in Chicago, and Mérida, Mexico. Our work is to design unique and meaningful experiences for people, primarily through the lens of luxury hospitality design. Nurturing our community of creative talent is central to that mission, and as we scale across two countries and multiple studios, we need a single leader who can build and own the people function end to end.
This is a lead level role for someone who wants to build a people function from the ground up rather than step into an established one. You will be the sole owner of people strategy, operations, and culture at Curioso, reporting directly to the Head of Operations and working closely alongside company leadership to shape how we hire, grow, pay, and support our team across our US and Mexico locations.
Position Overview
You will report to the Head of Operations, with regular collaboration alongside the Partners and studio leadership on strategic direction. This is an autonomous role. Unlike a coordinator position that supports an existing team, this requires someone comfortable owning the full scope independently, from day to day judgment calls to long range planning, while building the systems and partnerships needed to support a growing studio. You will be trusted to run the function, bringing recommendations and decisions to leadership rather than waiting for direction.
Responsibilities
Partner with the Head of Operations and company leadership to shape compensation philosophy, compensation bands, and benchmarking across both the Chicago and Mérida studios.
Own the full hiring lifecycle, from workforce planning and role definition through sourcing, screening, offer structuring, and negotiation.
Serve as the primary point of contact for all people related concerns across the organization, providing a confidential and trusted resource for employees at every level.
Own performance management, including building the framework, guiding leaders through reviews, and ensuring evaluations are consistent and fair across studios.
Identify people development needs at the individual and organizational level and drive the programs that address them independently.
Oversee onboarding, offboarding, terminations, and employee leave for both US and Mexico based team members, ensuring compliance with the legal frameworks in each country.
Manage company payroll across both entities, coordinating with finance and outside counsel as needed.
Own benefits administration and education, including health benefits and general training, for the full team.
Manage relationships with outside legal counsel, recruiting partners, and accounting firms that support people operations in both countries.
Bring structure and process to a function that has been distributed across several people, consolidating it under a single point of ownership, while keeping the Head of Operations and leadership informed on key decisions and outcomes.
Relevant Experience, Skills, and Mindsets We Value
10 or more years of experience, with meaningful time spent owning a people function independently rather than as part of a larger team. Experience in growing creative or design led businesses, particularly those operating across US and Mexico, is a strong plus.
Deep knowledge of employee relations, learning and development, performance management, organizational design, talent acquisition, and payroll and benefits administration.
Working knowledge of Mexican labor law (LFT) or demonstrated ability to partner effectively with outside Mexican labor counsel.
A self directed operating style, comfortable making decisions and building processes from scratch without close oversight, while knowing when to loop in the Head of Operations or leadership.
High EQ with the ability to build trust quickly across a distributed, creative, and culturally varied team.
Sound judgment, tact, and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential conversations.
Exceptional organization and follow through, with the ability to hold multiple work-streams, from strategic planning to payroll processing, without losing detail.
Genuine interest in and affinity for working within a creative, design driven environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and Spanish, required.
Compensation: Comprehensive benefits package and travel possible, contingent on role.
Location: Chicago, IL, with regular collaboration across the Mérida studio. Some travel to Mérida expected.
Position: Full time