Open to opportunities

Kristin Houston

@kristinhouston

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Enterprise HR and payroll leader improving compliance, controls, and HRIS systems across multi-state organizations.

United States

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What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead enterprise HR and payroll across multi-state operations—owning governance, compliance, and HRIS/payroll transformations—while using people analytics to drive executive insights, reduce risk, and improve scalable workforce performance.

I’m an enterprise HR and payroll leader with 15+ years designing and scaling multi-entity payroll operations, governance frameworks, and HRIS ecosystems across complex, multi-state organizations. I’m known for leading enterprise payroll strategy, compliance, and system optimization in highly regulated environments, while building standardized payroll operating models and strengthening internal controls.

Across roles as VP of People, Director Human Resources, Head of People, and Senior HR leadership, I’ve driven measurable operational outcomes: integrating 300+ employees during transitions with 98% retention while keeping operations uninterrupted; implementing a scalable HRIS platform that streamlined payroll, benefits, and workforce processes—delivering $1M+ in cost savings and reducing time-to-hire by 30%; and supporting a 40% headcount increase across multiple states within two years through workforce planning and talent strategies.

I focus on payroll audits, governance, and compliance (CA, multi-state, federal), plus people metrics and executive reporting to mitigate risk and improve performance. I’ve led Workday/ADP/Paycom transformations and payroll reporting frameworks delivering real-time insights into cost, compliance risk, and operational performance, and I’ve built Total Rewards infrastructure and 401(k) administration to strengthen engagement, reduce turnover by 15% nationwide, and enable defensible, equitable compensation decisions.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Director, Human Resources

Northwest Surgical Development Co. Inc.

Jul 2011 - May 2025 (13 years 10 months)

Directed enterprise HR and payroll for 1,000+ employees across 15+ multi-state locations, ensuring compliance, standardization, and alignment with internal audit and financial controls. Led HRIS/payroll transformation and standardized payroll controls across a decentralized model to improve consistency and reduce compliance risk.

Internal Controls

Head of People (HR)

MedAesthetica Medical Group

Mar 2007 - Dec 2008 (1 year 9 months)

Led people operations and HR strategy for a multi-site healthcare organization, driving workforce scalability and integration across acquired facilities. Modernized HR technology for hiring and onboarding, built labor cost/turnover reporting, and ensured provider credentialing and healthcare regulatory compliance.

People Operations HR Technology Implementation Labor Cost & Overtime Analytics

Senior HR Manager

Marvell Technology

Jun 2003 - Oct 2006 (3 years 4 months)

Built enterprise payroll infrastructure and scalable multi-state payroll operations from the ground up in a pre-IPO environment. Partnered with Finance and external auditors to support IPO readiness and implemented HRIS/payroll systems to improve processing, reporting, and integrations.

Multi State Payroll IPO Readiness Payroll Implementation

Senior HR Business Partner

Lucent Technologies

Jan 1998 - Nov 2002 (4 years 10 months)

Supported enterprise workforce strategy and people operations for a 167K+ global, multi-division organization, partnering with business leaders on organizational development and labor relations. Helped ensure compliance across multi-jurisdictional labor and employment regulations, coordinating with HR/HRIS/Total Rewards/Payroll centers of excellence.

Global Workforce Strategy Organizational Development Labor Relations HR Business Partnering HRIS Total Rewards Payroll Process Alignment

VP of People & Payroll

ProActive Work Health Services

Led enterprise payroll strategy and operations for a 350+ person, multi-state workforce, ensuring wage-and-hour compliance including California. Established payroll governance, directed audits and remediation, and delivered executive payroll analytics to reduce manual errors and improve operational accuracy.

Payroll Operations Multi State Payroll Payroll Compliance Workday ADP Paycom Optimization Executive Reporting