Fractional Head of People
Senior HR leadership that owns the work — not just the advice.
Totally Remote HR gives mission-driven organizations and growing companies of up to 200 employees the HR leader they need, without the full-time hire. Enterprise experience. Hands-on execution. Bilingual and multi-state.
Enterprise depth. We've led HR inside a 36,000-employee global bank and built HR from scratch at six-person nonprofits — the judgment of a Fortune 500 HR leader, sized for your organization.
Hands-on, not hands-off. We write the handbook, run the hiring process, fix the payroll setup and sit in the hard conversations — then train your team to own it.
18+ years in HR · Former Chief Administrative Officer at State Street · Program Director, NAHR CHRO & CPO Academies
Trusted by mission-driven organizations nationwide
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![Colorful text that reads 'Mi Familia Vota' in bold letters, with 'Mi' in yellow, 'Familia' in blue, 'Vota' in pink and white, and an orange background behind the word 'Vota'.]()
Mi Familia Vota
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![Logo of The California Wellness Foundation with stylized teal and orange figures and text.]()
The California Wellness Foundation
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![Logo of The Opportunity Network with overlapping orange, blue, and yellow circles and black text]()
The Opportunity Network
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![Logo of Health Africa featuring a stylized outline of the African continent in pink with the text 'health africa' beside it.]()
Amref USA
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![Seal of the Freedome Dom Preparation Orory Academy with a stylized eagle and orange flame in the center, encircled by the academy's name.]()
Freedom Prep Charter Schools
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![Calbright College logo with the word 'CALBRIGHT' in navy blue, a pink star above the 'I', a yellow silhouette of California, and the word 'COLLEGE' in pink underneath.]()
Calbright College
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![A blue letter 'B' surrounded by an orange circular web-like design.]()
BioBus
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![Logo for The Frederick Douglass Project for Justice, featuring stylized arrow and text]()
The Frederick Douglass Project for Justice
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![Four black letters arranged in a grid: N and A in the top row, H and R in the bottom row.]()
National Academy of Human Resources
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![Logo with the number 30 and an illustration of an animal, celebrating 30 years of impact for Fonkoze]()
Fonkoze
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![Logo for EdVoice with a stylized human figure on the left and the text 'EdVoice' and the slogan 'Changing policy, changing lives' beneath it.]()
EdVoice
Lindsay Hoag
Founder and Principal Consultant
Lindsay founded Totally Remote HR in 2019 to give smaller organizations the kind of HR leadership usually reserved for large companies. Since then, she has served as fractional Head of People for more than 15 nonprofits and companies — owning HR operations, not just advising on them.
She brings 18+ years in HR. At State Street Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, she was Chief Administrative Officer for the Latin America and Global Business Products divisions and held roles across Talent Management, Learning & Development, and Global HR Policy & Compliance. Earlier, at Boston University's Human Resources Policy Institute, she developed executive education for CHROs at some of the world's largest companies.
Today she is also Program Director for the National Academy of Human Resources' CHRO and CPO Academies. A former Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic, Lindsay is fluent in Spanish.
MBA, Boston University Questrom School of Business · BA with honors, Wellesley College
How we work with you
Month-to-month retainers. Nonprofits receive a mission rate. Exact pricing confirmed after a free consult.
Foundations
10 to 20 hours per month · from $1,650/month
Ideal for: Small organizations and startups that need HR done right from the start.
What's included (tailored to you):
Employee handbook creation and updates
Basic compliance guidance (labor laws, safety regulations)
Standardized hiring practices (job descriptions, interview templates)
Payroll and benefits setup
Basic training on HR policies and procedures
Employee relations advice
People Operations
20 to 40 hours per month · from $3,300/month
Ideal for: Growing teams that need someone running HR every week.
What's included (tailored to you):
Everything in Foundations
Recruiting strategy, hiring and onboarding
Performance management and review cycles
Benefits administration and open enrollment
Engagement, retention and conflict resolution
HR technology selection and implementation
Fractional Head of People
40+ hours per month · from $6,600/month
Ideal for: Leadership teams that need a senior HR partner at the table.
What's included (tailored to you):
Everything in People Operations
HR strategy tied to your organizational goals
Org design, restructuring and change management
Leadership development and succession planning
Compensation analysis and workforce analytics
Complex investigations, accommodations and terminations
Legal and compliance audits
Free guide: Does your nonprofit need a fractional Head of People?
A five-page guide for Executive Directors and boards: 10 signs you've outgrown DIY HR, what senior HR leadership really costs, what to expect in the first 90 days, and how to make the case to your board. Enter your name and email and the download link appears right away.
You'll get the guide plus occasional HR tips by email. Unsubscribe anytime.
What changes when HR has an owner
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Turning a patchwork of state rules into one clear leave policy
The situation: A fully remote nonprofit had staff in four states plus DC, each with its own leave laws. Leave requests were handled case by case, with no consistent policy.
What we did: Combined the state requirements into one organization-wide leave policy covering parental, pregnancy recovery, caregiving, bereavement and statutory leave, meeting the strictest rules in every location.
The result: One compliant policy for every employee, in every location, now approved and in effect.
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Steadying a small team through major change
The situation: A small California nonprofit had 40% of its roles open and several staff on medical leave at the same time, while grant-funded services still had to be delivered. The Executive Director was carrying employee relations and day-to-day HR alone.
What we did: Stepped in as the ED's HR partner — guided leave and accommodation processes under California law, helped place an internal staff member in an interim leadership role, handled employee relations, and set up clear channels for raising workplace concerns.
The result: Services continued without interruption. The ED got back the capacity to lead, with a steady HR partner to lean on through a hard stretch.
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Controlling benefits costs without hurting staff
The situation: A small nonprofit faced a 35% jump in health insurance premiums at renewal, with an employer contribution that used different tiers for different employee groups.
What we did: Modeled contribution options for the CFO and Executive Director, recommended one flat contribution for every enrolled employee, and wrote the open enrollment communications.
The result: One simple, equal contribution structure for every employee, and every employee re-enrolled without issues.
In their words
“Lindsay has been a tremendous value add at Mi Familia Vota. She has taken on more and more responsibility and she has a wonderful knack for being a strategic leader and being willing to get deep in the weeds. She also has a lovely personality and she is a joy to work with.”
— Naomi Jozovich, Chief Operating Officer, Mi Familia Vota
"Lindsay made major contributions to BioBus over the past 3 years and helped us grow and develop as an organization during a time of significant change and growth. Her impact will be felt at BioBus for years to come."
— Ben Dubin-Thaler, Founder and Executive Director, BioBus, Inc.
Ready to take HR off your plate?
In a free 30-minute consult, we'll talk through where your people operations stand, what's urgent, and what the right level of support looks like. No pressure, no long contracts — just a clear next step.