External People Operations Partnership for Growing Teams
Structured, HR-informed operational support that brings clarity, calm, and consistency to your people processes — without adding a full-time hire.
What I Do
I bring structure, clarity, and consistency to the people operations that support your business.
As your team grows, people-related responsibilities become more complex — and often fall to leaders who are already stretched thin.
Through structured, capacity-based engagement, I:
Provide People Ops support without the overhead of a full-time hire
Create space for you to focus on leadership and growth
Support the full employee lifecycle — from onboarding to transitions
Coordinate benefits, leave, and workers’ compensation workflows
Organize and maintain internal documentation and systems
Reinforce communication rhythms and people-first operations
Support hybrid and remote teams with structured processes
This is not task-based assistance.
It is consistent, embedded People Operations partnership designed to reduce operational strain and strengthen your foundation for growth.
Who I Support
ClearPath partners with small teams and growing businesses that want their people operations to feel structured, consistent, and professionally managed — without hiring a full-time HR leader.
My clients typically fall into one of these categories:
They don’t yet have an internal HR department
A founder or office manager is managing HR alongside other responsibilities
They need People Ops support but aren’t ready for a full-time hire
They have an HR lead who needs operational reinforcement, not another direct report
Whether you’re building your first team or navigating the complexities of growth, I step in as your external People Operations partner — bringing structured oversight and steady coordination as your team evolves. If you value structure, clear communication, and steady partnership, we’re likely a strong fit.
How I Fit Into Your Team
I integrate into your team as a steady external People Operations partner — reinforcing structure, coordination, and continuity behind the scenes.
My role adapts to the structure you already have in place:
If you don’t have an HR department
I step in as your go-to People Ops partner — managing onboarding, benefits coordination, documentation, and employee experience so you don’t have to build these systems alone.
If HR is handled by a founder or office manager
I bring clarity, structure, and consistency to people-related responsibilities that often get deprioritized when you’re balancing everything else.
If you have an HR lead
I reinforce your HR leader by managing operational execution — documentation, process coordination, and employee communication — allowing them to stay focused on strategy and decision-making.
No matter your setup, I integrate seamlessly behind the scenes — ensuring your people are supported and your operations remain organized and aligned.
About Erica
I’m Erica Winterburn, founder of ClearPath and a People Operations professional with more than a decade of hands-on experience supporting growing teams.
Before launching ClearPath, I worked in HR and People Operations roles where I managed benefits programs, complex leave programs and workflows, workers’ compensation programs and processes, and maintained employee documentation for established organizations. I’ve partnered with teams across the U.S. in industries including education, housewares, winery, and solar.
I help growing businesses bring clarity, structure, and calm to their people operations through thoughtful systems, organized workflows, and strong operational foundations. My approach is grounded in clear communication, steady boundaries, and detail-oriented oversight — so you can focus on leading and growing your business with confidence.
I built ClearPath to provide the kind of steady, structured People Ops partnership I know growing teams need — and deserve.