Human Resources Operations Manager

Position Summary

The Human Resources Operations Manager owns the day-to-day execution of the people function — payroll, benefits, HRIS, compliance, employee lifecycle, and HR service delivery. This role ensures accurate and timely payroll, a well-administered benefits program, clean people data, and a smooth employee experience from onboarding through offboarding. The HR Operations Manager partners with Finance, IT, and HR Business Partners to scale processes, improve systems, and keep the company audit-ready.

Key Responsibilities

Payroll Administration

• Own end-to-end multi-state payroll processing (semi-monthly or bi-weekly) for exempt, non-exempt, and contingent workers.
• Review and approve timesheets, PTO, bonuses, commissions, retro pay, garnishments, and final paychecks in accordance with state and federal wage and hour laws.
• Reconcile payroll reports, GL postings, and tax filings; partner with Finance on month-end close and audits.
• Manage relationships with payroll vendors (ADP, Paychex, Gusto, Rippling, or similar) and ensure timely tax deposits, W-2, 1099, and ACA filings.
• Stay current on FLSA, state wage laws, paid leave laws, and local pay transparency requirements; proactively update pay practices.

Benefits Management

• Administer all employee benefits programs including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA/HSA, 401(k), commuter, EAP, and voluntary benefits.
• Lead annual open enrollment — vendor selection, plan design recommendations, employee communications, and HRIS configuration.
• Manage day-to-day benefits operations: new hire enrollments, qualifying life events, COBRA, leaves of absence (FMLA, ADA, state leave), and terminations.
• Reconcile monthly carrier invoices, resolve discrepancies, and process funding to vendors.
• Serve as the primary employee point of contact for benefits questions and escalations; deliver clear, empathetic guidance.
• Ensure compliance with ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, Section 125, and 5500 filings; coordinate annual non-discrimination testing and audits.

HRIS & People Data

• Serve as system administrator for the HRIS (Workday, BambooHR, Rippling, UKG, ADP WFN, or similar) — configuration, workflows, permissions, integrations, and reporting.
• Maintain accurate employee records across hire, transfer, promotion, comp change, and termination events.
• Build dashboards and recurring people reports (headcount, turnover, time-to-fill, comp ratios, EEO-1, diversity metrics).
• Lead system implementations, upgrades, and integrations across HRIS, payroll, benefits, ATS, and Finance/ERP platforms.

Compliance & Risk

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws (FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, Title VII, EEO, OSHA, state wage and leave laws).
• Maintain and update the employee handbook, policies, and SOPs; communicate changes to managers and employees.
• Prepare and submit required filings: EEO-1, VETS-4212, OSHA 300A, 5500s, state new-hire reporting, and Workers' Compensation reports.
• Manage I-9 / E-Verify compliance, employment verifications, and unemployment claims.
• Support internal and external audits (payroll, 401(k), workers' comp, benefits) and respond to government inquiries.

Employee Lifecycle & HR Service Delivery

• Own onboarding and offboarding operations: offer letters, background checks, I-9s, system provisioning, orientation logistics, and exit processes.
• Administer the leave of absence program end-to-end, coordinating with managers, payroll, and third-party administrators.
• Manage employee tickets and HR inbox; define SLAs and continuously improve response quality and time.
• Partner with HR Business Partners on employee relations matters requiring documentation, investigations, or separations.

Process Improvement & Leadership

• Document and continuously improve HR operations processes; automate manual work where possible.
• Lead and develop a small HR Operations team (HR Coordinators, Payroll Specialist, Benefits Specialist) as the function grows.
• Partner cross-functionally with Finance, IT, Legal, and HR Business Partners to deliver an excellent employee experience.
• Manage HR vendors, brokers, and consultants — including contract negotiations and performance reviews.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 6+ years of progressive HR operations experience, with at least 2 years managing payroll and benefits in a multi-state environment.
• Hands-on experience administering an HRIS and payroll platform (e.g., Workday, ADP, Rippling, UKG, BambooHR, Paychex, Gusto).
• Demonstrated knowledge of US federal and multi-state employment law, payroll tax, ERISA, ACA, FMLA, and ADA.
• Experience leading open enrollment and partnering with brokers and carriers.
• Prior people management or team lead experience preferred.
• PHR / SPHR / SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP and/or CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) strongly preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional attention to detail and a strong sense of ownership over accuracy and confidentiality.
• Strong analytical skills — comfortable in Excel/Google Sheets (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, formulas) and HRIS reporting.
• Clear, empathetic written and verbal communication; able to explain complex pay and benefits topics in plain language.
• Strong project management skills; able to run multiple workstreams (payroll cycles, OE, audits) in parallel.
• Vendor management and negotiation experience.
• Discretion in handling sensitive employee, pay, and medical information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and/or Google Workspace.
• Bilingual English/Spanish or English/Mandarin is a plus, but not required.