Senior Manager, People Operations

Photonic Inc.; Coquitlam; Hybrid; CAD 141,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Photonic is seeking a Senior Manager, People Operations to build and scale our global people systems, programs, and experiences. This role partners with leaders across HR, Finance, Operations, IT, and Legal to drive people initiatives that support a fast-growing, international workforce.

You will shape compensation, benefits, and policy design while ensuring compliance across Canada, the US, the UK, and future markets.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive experience in People Operations or HR Operations, with growth and scale experience.
• Experience across multiple employment jurisdictions (Canada, US, UK) to support global workforce.
• Deep expertise in HR technology, workforce analytics, reporting, and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the evolution of People Operations, creating frameworks, processes, and programs for growth.
• Partner with senior leaders to align people initiatives with business objectives and growth priorities.
• Scale compensation programs with governance, documentation, and benchmarking to attract and retain talent globally.
• Design and maintain policies across Canada, the US, the UK, and future markets with a balance of local requirements and global experience.
• Own strategy and optimization of HR systems and tools to support a distributed workforce and data-driven decisions.
• Oversee benefits strategy and renewal cycles to enhance employee well-being and engagement across geographies.

Skills

People Operations

HR Operations

Cross-border HR

HR Technology

Communication

Tools

HiBob

JIRA

Payroll systems

Job description

Senior Manager, People Operations

Application Deadline: 7 October 2026

Department: People & Culture

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)

Compensation: CA$140,800 - CA$193,600 / year

At Photonic, we're building the future of quantum computing. Behind every scientific breakthrough is a team of exceptional people, and as we continue to grow, we're equally committed to building the people infrastructure that will enable our next stage of scale.

We're seeking an experienced and ambitious Senior Manager, People Operations to help shape the future of how we work. Reporting directly to the VP, Human Resources, this role offers a unique opportunity to build, influence, and scale.

You'll help design the people systems, programs, and operational foundations that support a rapidly growing global workforce. You'll partner with leaders across the organization to translate business priorities into scalable people solutions. Most importantly, you'll help create an employee experience that allows world-class talent to do the best work of their careers.

This is more than a People Operations role. It’s an opportunity to build the foundation of a company shaping one of the most exciting frontiers in technology.

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO

Build the Future of People Operations

• Lead the evolution of People Operations at Photonic, creating the frameworks, processes, and programs that will support the company through its next phase of growth.
• Design and implement scalable, repeatable People Operations practices that improve efficiency, create consistency, and elevate the employee experience across the organization.
• Establish operational excellence through documentation, governance models, playbooks, and service standards that create clarity and accountability.
• Develop service level agreements and success metrics that define what exceptional People Operations looks like and continuously improve performance against those standards.
• Stay connected to the day-to-day realities of the business, balancing strategic thinking with a willingness to roll up your sleeves when needed.

Influence Business Strategy Through People

• Partner closely with senior leaders across Human Resources, Finance, Operations, Facilities, IT, and Legal to align people initiatives with business objectives and growth priorities.
• Bring thoughtful analysis, workforce insights, and practical recommendations that inform leadership decisions related to organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, compensation, and employee experience.
• Act as a trusted advisor and thought partner, helping leaders navigate change while balancing employee needs with business goals.
• Use data and operational insights to identify trends, opportunities, and risks, translating information into actionable solutions that support organizational success.

Scale Compensation Programs

• Lead and continuously enhance Photonic's compensation programs, ensuring they remain competitive, equitable, and aligned with our compensation philosophy.
• Drive the annual compensation review process and help leaders make informed, consistent compensation decisions.
• Create scalable compensation governance, documentation, and approval frameworks that support continued company growth.
• Leverage market data and benchmarking to ensure our compensation programs help attract and retain exceptional talent globally.

Scale Policy Design & Global Compliance

• Design, implement, and maintain people policies that support employees across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and future international markets.
• Create frameworks that balance local legislative requirements with a consistent and meaningful employee experience globally.
• Partner with Legal and business leaders to proactively address compliance requirements while ensuring policies remain practical, clear, and people-centered.
• Build resources and guidance that empower leaders to make confident and consistent decisions.

Build and Scale People Technology

• Own the strategy, implementation, and optimization of HR systems and tools that support a growing, globally distributed workforce.
• Ensure systems are designed to deliver accurate data, seamless workflows, actionable reporting, and exceptional employee experiences.
• Evaluate and implement new technologies that improve efficiency and enable scale as organizational needs evolve.
• Lead system implementations, upgrades, integrations, vendor partnerships, and renewals.
• Champion data quality, reporting excellence, and governance practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions confidently.
• Build reporting processes that are clean, reliable, scalable, and reproducible.

Evolve Global Benefits Programs

• Lead the strategy and ongoing development of benefits programs across all employee populations and geographies.
• Partner with vendors and internal stakeholders to deliver programs that are competitive, sustainable, and aligned with employee needs.
• Guide annual renewals, benchmarking exercises, and program enhancements while continually looking for opportunities to improve the employee experience.
• Ensure employees can easily understand and access programs designed to support their well-being and success.

WHAT YOU BRING TO OUR TEAM

• 8+ years of progressive experience in People Operations, HR Operations, or related disciplines, including experience supporting organizations through periods of significant growth and scale.
• Proven success building and operationalizing people programs, systems, and infrastructure that support organizational growth.
• Experience working across multiple employment jurisdictions, ideally including Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
• Deep expertise in HR technology, workforce analytics, reporting, and operational excellence. Experience with HiBob, JIRA, payroll systems, or major HR technology implementations is an asset.
• Strong experience designing and administering compensation and benefits programs.
• A builder's mindset with a passion for creating scalable solutions that enable organizational success.
• The ability to move seamlessly between strategic thinking and hands-on execution.
• Strong business acumen, systems thinking, and attention to detail.
• Exceptional communication and partnership skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• A natural curiosity and desire to continuously improve how work gets done.

WHY YOU SHOULD WORK WITH US

Build Something That Matters

You'll play a critical role in creating the people infrastructure that enables the next generation of innovation in quantum computing. The programs, systems, and processes you build will have a lasting impact on our company's future.

Influence the Future of the Business

This role sits at the intersection of people, operations, and strategy. You'll work directly with senior leaders and contribute to decisions that shape the growth and evolution of the organization.

Scale a Global Organization

You’ll help build the operational foundation required to support a growing international workforce, solving meaningful challenges that few People Operations leaders have the opportunity to tackle.

Work Alongside Exceptional Talent

Our team includes world-class scientists, engineers, and professionals united by a shared mission to solve some of the most complex challenges in technology.

Grow Your Career While Growing the Company

As Photonic continues to scale, you'll have the opportunity to expand your impact, develop new capabilities, and help define what great looks like across the organization.

Comprehensive Rewards

We offer a competitive compensation package including salary, stock options, and relocation support for global talent.

Our benefits package includes extended health and dental coverage, life insurance, long-term disability, an employee assistance program, parental leave top-ups, and a flexible spending account.

A Culture Built on Collaboration

We believe breakthrough innovation happens when diverse perspectives come together. Regular team events, social activities, and an inclusive culture help keep our global team connected and engaged.

The description above is what we think an ideal candidate would look like for this role. At Photonic, we understand that everyone has a different work and life journey. If you feel your experience is close to what we've described, but you might not meet all the requirements. We are also committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion. We embrace and encourage our employees' differences, knowing that these very differences inspire innovation and build better teams.