Senior Manager People Operations- IQ/0206

Iquest Management Consultants; India; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Iquest Management Consultants seeks a Senior Manager, People Operations to own payroll, benefits, and HRIS across US, Canada, and India. Based in Pune, you will lead a small People Operations team, ensure multi-state tax compliance, and partner with Finance to keep payroll accurate and on time. You will align benefits with US plans and drive ROC on HRIS optimization.

This role operates on US business hours from Pune and requires hands-on leadership in a fast-growing SaaS environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in People Operations or equivalent function.
• Hands-on payroll experience for US multi-state and Canada multi-province.
• Experience administering US health plans.
• Strong knowledge of ACA, ERISA, payroll tax compliance.
• Deep Rippling expertise or equivalent HRIS.
• Experience in a PE-backed, high-growth SaaS environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field.
• Quebec experience is a meaningful plus.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end US payroll processing (semi-monthly) for 300+ employees across states.
• Own end-to-end Canadian payroll operations across provinces including Quebec.
• Manage US health plans benefits and open enrollment end-to-end.
• Develop HR policies and ensure US/Canada compliance across jurisdictions.
• Directly manage 2 People Operations team members.

Skills

People Operations

HRIS

Payroll

Multi-jurisdictional

Leadership

US payroll

Canada payroll

Rippling

SaaS experience

Compliance

Education

Bachelor’s in HR

Tools

Rippling

Intacct integration

Job description

We are hiring a Senior Manager, People Operations to own the operational backbone of the People & Culture function.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who has built and run people operations in complex, multi-jurisdictional environments, with strong expertise in payroll, benefits, and HRIS.

This is not a coordination or data-entry role. The candidate should have genuine working expertise in US employer-sponsored health plans and be able to own payroll and benefits outcomes end-to-end.

The role is based in Pune, India and operates on US business hours to support the North American employee population.

What You’ll Own

1. Payroll

• Own end-to-end US payroll processing (semi-monthly) for 300+ employees across multiple states.


• Ensure payroll accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.


• Own end-to-end Canadian payroll operations across multiple provinces, including Quebec.


• Manage state and local payroll taxes and filings.


• Create accounts in new states, file reports, make payments, and set up TPAs where applicable.


• Lead remediation and maintenance of multi-state payroll tax registrations.


• Identify and resolve tax ID gaps in Rippling.


• Process annual US and Canadian federal filings including W-2, 1099, and T4.


• Partner with Finance on payroll accounting, GL reconciliation, and audit readiness.


• Stay current on federal, state/provincial, and local payroll compliance changes.

2. Benefits Administration

• Own US benefits administration including:




• Medical


• Dental


• Vision


• FSA/HSA


• 401(k)


• Life and ancillary benefits




• Manage open enrollment end-to-end.


• Coordinate with carriers and configure benefits in Rippling.


• Ensure payroll deductions match carrier invoices and effective dates.


• Manage onboarding, offboarding, and LOA-related benefits changes.


• Coordinate leaves of absence and maintain accurate records in Rippling.


• Lead broker relationships and act as primary contact for carriers and TPAs.


• Ensure ACA compliance, reporting, and filing (1094-C/1095-C).


• Support Canada benefits strategy and coordinate India ancillary benefits with the Pune HR team.

3. People Operations & Compliance

• Directly manage and develop 2 People Operations team members.


• Set priorities, build team capability, and create a high-performing team culture.


• Develop and maintain HR policies across US and Canada.


• Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws.


• Support BYOD compliance, records retention, and HR audit readiness across US, Canada, and India.


• Manage:




• Unemployment claims


• FMLA


• State leaves


• Parental leave


• Workers’ compensation programs




• Work US business hours from Pune - this is a firm requirement.

4. HRIS – Rippling

Rippling experience is preferred but not mandatory if the candidate has built, configured, and maintained a comparable HRIS.

Experience limited to a PEO/EOR or coordinating between separate payroll, tax, and benefits teams is not considered a substitute.

Responsibilities include:

• Act as system owner and SME for Rippling across:




• Payroll


• Benefits


• PTO


• Headcount


• Integrations




• Own data integrity, configuration, workflows, and role-based access.


• Lead HRIS optimization and automation initiatives.


• Improve employee self-service and reduce manual processes.


• Manage the Rippling-to-Intacct integration.


• Escalate and resolve issues with vendor support.


• Partner with Finance and IT on system governance, data validation, and new module rollouts.

What You Bring

Mandatory / Core Requirements

• 7+ years of experience in People Operations, HR Operations, or an equivalent function.


• Demonstrated ownership of payroll and benefits, not merely advisory or coordination experience.


• Hands-on payroll processing experience in:




• US – multi-state


• Canada – multi-province




• US and Canadian payroll experience is a hard requirement.


• Hands-on experience administering US health plans.


• Strong knowledge of:




• US payroll tax compliance


• ACA


• ERISA


• COBRA


• Canadian payroll


• Canadian employment standards




• Deep Rippling expertise or equivalent HRIS experience.


• Ability to configure, troubleshoot, and train others on HRIS.


• Prior people-management experience with direct reports.


• Experience working in a PE-backed, high-growth, or scaling SaaS environment.


• Strong attention to detail and system-level thinking.


• Strong communication skills with Finance, Legal, and executive stakeholders.


• Builder mentality — ability to identify gaps, propose solutions, and execute independently.


• Quebec-specific experience is a meaningful plus, including Law 25, CNESST, and provincial payroll requirements.

Nice to Have

• India payroll or HR coordination experience, particularly Pune/Maharashtra.


• Familiarity with SR&ED tax credits or Canadian R&D incentive programs.


• CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) or equivalent certification.


• Experience with equity/stock plan administration or MIP/bonus program operationalization.


• Experience managing an RPO or staffing partner relationship.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in:




• Human Resources


• Business Administration


• Finance/Accounting


• Or a related field.Role & responsibilities

Preferred candidate profile