Human Resources Operations Manager

Bios Life; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Bios Life, based in Cambridge, MA, is seeking an experienced HR Manager to own day-to-day People Operations and act as a trusted partner to employees and managers. You will drive hiring, onboarding, performance, retention, and offboarding within a fast-paced startup environment.

The role requires proactive leadership, strong HRIS experience (Rippling preferred), and collaboration with the COO and external partners to build scalable, compliant HR processes.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience across the employee lifecycle.
• Startup or fast-growing environment experience is required.
• Experience recruiting and partnering with external recruiting partners.
• Strong understanding of compensation benchmarking and internal equity.
• Experience with HRIS platforms; Rippling preferred.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day People Operations and serve as the primary HR resource for employees and managers.
• Manage lifecycle HR activities including hiring, onboarding, performance, retention, and offboarding.
• Coach managers on performance, feedback, and employee relations with discretion and judgment.
• Lead HR systems, benefits, and compliance in partnership with external vendors and the COO.
• Support a high-performing culture with transparent communication and employee experience improvements.

Skills

HR Generalist

Startup experience

Proactive problem-solver

Tools

Rippling

Job description

About the Role

Bios Life is developing next-generation cancer surveillance technology that modernizes and scales long-term cancer follow-up care. We integrate evidence-based clinical frameworks, technology-enabled workflows, and diagnostics into accessible, high-quality screening and survivorship models. The company is based in Cambridge, Ma with an office in the UK.

What You Will Own

Day-to-Day People Operations

• Own the day-to-day HR function and serve as a primary People resource for employees and managers.
• Manage HR activities across the employee lifecycle, including hiring, onboarding, employee development, performance, retention, and offboarding.
• Ensure People processes are practical, scalable, well communicated, and consistently executed.
• Maintain accurate employee records and HR documentation and ensure key employee changes are processed accurately and on time.
• Partner with the COO and fractional Chief People Officer to identify People priorities and translate them into action.
• Proactively identify gaps, issues, and opportunities rather than waiting for them to become problems.
• Serve as the internal project lead for recruiting and help drive a consistent, high-quality hiring process across the organization.
• Partner with hiring managers to understand hiring needs, role requirements, priorities, and timelines.
• Manage day-to-day relationships and workflow with external recruiting partners, ensuring searches remain on track and recruiters have the information and feedback needed to be successful.
• Maintain visibility into all open positions and provide clear updates on recruiting activity, candidate pipelines, interview progress, and potential roadblocks.
• Coordinate interview processes and help ensure candidates receive a responsive and professional experience.
• Support offer development, compensation benchmarking, approvals, and the transition from candidate acceptance through onboarding.
• Help evaluate and continuously improve recruiting processes as Bios Life scales.

Employee Relations & Manager Support

• Serve as an accessible and trusted HR partner to employees and managers.
• Manage employee relations matters with sound judgment, discretion, empathy, and appropriate documentation.
• Coach managers through employee issues, difficult conversations, performance concerns, and day-to-day people management challenges.
• Identify emerging employee or organizational issues and elevate appropriately to the COO and/or fractional Chief People Officer.
• Support workplace investigations and more complex employee relations matters in partnership with senior People leadership and employment counsel when appropriate.
• Help create an environment where employees feel comfortable raising questions and concerns.

Performance, Development & Retention

• Own and administer Bios Life's performance management processes and ensure managers and employees understand expectations and timelines.
• Coach managers on setting expectations, providing feedback, documenting performance, and addressing performance concerns.
• Support performance improvement plans and other formal performance processes when necessary.
• Partner with leaders to identify development needs and opportunities to strengthen manager and employee effectiveness.
• Help identify retention risks and recommend practical solutions.
• Support the development of programs and practices that strengthen employee engagement, growth, recognition, and retention.
• Conduct compensation benchmarking for new and existing roles using available market data and internal equity considerations.
• Support hiring managers and leadership in developing compensation recommendations for new hires, promotions, and other employee changes.
• Maintain awareness of compensation trends and help ensure Bios Life's practices remain competitive and internally equitable.
• Support compensation and performance cycles as the organization develops more formal processes.
• Maintain appropriate documentation around compensation decisions and approvals.

HR Systems, Benefits & Compliance

• Manage and continuously improve the HR systems and processes supporting Bios Life's employees.
• Partner effectively with Bios Life's PEO and other HR, benefits, payroll, and employment partners.
• Manage employee questions and issues related to benefits, payroll, policies, and HR programs, coordinating with external partners when needed.
• Ensure employee changes are accurately reflected across relevant HR and payroll systems.
• Support benefits administration, annual enrollment, and employee communications.
• Maintain required employee documentation and help ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and company policies.
• Experience with Rippling is strongly preferred.

Culture & Employee Experience

• Bring a visible, approachable People presence to the Cambridge office.
• Build strong relationships across the organization and understand what employees and managers need to be successful.
• Help create a high-performing culture that balances accountability with a positive and engaging employee experience.
• Support employee communications and People initiatives that create clarity and connection as the organization grows.
• Bring energy, optimism, and a willingness to jump in wherever needed.
• Look for opportunities to make the employee experience better, simpler, and more effective rather than accepting processes simply because "that's how we've always done it."

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an experienced HR generalist who loves being close to the business and is energized by the pace and unpredictability of a startup environment.

This person is proactive by nature. They do not wait for employees, managers, or leadership to tell them what needs attention. They notice issues, ask questions, anticipate needs, and move things forward. They know when to make a decision independently and when to bring in the COO, fractional Chief People Officer, or outside expertise.

They are equally comfortable coaching a manager through a difficult employee conversation, benchmarking a new role, managing an external recruiter, troubleshooting an HR system issue, improving an onboarding process, and sitting down with an employee who needs support.

The successful candidate will bring:

• At least 8 years of progressive HR experience, ideally as a strong HR generalist with responsibility across multiple areas of the employee lifecycle.
• Meaningful experience working in a startup or similarly fast-growing, rapidly changing organization is required.
• Demonstrated experience managing employee relations and performance management matters independently and with sound judgment.
• Experience supporting recruiting and managing relationships and workflows with external recruiting partners.
• Strong understanding of compensation benchmarking and internal equity.
• Experience working with PEOs and outsourced HR, payroll, and benefits partners.
• Experience with HRIS platforms; Rippling experience is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of employment practices and the ability to recognize when legal or senior HR guidance is appropriate.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to build credibility with employees and leaders at all levels.
• A highly proactive, resourceful, and solutions-oriented working style.
• Strong judgment, discretion, follow‑through, and attention to detail.
• Comfort working in an environment where priorities change and processes continue to evolve.
• A genuine enjoyment of working with people and a desire to be a visible, approachable, and trusted presence within the organization.
• Ability to work from Bios Life's Cambridge office at least three days per week.
• Ability to travel occasionally to Bios Life's UK office.

Above all, we are looking for someone who combines HR experience with startup energy. This person should be comfortable rolling up their sleeves, figuring things out, bringing structure where it is needed, and moving quickly without sacrificing judgment or the employee experience. At Bios Life, change will be a constant. The right HR Manager will not simply adapt to that change but will help our people and managers successfully navigate it.