Manager, People Operations

Tunnl; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Parking stipend

Cell phone stipend

Paid time off

Hybrid work policy

Job summary

Tunnl is hiring a Manager, People Operations to own day-to-day HR systems and payroll processes. You will manage Rippling, administer benefits, and ensure a smooth employee experience from onboarding to offboarding.

Reporting to the Director of People Operations, you will help refine tools and processes, drive culture, and support talent programs as the company grows. This hybrid role values hands-on execution and people-focused leadership.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in an HR Generalist or payroll/benefits role.
• Experience with tech-forward HRIS like Rippling or Deel.
• Experience owning payroll and benefits programs.
• Knowledge of employment tax and multi-state compliance.
• Desire to refine onboarding and learning programs.

Responsibilities

• Own and refine Rippling HRIS processes and workflows.
• Oversee payroll and compliance across salaried, hourly, and contractors.
• Drive benefits program administration and compliance.
• Ensure seamless onboarding and orientation for new hires.
• Support compliance initiatives including SOC2 and data privacy.
• Support performance management processes and reviews.
• Help drive culture and engagement programs.
• Oversee offboarding processes for exiting employees.

Skills

HR Generalist

Payroll & Benefits

HRIS proficiency

Multi-state Tax

Onboarding Refinement

Employee Engagement

Education

Masters in Human Resources Management

SHRM Certification

Tools

Rippling

Deel

Job description

About Tunnl

Tunnl is building a future where artificial intelligence enables organizations to connect meaningfully with the people who matter most. We help organizations conduct research at scale, define the right audiences, surface real-time insights, identify optimal communication channels, and measure changing attitudes over time.

Tunnl serves brands, agencies, and advocacy groups alike - organizations navigating complex communications, reputational, and regulatory landscapes. These teams need smarter, faster ways to make audience-informed decisions that stand up to scrutiny and resonate across stakeholder groups. Whether you're building a brand, shaping public opinion, managing risk, or launching a new initiative, Tunnl empowers you to move from insight to impact with clarity & confidence.

Role Overview

Tunnl is seeking a Manager, People Operations to own the day-to-day systems and processes that keep our People Operations function running smoothly — from payroll and benefits to onboarding and compliance. This is a hands‑on, generalist role for someone who wants to build and own core HR infrastructure at a growing company.

Reporting to the Director, People Operations & Talent, this role will manage Tunnl's HRIS (Rippling) and payroll operations, administer benefits and leave programs, and ensure the employee experience — from orientation through offboarding — runs on solid, well‑documented processes. This opportunity is best suited for an HR professional who equally loves to craft & refine the tools and processes that support employees as well as getting out from behind the desk & engaging with people equally.

Success in this role looks like a People Ops function that's accurate, compliant, and that ensures a frictionless employee experience for Tunnl’s strongest asset, its people.

What You’ll Do

• Own & refine the processes and workflows within Rippling, Tunnl’s HRIS system

• Oversee payroll processes & compliance across different employee subgroups (salaried, hourly, and contractors)

• Drive benefits programs and their administration including enrollment, education, enhancement and compliance

• Ensure a seamless onboarding process, including employment verifications as well as organizing and arranging onboarding & orientation programs for new hires

• Act as a liaison for compliance initiatives across the business, including state entity, SOC2, and data privacy & protection compliance

• Support the administration of employee performance management programs, including review cycles, goal‑setting, and feedback processes

• Help to drive culture and engagement programs to enhance the employee experience across the business

• Ensure a seamless offboarding process as Tunnl alumni move onto new challenges

Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of experience in an HR Generalist or HR Payroll/Benefits Specialist capacity, ideally at a fast growing start‑up

• Expertise in tech forward HRIS platform solutions, like Rippling, Deel, or similar platform

• Past experience owning payroll processes & benefits programs

• Familiarity with employment tax and multi‑state compliance considerations

• Keen eye and interest in refining onboarding, orientation, and continued learning programs

• Interest in growing into broader strategic People Operations initiatives as the function scales

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters in Human Resources Management

• SHRM Certification or similar

Why You Should Apply:

• Join a team driven by curiosity, teamwork, integrity, and a shared passion for solving big challenges.

• A friendly, welcoming, and supportive culture with regular social and team events.

• Comprehensive benefits with excellent medical, vision, and dental coverage.

• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options.

• Employer-paid life insurance & short‑term & long‑term disability, with other voluntary additional coverage available (accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity).

• Flexible hybrid work policy.

• Flexible paid vacation plus 80 hours of paid sick leave.

• 10 paid company holidays per year.

• 401(k) plan with 100% match up to 3%, plus 50% match up to 5% (subject to IRS limits).

• Cell phone reimbursement stipend.

• Monthly parking or commuter stipend for VA-based employees.