People and Operations Manager

Natural Areas Conservancy, Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401(k)

Life insurance

Disability Insurance

Flexible spending account

Employee assistance program

Sick time

Personal time

Vacation time

Paid holidays

Professional development funds

Wellness programs

Job summary

Natural Areas Conservancy in New York City seeks a People and Operations Manager to lead human resources and administrative operations for a 20-25 person team. You will own onboarding, payroll coordination, benefits, policy development, and system improvements, reporting to the Deputy Director of Finance and HR.

This is a full-time role blending HR, finance support, and operations, with emphasis on employee experience, process automation, and collaboration with leadership to strengthen culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or another relevant field.
• Three to five years of relevant experience.
• Deep knowledge of HR best practices with DEI&B lens.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate and build trust within a team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Professionalism and discretion with confidential information.
• Experience with Excel/Sheets.
• Willingness to learn new software and processes.
• Strong problem-solving and prioritization abilities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, and employee documentation.
• Serve as a first resource for onboarding, payroll, benefits, leave, policies, and HR questions.
• Process payroll accurately and maintain payroll records.
• Coordinate benefits with the PEO and support HR policy development.
• Partner with leadership to improve engagement, culture, and communication.
• Support HR policy updates and employee handbook materials.
• Coordinate performance reviews and manager development.
• Track training, compliance, and HR reporting.
• Identify and implement HR tech and automation to improve efficiency.

Skills

Strong organizational skills

Excellent written and verbal comms

Team collaboration

Problem-solving

Discretion & professionalism

Attention to detail

Adaptability to learn software

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

NATURAL AREAS CONSERVANCY

Job Description

People and Operations Manager

Report To Title: Deputy Director of Finance and HR

Schedule & Hours: M-F, 9am-5pm; 35 hours per week

Workplace Flexibility Modality: Hybrid, 2 days in office

Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000

FLSA Classification: Exempt

The Natural Areas Conservancy (NAC) is the only nonprofit organization in New York City focused on the care of our 20,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and grasslands. For over a decade, we’ve worked closely with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to champion urban natural areas in dozens of parks across the five boroughs through critical research, advocacy, trails work, workforce development initiatives, and community programming. Through these efforts, we’re ensuring that everyone has access to high-quality natural areas and understands their benefits because we believe that by working together-with New Yorkers, our partners, and NYC Parks-with we can create healthy and thriving natural spaces and more resilient and connected communities. We also convene the Forests in Cities network, a 26-city coalition of experts dedicated to preserving, improving, and expanding urban forests nationally.

The People & Operations Manager role is a full-time position responsible for managing and administering a wide range of human resources functions for a team of 20-25 staff members, while also assisting with finance and administrative work. We are seeking a proactive, detail-oriented People & Operations Manager who is passionate about building an exceptional employee experience and ensuring the smooth day-to-day operation of our organization. This role will work closely with the Deputy Director of Finance and HR, who leads NAC’s HR functions.

This is an ideal opportunity for an HR professional seeking to broaden their experience across people, finance, and organizational operations. You'll work closely with leadership as a trusted thought partner, helping improve processes, strengthen our culture, and implement technology that enables our team to focus on high-impact work.

We're seeking someone who enjoys solving problems, creates organized systems, embraces automation and technology, and genuinely cares about helping employees feel supported, valued, and engaged.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Human Resources & People Operations

• Coordinate the full employee lifecycle, including onboarding, offboarding, and employee documentation.
• Serve as an initial resource for routine employee questions related to onboarding, payroll, benefits, leave, organizational policies, and HR-related questions and concerns.
• Process payroll accurately and on schedule while maintaining payroll records.
• Coordinate employee benefits with the PEO service provider.
• Partner with leadership to improve employee engagement, communication, and organizational culture.
• Help develop, update, and implement HR policies, procedures, and employee handbook materials.
• Coordinate performance review processes and support manager development.
• Track required training, compliance requirements, and HR reporting.
• Recommend and implement technology and automation tools that improve HR efficiency.

Finance & Operations

• Enter and process Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable invoices accurately.
• Assist with semi-monthly payroll-related entries and the month-end close process.
• Support state and federal grant reporting by gathering financial and program documentation.
• Maintain organized financial and operational records.
• Identify opportunities to streamline administrative and financial workflows through automation.
• Provide general administrative and operational support as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or another relevant field
• Three to five years of relevant experience
• Demonstrate a deep knowledge and familiarity with human resources best practices and a lens for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging best practices.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team, promoting mutual accountability and inspiring trust and confidence from colleagues.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• High level of professionalism and discretion when handling confidential information.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.
• Comfortable learning new software and technology platforms.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.

Preferred

• Experience and competency in HRIS, including processing payroll, or supporting payroll administration.
• Experience with nonprofit organizations.
• Experience supporting grants or government-funded programs.
• Familiarity with Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable processes.
• Interest in workflow automation and process improvement.

Benefits include

• medical
• dental
• vision
• 401(k)
• life insurance
• disability Insurance
• flexible spending account
• employee assistance program
• sick time
• personal time
• vacation time
• paid holidays
• professional development funds
• wellness programs

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We celebrate diversity and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

At-Will Employment Statement

Employment with NAC is at-will, meaning that either the employee or the company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without notice. This job description does not constitute a contract of employment.

Residency Requirement

You must live in the New York City Tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) to be considered for a position at the NAC.