People Operations Leader — HR, Compliance & Growth

The Local Foreigner; New York (NY); On-site; USD 108,000 - 132,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision benefits

401(k) retirement and profit-sharing

Paid time off + holidays

Remote Fridays

Additional remote workdays

Training & development

Job summary

The Local Foreigner, a boutique travel consultancy in New York, is seeking an HR Manager to own the full people function for employees and remote contractors, including recruiting, onboarding, documentation, time off, and offboarding.

This hands-on role shapes policies, manages payroll and vendor relationships (PEO), and partners with leadership on workforce planning and development while safeguarding privacy and trust.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Admin, or related field.
• 5+ years HR experience including recruiting, employee relations, compliance.
• Experience managing a PEO relationship (Justworks or similar).
• Discretion handling confidential employee matters.
• Experience supporting a remote, international contractor workforce is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the full employee and contractor lifecycle, including recruiting, offers, onboarding, documentation, time off, and offboarding.
• Draft, maintain, and administer internal HR policies, contractor policies, and the employee handbook.
• Develop and maintain the annual HR plan, including initiatives, compliance, benefits and compensation cycles.
• Maintain HR systems and provide reporting for leadership decision making (org data, compensation, headcount).
• Lead annual performance and compensation reviews company-wide, including market benchmarking and raise recommendations.
• Partner with leadership on workforce planning, organizational development, and talent management.
• Support talent development and retention by identifying development opportunities and improving the employee experience.
• Serve as a confidential resource on performance, development, workplace questions, and concerns; lead employee relations matters.
• Own HR compliance and risk management, including notices and records, and liaising with outside counsel on employment matters.
• Maintain confidential employee and contractor records and ensure proper documentation.
• Own Local Foreigner's relationship with our PEO, including platform management and vendor coordination.
• Manage benefits administration (health, dental, vision, 401k) and open enrollment.
• Manage payroll processing; review accuracy and timeliness.
• Handle payments for Philippines-based contractors and WBEN tax forms collection.
• Oversee PTO, remote work, and leave processes with Administrative Coordinators.
• Support employee engagement, wellness, and culture initiatives and events.
• Collaborate with Administrative Coordinators on day-to-day HR administration and workflows.
• Identify opportunities to improve HR processes and build scalable infrastructure.

Skills

Communication

Discretion & confidentiality

Policy development

People management

Remote workforce experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

HRIS/PEO platforms

Jira/Confluence

Job description

The Local Foreigner, a boutique travel consultancy in New York, is seeking an HR Manager to own the full people function for employees and remote contractors, including recruiting, onboarding, documentation, time off, and offboarding.

This hands-on role shapes policies, manages payroll and vendor relationships (PEO), and partners with leadership on workforce planning and development while safeguarding privacy and trust.