People Operations Manager

Jobtailor; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor is seeking a Head of People to lead the people team at an early-stage, high-growth startup. You will oversee full-cycle recruiting, onboarding, policy development, and HR operations across a distributed workforce.

This role requires 5+ years in HR with management experience, strong knowledge of employment law, and a data-driven approach to decision-making. You will partner with leadership to shape workforce planning and culture initiatives in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years HR experience including 2+ years in a management or supervisory capacity.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, state requirements, HR best practices, and compliance requirements.
• Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, or similar).
• Experience supporting a distributed or hybrid workforce.

Responsibilities

• Lead the people team for an early-stage, high-growth startup.
• Manage full-cycle recruiting, including job postings, recruiter relations, interviews, reference checks, and offer negotiation.
• Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes.
• Develop and administer HR policies and ensure compliance with employment laws.
• Manage employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and investigations.
• Lead performance management processes, reviews, goal-setting, and improvement plans.
• Administer compensation and benefits programs, including open enrollment and annual review cycles.
• Partner with team leads and project management on workforce planning, organizational design, and headcount needs.
• Maintain and improve HRIS, records, and reporting with third-party vendor support.
• Engage legal counsel on immigration issues and visa processing.
• Drive employee engagement and culture-building initiatives.
• Manage training and professional development programs.
• Ensure health, safety, and compliance standards across the organization.
• Prepare HR metrics and reports for leadership, including turnover, retention, and headcount.
• Oversee compliance for benefit plans and employee policies.
• Cover administrative responsibilities outside HR as needed

Skills

Full-Cycle Recruiting

Conflict Resolution

Interpersonal Skills

Communication Skills

Data-Driven Decision-Making

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

ADP

Google Workspace

Notion

Slack

Job description

• Lead the people team for an early-stage, high-growth startup
• Manage full-cycle recruiting, including job postings, recruiter relations, interviews, reference checks, and offer negotiation
• Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes
• Develop and administer HR policies and ensure compliance with employment laws
• Manage employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and investigations
• Lead performance management processes, reviews, goal-setting, and improvement plans
• Administer compensation and benefits programs, including open enrollment and annual review cycles
• Partner with team leads and project management on workforce planning, organizational design, and headcount needs
• Maintain and improve HRIS, records, and reporting with third-party vendor support
• Engage legal counsel on immigration issues and visa processing
• Drive employee engagement and culture-building initiatives
• Manage training and professional development programs
• Ensure health, safety, and compliance standards across the organization
• Prepare HR metrics and reports for leadership, including turnover, retention, and headcount
• Oversee compliance for benefit plans and employee policies
• Cover administrative responsibilities outside HR as needed

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• 5+ years of progressive HR experience, including 2+ years in a management or supervisory capacity
• Strong knowledge of employment law, state requirements, HR best practices, and compliance requirements
• Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, or similar)
• Excellent interpersonal, conflict-resolution, and communication skills
• Proven ability to handle confidential information with discretion
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Strong problem-solving skills; proactive, resourceful, and able to act independently
• Comfortable with Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, and similar tools
• Experience managing employees in science, technology, or research fields
• Commitment to equity and employee engagement
• Experience supporting a distributed or hybrid workforce
• Data-driven approach to HR decision-making
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in full-cycle recruiting, employee relations, and HR compliance, with a strong focus on performance management and organizational design. Proficient in utilizing HRIS platforms and driving employee engagement initiatives in a high-growth environment.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Full-Cycle Recruiting
• HRIS Platforms
• Employment Law Compliance
• Performance Management
• Employee Engagement

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Full-Cycle Recruiting
• HRIS Platforms
• Performance Management
• Compensation Administration
• Conflict Resolution
• Data-Driven Decision-Making
• Onboarding Processes
• Offboarding Processes
• Organizational Design
• Compliance Requirements

Soft Skills

• Interpersonal Skills
• Communication Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Attention to Detail

Certifications & Qualifications

• SHRM-CP
• SHRM-SCP
• PHR
• SPHR

Industry Keywords

• Employee Relations
• Conflict Resolution
• Employee Engagement
• Health and Safety Standards
• Hybrid Workforce

Tools & Technologies

• Google Workspace
• Slack
• Notion
• Workday
• ADP