People Operations Manager

achira; United States; Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Achira, a fast-growing biotech startup, is seeking an experienced operations manager to lead the people team. You will oversee the full employee experience from recruiting and onboarding to performance management, employee relations, and compliance.

The ideal candidate partners with leadership, builds scalable HR processes, maintains HRIS systems, and drives culture, equity, and engagement in a fast-paced environment. This role offers significant impact as the company scales.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR or related field.
• 5+ years HR experience with 2+ years in a management or supervisory role.
• Strong knowledge of employment law, state requirements, HR best practices, and compliance.
• Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, or similar).
• Excellent interpersonal, conflict-resolution, and communication skills.
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred.
• Experience supporting a distributed or hybrid workforce.
• Data-driven approach to HR decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle recruiting: job postings, recruiter relations, interviews, reference checks, and offer negotiation.
• Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure smooth employee transitions.
• Develop and administer HR policies, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.
• Manage employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and investigations.
• Lead performance management processes, including reviews, goal-setting, and improvement plans in collaboration with leadership.
• Administer compensation and benefits programs, including open enrollment and annual review cycles.
• Partner with team leads and project mgmt. on workforce planning, org design, and headcount needs.
• Maintain and improve HR systems (HRIS), records, and reporting in coordination with third party vendor support.
• Engage with legal counsel on immigration issues and visa processing ultimately shifting to in-house processes.
• Drive employee engagement initiatives and culture-building programs in partnership with leadership.
• Manage training and professional development programs in partnership with leadership.
• Ensure health, safety, and compliance standards are met across the organization.
• Prepare HR metrics and reports for leadership (turnover, retention, headcount, etc.).
• Oversee compliance associated with benefit plans and employee policies.
• Flexibility in covering administrative responsibilities outside of HR.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Conflict resolution

Communication

Strategic leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

ADP

HRIS

Job description

Why Achira

Join a world-class team of scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs building the future of drug discovery.

Partner with leadership to shape how a fast-growing company operates day-to-day.

Build and scale foundational HR systems, processes, and culture in a high-growth environment.

Operate with trust, ownership, and transparency in a mission-driven company advancing science and technology.

About the Role

Achira is seeking an experienced, people-focused operations Manager to lead the people team for an early-stage, high-growth start-up. This role oversees the full employee experience from recruiting and onboarding to performance management, employee relations, and compliance while helping shape a positive, productive workplace culture. The ideal candidate is a strategic leadership partner as well as a trusted resource for employees at every level.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage full-cycle recruiting: job postings, recruiter relations, interviews, reference checks, and offer negotiation
• Oversee onboarding and offboarding processes to ensure smooth employee transitions
• Develop and administer HR policies, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws
• Manage employee relations issues, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and investigations
• Lead performance management processes, including reviews, goal-setting, and improvement plans in collaboration with leadership
• Administer compensation and benefits programs, including open enrollment and annual review cycles
• Partner with team leads and project mgmt. on workforce planning, org design, and headcount needs
• Maintain and improve HR systems (HRIS), records, and reporting in coordination with third party vendor support
• Engage with legal counsel on immigration issues and visa processing ultimately shifting to in-house processes
• Drive employee engagement initiatives and culture-building programs in partnership with leadership
• Manage training and professional development programs in partnership with leadership
• Ensure health, safety, and compliance standards are met across the organization
• Prepare HR metrics and reports for leadership (turnover, retention, headcount, etc.)
• Oversee compliance associated with benefit plans and employee policies
• Flexibility in covering administrative responsibilities outside of HR

About you

• 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
• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and keep operations running smoothly
• Strong problem-solver who is proactive, resourceful, and able to act independently
• Excellent interpersonal skills; you create a positive, welcoming environment and communicate effectively across teams
• Comfortable with basic tools (Google Workspace, Slack, Notion, etc.) and not afraid to learn new skills
• Hands-on and adaptable - excited to roll up your sleeves and build processes in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Mission-driven and motivated to support a team advancing drug discovery
• Experience in 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