People Operations Manager

RYZE; United States; Remote; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid time off and company holidays

Opportunities for professional growth

Collaborative, inclusive work culture

Tools, training and resources for role

Job summary

RYZE, a fast-growing wellness brand, is seeking a People Operations Manager to lead frontline people support and drive HR operations across the company. You will advise managers, own benefits and leave, multi-state compliance, and payroll coordination while shaping People Ops strategy into practical actions.

You will partner with Finance, Legal, and IT to roll out programs, manage compensation cycles, and ensure audit-ready records.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field; equivalent combination of experience and education.
• 7+ years of progressive HR experience, including leading a People Partner or People Generalist team in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing strategic HR initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and best practices, including multi-state compliance, leave laws, COBRA, and ACA.
• Experience with benefits, leave, and compensation administration, including merit and bonus cycles.
• Deep understanding of the employee lifecycle, manager coaching, and HR best practices.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and EQ, with the ability to influence at all levels and deliver feedback with clarity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; advanced Excel and PowerPoint; hands-on experience with HRIS (Rippling preferred), ATS, and data analytics.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve team processes, tools, and communication practices to drive consistency.
• Lead execution of company-wide programs (performance reviews, merit communications, benefits education, engagement surveys) and provide input into program design.
• Collaborate with Payroll, Finance, Talent Acquisition, Legal, and IT on rollout and adoption, and bring field feedback to refine policies and processes.
• Oversee benefits administration and manage relationships with the broker, carriers, and plan administrators, including billing reconciliation with Finance.
• Lead open enrollment end-to-end and support benefits program reviews and vendor assessments.
• Own leave of absence administration (FMLA, state-mandated, parental, personal, military), including multi-state compliance, payroll coordination, and return-to-work and accommodation planning.
• Own assigned HR service areas and respond to unemployment claim inquiries.
• Oversee compensation changes (adjustments, promotions, reclassifications, off-cycle increases) and support merit and bonus cycles end-to-end.
• Build compensation tools and manager guides, and support pay equity analysis and the maintenance of grade structures and salary bands.
• Partner with Finance on compensation budgeting, headcount cost modeling, and payroll reconciliation.
• Own employer state registrations, Powers of Attorney, and state payroll tax, SUI, and workers’ compensation accounts, ensuring registration is in place before employees start in a new state.
• Respond to state agency notices and keep audit-ready records of registrations and compliance filings.
• Serve as an escalation point for employee relations issues, manager coaching, and conflict resolution.
• Partner with Legal and the Director of People Ops on ER investigations, documentation, and risk mitigation.
• Advise on federal, state, and local employment law compliance (wage and hour, I-9, leave, data privacy) and ensure consistent policy application.
• Translate People strategy (workforce planning, retention, talent management, career development) into tactical actions.
• Identify patterns across business units and recommend solutions and process improvements to People leadership.
• Serve as the key intake point for employee and manager questions, resolving moderate-complexity issues with People Generalists, global admin staff, and Senior People Partners

Skills

Leadership

Communication

EQ

Analytical thinking

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR or related field

Master’s or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR)

Tools

Rippling HRIS

ATS

Excel

PowerPoint

HR analytics tools

Job description

COMPANY

RYZE was founded in 2019 by Andrée Werner and Rashad Hossain, out of a parents’ basement, with a mission to change daily health, starting with the morning routine: a nutrient-dense mushroom coffee delivering clean energy, mental clarity, and immune support. Built on a Direct-to-Consumer foundation with a performance marketing engine, RYZE achieved hockey-stick growth and a community of over 1 million active subscribers.

DTC remains the foundation, but RYZE has expanded into mass retail, quickly becoming the #2 items in Target’s overall coffee category and is now executing a multi-channel expansion, with a cross-category launch coming in early 2027. RYZE is uniquely positioned to redefine how people think about daily wellness.

We’re a lean, fast-moving, mission-driven team who believe daily rituals create the foundation for living your greatest life, and we’re just getting started!

WHAT YOU’LL DO

We are seeking a People Operations Manager to lead our frontline people support and drive operational and strategic HR and People Operations processes. In this role, you will serve as a trusted advisor to managers across the company and own key people operations service areas (e.g., benefits and leave, compensation operations, multi-state compliance, immigration, reporting, unemployment claims). You will translate People Ops strategy into practical, team-level action while improving the processes that make the function run.

Responsibilities will include:

• Define and evolve team processes, tools, and communication practices to drive consistency
• Lead execution of company-wide programs (performance reviews, merit communications, benefits education, engagement surveys) and provide input into program design
• Collaborate with Payroll, Finance, Talent Acquisition, Legal, and IT on rollout and adoption, and bring field feedback to refine policies and processes
• Oversee benefits administration and manage relationships with the broker, carriers, and plan administrators, including billing reconciliation with Finance
• Lead open enrollment end-to-end and support benefits program reviews and vendor assessments
• Own leave of absence administration (FMLA, state-mandated, parental, personal, military), including multi-state compliance, payroll coordination, and return-to-work and accommodation planning
• Own assigned HR service areas and respond to unemployment claim inquiries
• Oversee compensation changes (adjustments, promotions, reclassifications, off-cycle increases) and support merit and bonus cycles end-to-end
• Build compensation tools and manager guides, and support pay equity analysis and the maintenance of grade structures and salary bands
• Partner with Finance on compensation budgeting, headcount cost modeling, and payroll reconciliation
• Own employer state registrations, Powers of Attorney, and state payroll tax, SUI, and workers’ compensation accounts, ensuring registration is in place before employees start in a new state
• Respond to state agency notices and keep audit-ready records of registrations and compliance filings
• Serve as an escalation point for employee relations issues, manager coaching, and conflict resolution
• Partner with Legal and the Director of People Ops on ER investigations, documentation, and risk mitigation
• Advise on federal, state, and local employment law compliance (wage and hour, I-9, leave, data privacy) and ensure consistent policy application
• Translate People strategy (workforce planning, retention, talent management, career development) into tactical actions
• Identify patterns across business units and recommend solutions and process improvements to People leadership
• Serve as the key intake point for employee and manager questions, resolving moderate-complexity issues with People Generalists, global admin staff, and Senior People Partners

Professional Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent combination of experience and education); Master’s or HR certification (SHRM-SCP, SPHR) preferred
• 7+ years of progressive HR experience, including leading a People Partner or People Generalist team in a fast-paced, high-growth environment
• Proven track record of designing and implementing strategic HR initiatives
• Strong knowledge of employment laws, regulations, and best practices, including multi-state compliance, leave laws, COBRA, and ACA
• Experience with benefits, leave, and compensation administration, including merit and bonus cycles
• Deep understanding of the employee lifecycle, manager coaching, and HR best practices
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and EQ, with the ability to influence at all levels and deliver feedback with clarity
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; advanced Excel and PowerPoint; hands‑on experience with HRIS (Rippling preferred), ATS, and data analytics
• Ability to quickly learn new systems and act as an SME for key systems and processes

WHAT WE OFFER

• Competitive compensation aligned with experience and market benchmarks.
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Paid time off and company-observed holidays.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• A collaborative, inclusive, and supportive work environment.
• Access to tools, resources, and training to support success in the role.